importance to the population in a climate such as that of
England. So long as the market was supplied with coal brought by sea in
sailing ships, fuel in winter often rose to a famine price, especially
during long-continued easterly winds. But now that railways are in full
work, the price is almost as steady in winter as in summer, and (but for
strikes) the supply is more regular at all seasons.

But the carriage of food and fuel to London forms but a small part of the
merchandise traffic carried by railway. Above 600,000 tons of goods of
various kinds yearly pass through one station only, that of the London
and North-Western Company, at Camden Town; and sometimes as many as
20,000 parcels daily. Every other metropolitan station is similarly
alive with traffic inwards and outwards, London having since the
introduction of railways become more than ever a great distributive
centre, to which merchandise of all kinds converges, and from which it is
distributed to all parts of the country. Mr. Bazley, M.P., stated at a
late public meeting at Manchester, that it would probably require ten
millions of horses to convey by road the merchandise traffic which is now
annually carried by railway.

Railways have also proved of great value in connection with the Cheap
Postage system. By their means it has become possible to carry letters,
newspapers, books and post parcels, in any quantity, expeditiously, and
cheaply. The Liverpool and Manchester line was no sooner opened in 1830,
than the Post Office authorities recognised its utility, and used it for
carrying the mails between the two towns. When the London and Birmingham
line was opened eight years later, mail trains were at once put on,--the
directors undertaking to perform the distance of 113 miles within 5 hours
by day and 5.5 hours by night. As additional lines were opened, the old
four-horse mail coaches were gradually discontinued, until in 1858, the
last of them, the "Derby Dilly," which ran between Manchester and Derby,
was taken off on the opening of the Midland line to Rowsley.

The increased accommodation provided by railways was found of essential
importance, more particularly after the adoption of the Cheap Postage
system; and that such accommodation was needed will be obvious from the
extraordinary increase which has taken place in the number of letters and
packets sent by post. Thus, in 1839, the number of chargeable letters
carried was only 76 millions, an