THE NEW POST-OFFICE, LONDON.

(With an Engraving.)

THE magnificent building recently opened as the new metropolitan Post-Office is situated near the junction of Cheapside and Newgate-street, on the spot formerly occupied by the college and sanctuary of St. Martin-leGrand.

It is one of the largest public edifices now existing in the City of London. The architect, Mr. Smirke, has employed in its construction his favourite order, the Grecian Ionic. The principal front, which is four hundred feet in length, has a grand and impressive effect, alike from the continuity and simplicity of its elevation, and from the solidity and magnificence of its proportions. The portico, which projects with two intercolumns at the sides, and is also recessed, has an air of space, and a depth of shadow, that contribute materially to enhance its effect. Its breadth is seventy, and its depth twenty feet. Over the door is placed a clock, with a face both to the exterior and interior; and on each side are two pedestals, with strong reflecting lamps. In this front are forty-four windows.

The east front, in Foster-lane, has upwards of one hundred and eighty windows; and may be said to have the same appearance in relation to the other, as is usual

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with the backs of ordinary houses. The whole, however, is characterized by a simple and impressive character of due proportion.

The vestibule, or great hall, which occupies the centre of the edifice, is a thoroughfare for the public from one street to the other. It is about eighty feet long, (which is the depth of the building throughout,) sixty feet broad, (ten less than the portico,) and fifty-three feet high in the centre. It is supported by two lines of six columns, similar to those of the portico, and formed of Portland stone upon granite pedestals.

On the north side of the vestibule are the several receiving rooms for newspapers, inland and ship letters; and behind these, further north, are the inland-lettersorters' and letter-carriers' rooms. These rooms, which extend the whole length of the front from the portico to the north wing, are tastefully finished. The latter is thirty-five feet high. Their fittings-up appear to be perfect in their kind: there are almost innumerable boxes, pigeon-holes, drawers, &c. At each end of the letter-carriers' office are projecting circular rooms, or bars, for the principals. The mails are received at the doorway (in the eastern or Foster-lane front) north of the vestibule, leading to the inland offices, and are taken into a room called the tick room, where the bags are opened. In this part of the building is also a spacious office, appropriated to the correspondence of the West Indies; and also the comptroller's and mail-coach offices.

On the south side of the vestibule are the foreign, receiver-general's, and accountant's offices. The foreign office is most chastely and conveniently fitted up; the beauty of the ceiling at once attracts attention. At the eastern end of the foreign office is a corridor, and the private foreign office, and that of the principal clerk.

At the eastern end of the vestibule is the twopennypost department, comprising the receiving, sorters', and carriers' rooms. There is a very novel and admirable mode adopted for conveying letters across the vestibulę to and from the inland, foreign, and twopenny-post offices, in small waggons, traversing in a tunnel beneath

the pavement by means of machinery. It is said to be the invention of Mr. Barrow.

On the first floor are the board-room, secretary's room, and his clerk's office, communicating, by long passages, with the solicitor's offices. All the floors throughout the building are of American oak.

At the eastern end of the hall, on the north side, is a staircase leading to the letter-bill, dead, mis-sent, and returned-letter offices; and across the gallery of the hall are the offices connected with the solicitor's and secretary's apartments.

On the second-floor story and upper story are sleeping rooms for the foreign clerks, who are liable to be summoned to duty at uncertain hours. The number of these rooms, and the extent of the accommodations, may be conceived, when it is stated that the rooms on each side of the gallery, two hundred and thirty-seven feet long, are appropriated to this purpose.

At the south-western extremity of the building is the private house of the assistant secretary. It is well suited for the residence of a gentleman's family; the principal rooms are in excellent proportion, and the whole so arranged as to admit of a free ventilation, and rendered as cheerful as the situation will admit.

In the basement, the whole of which is rendered fireproof by brick vaulting, are rooms for the mail-guards, conveniently furnished with lockers, presses, and other accommodations; an armoury; and servants' offices. There is some ingenious machinery for conveying coals from the cellars to each story of the building; and a very simple yet perfect means is provided for obtaining a copious supply of water in case of fire, and conveying it through the building by means of those pipes. Immediately under the portico are placed two large gasometers, capable of registering 4000 cubic feet of gas per hour. The gas is consumed by nearly a thousand burners in the several offices and passages.

The new Post-Office was first opened for business on Wednesday, September, 23d, 1829, a short time before five o'clock in the morning. The improved system enabled the inland officers to sort and arrange the letters

by about eight o'clock, and at half-past eight they were ready for delivery. In the course of the morning four vehicles were stationed at the back of the Post-Office. In these (which the Post-Office name Accelerators) the letter-carriers, having to deliver letters at the west and north-western parts of the metropolis, took their seats about half-past eight o'clock, two of the carriages proceeding up the Strand, and the other two up Holborn. There were about fourteen letter-carriers in each. At Lloyd's Coffee House, and other public places in the city, the letters arrived full twenty minutes earlier than usual. The mails receive the bags, &c., within the inclosed area at the north end of the building, and in Foster-lane.

The Post-Office system of England is considered superior to that of any other country.

The mention of the office of Chief Postmaster of England occurs in 1581. In 1635 King Charles the First directed his " Postmaster of England for Foreign Parts" to open a communication, by running posts, between London and Edinburgh, Chester, Holyhead, Exeter, Plymouth, and Ireland, &c. In 1653-4 the Post-Office revenues were farmed by the Council of State and Protector at £10,000 per annum.

In 1656 the Parliament made some enactments for the erection of a new general Post-Office, which was established at the Restoration in 1660, and from that period has only changed by a perpetual growth of activity and usefulness. The mail was first conveyed by stage-coaches on the 2d of August, 1785; and in 1789 no less than £30,000 was added to the revenue by the establishment of mail-coaches. The progressive increase of the Post-Office receipts has been as follows: