Page 191 - Reading Mercury

across a certain highway there, leading to Bagshot and opposite to Sunninghill Church
Lane, will be taken into consideration.,--Dated the 22d day of January, 1844.
John L. Roberts
Clerk to the said Trustees.

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Sat 3 Feb (BC)
THE PENNY POSTAGE
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In the “Statistical Number” of the 6 inst., the Economist furnished? A table
showing the increase in the number of letters passing through the post-offices in the
United Kingdom, taken for one week in each month, from November 1839 to
February, 1843. A reference to this table affords some idea of the enormous social and
commercial importance which the postage measure must have been to the country, the
number of letters having gradually and steadily increased since the first introduction
of the system. In Nov. 1839, the whole number was 1,585,973 letters, and by
February last it had reached 4,542,332, and, we believe, is steadily progressing. This
increase of letters in proportion has been greatest in Scotland and least in Ireland. The
comparison stands as follows:--

Week Nov, 24 1839 same 1842
In England and Wales 1,252.977 3,282,021
Scotland 153,065 446,194
Ireland 179,931 474,031

There are some curious periodical fluctuations in the number of letters. In Easter
week they shrink considerably, and in the valentine week there is a very perceptible
increase. The difference in this week has been:--

Letters
In England and Wales 275,000
Ireland 65,000
Scotland 48,500

So that the annual post for the postage alone of valentines appears to be £1,631.

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Sat 3 Feb
THE ROYAL MINT
This national establishment commenced on Monday last striking the new silver
coinage which is to be issued by Government immediately after her Majesty’s royal
proclamation calling in the old silver coinage of George III. In 1816, George IV. In
1821, and William IV. in 1831, as the greater part of it is so defaced by wear and tear,
and so deteriorated in weight, that many of the half-crowns are not worth more than
2s.; the shillings 3d.; and the sixpences 3d. The panic that was anticipated by the Bank
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of England in consequence of the royal proclamation of the 3 of October last on the
light gold currency having subsided in the public mind the old silver coinage will be
called in soon after the assembling of Parliament, without any loss being sustained by
the public, as the new coinage of 1844 will be given in exchange, without deduction,
for the old currency.

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Sat 10 Feb (BC)
FARMERS OF BERKS:

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