[51] The above account is taken from a paper which was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 8th December, 1796.  From the gross produce of the year ending 5th April, 1796, there has been deducted in that statement the sum of 36,666_l._, in consequence of the regulation on franking, which took place on the 5th May, 1795, and was computed at 40,000_l._ per ann.  To show an equal number of years, both of peace and war, the accounts of two preceding years are given in the following table, from a report made since Mr. Burke’s death by a committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the claims of Mr. Palmer, the late Comptroller-General; and for still greater satisfaction, the number of letters, inwards and outwards, have been added, except for the year 1790-1791.  The letter-book for that year is not to be found.

POST-OFFICE.
|       Number of Letters. 
Gross Revenue              |--------------------------------
L      |    Inwards.    |   Outwards. 
April, 1790-1791             575,079   |    --------    |   ---------
1791-1792             585,432   |   6,391,149    |   5,081,344
1792-1793             627,592   |   6,584,867    |   5,041,137
1793-1794             691,268   |   7,094,777    |   6,537,234
1794-1795             705,319   |   7,071,029    |   7,473,626
1795-1796             750,637   |   7,641,077    |   8,597,167

From the last-mentioned report it appears that the accounts have not been completely and authentically made up for the years ending 5th April, 1796 and 1797; but on the Receiver-General’s books there is an increase of the latter year over the former, equal to something more than 5 per cent.

[52] In a debate, 30th December, 1796, on the return of Lord Malmesbury.—­See Woodfall’s Parliamentary Debates, Vol.  XIII. p. 591.

[53]

GENERAL LICENSES. 
Years of Peace.  L | Years of War.  L
1787 44,030 | 1793 45,568
1788 40,882 | 1794 42,129
1789 39,917 | 1795 43,350
1790 41,970 | 1796 41,190
------- | ------- Increase to 1790
L166,799 | L170,237 L3,438. 
Increase to 1791
1791 L44,240 4 Years to 1791 L167,009 L3,228.

[54]

DEALERS IN TEA. 
Years of Peace.  L | Years of War.  L
1787 10,934 | 1793 13,939
1788 11,949 | 1794 14,315
1789 12,501 | 1795 13,956
1790 13,126 | 1796 14,830
------- | ------- Increase to 1790
L48,510 | L57,040 L8,530. 
Increase to 1791
1791 L13,921 4 Years to 1791 L51,497 L5,543.