the trial of petty offences; which, however, are sometimes interesting, and where there is always free admission. For an enumeration of all the Courts, supreme and inferior, see a subsequent part of this work.

Court of Requests.

A Court of Requests is held at Guildhall every Wednesday and Saturday, for the recovery of debts under five pounds. The commissioners are appointed by the Court of Aldermen, and consist of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, and principal merchants and inhabitants of the City. This, and all such Courts, are badly constructed: the plaintiffs and defendants ought to go in at different sides of the building, and the body of the Court should be divided by a partition, so that the parties should only meet at the seat of the Judges. The basis of the de cisions, too, is made upon wrong principles; the interested oath of the plaintiff being decisive, and the defendant having no defence but to prove perjury, or, in other words, to prove a negative, which is an absurdity.

The Royal Exchange.

Before the year 1566, London had no public place for its merchants to assemble in to transact their commercial business; but at this time, Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy merchant, resolved to supply the deficiency at his own expence. The City of London, however, purchased the ground; and, in 1566, Sir Thomas began the building (which was then called the Bourse, and was of brick), and he completed it in the following year.

In 1570, it was visited in great state by Queen Elizabeth, who ordered it to be proclaimed "The Royal Exchange." Sir Thomas, by his will, left this edifice to the City of London, and appointed the Company of Mercers its trustees, under certain conditions. Being destroyed in the fire of 1666, the present building, of Portland stone, was raised in its place, the first stone of which was laid by Charles II. in 1667, and his statue, in consequence, disgraces the centre of its quadrangle.

The Royal Exchange is situated on the north side of Cornhill. It has two principal fronts, ore in Cornhill, and

the other in Threadneedle Street. The tower has a fane of copper, gilt, in the shape of a grasshopper, the crest of the founder. In the tower is an excellent clock, with four dials, which goes with chimes at three, six, nine, and twelve o'clock, playing upon eight bells.

Each of the two fronts has a piazza, which gives a stately air to the building, and serves as a convenient covering from the sun and rain. In the centre of each front is a lofty gate, leading into a noble area, in which the merchants assemble. This area is 144 feet by 117, and has a fine piazza, carried entirely round, with seats along the four walks, for merchants of different nations, who meet each at their different stations.

Within the piazza are twenty-eight niches, all vacant but that in which Sir Thomas Gresham's statue is placed, in the north-west angle; and one in the south-west, where is placed the statue of Sir John Barnard, Magistrate of the City, and one of its representatives in Parliament.

As far

The statues in the niches of the wall of the quadrangle, in the upper story, are those of Kings and Queens of England, beginning with Edward the First on the north side, and ending with his presest Majesty on the east. as Charles the First they were executed by Gabriel Cibber. A stair-case in the south front, and one in the north, lead to a gallery above, running round the whole building, and leading to various important establishments. In the original plan, shops were intended to fill the building to the top.

At present, the upper rooms are occupied by Lloyd's celebrated Subscription Coffee-house, for the use of underwriters and merchants, by the Royal Exchange Assurance Office, and by various offices of underwriters and merchants.

Here are also some small apartments in which the Gresham Lectures are read, pursuant to the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, who bequeathed to the city and the mercers' company all the profits arising from the Royal Exchange, and other premises in Cornhill, in trust to pay salaries to four lecturers in divinity, astronomy, music, and geometry, and three readers in civil law, physic, and rhetoric, who were to read lectures daily in term time.

The extent of the Royal Exchange is 203 feet by 171. It is open as a thoroughfare from eight in the morning till six in the evening. The hours in which the business is chiefly transacted are from two to five, and the stranger will be well employed in visiting this interesting scene, The crowd, which consists of merchants of all nations, together with the bustle of Lloyd's rooms and the whole vicinity, will enlarge his ideas of the greatness of the commerce of London.

Lloyd's Coffee-House

Is situated over the northern Piazzas of the Royal Exchange, and is celebrated as a place of meeting for underwriters and insurance brokers. The premises comprise two separate suits of extensive rooms, oue of which is public, and the other exclusively appropriated to subscribers, who pay a premium of twenty-five pounds upon admission, and four guineas annually; which forms a fund for the general purposes of the establishment. Persons desirous of being subscribers, must be proposed by six members, and approved by the committee of management. The benefits of this institution in the protection of merchants and ship owners, from the hazards of warfare, and the accidents and losses of navigation, are too well known to require repetition; and the public spirit which on a great variety of occasions has been displayed by Lloyd's Coffeehouse, in rewards to our brave warriors, and in charitable relief to their unfortunate widows and orphans, entitles this unrivalled association to rank among the monuments of British philanthropy, as well as those of commercial enterprise and honour

General Post-Office.

This collection of buildings, important as its concerns are to the nation, claims no praise as a building. It stands behind Lombard Street, from which, on the south side of the street, there is a passage leading to it, under an arched gate-way.

A plan has, however, been adopted for erecting a building worthy of this great establishment, -on the site now called St. Martin's-le-grand, and to improve the access to

it by pulling down the east ends of Newgate Street and Paternoster Row. It is now proceeding rapidly.

The Post-office system is, however, one of the most perfect regulations of finance and convenience existing under any government. It has gradually been brought to its present perfection, being at first in the hands of individuals, and replete with abuses. In its present form it not only supplies the government with a great revenue, but accomplishes that by means highly beneficial to the persons contributing.

The post-office is the most important spot on the surface of the globe. It receives information from all countries; it distributes instructions to the antipodes; it connects together more numerous and distant interests of men than any similar establishment. It is in the highest degree hitherto realized, the seat of terrestrial perception and volition-the brain of the whole earth; and hitherto it has been in a narrow valley, mishapen even to deformity, and scarcely accessible to the few mail-coaches which collect there for their nightly freights.

The present post-office was erected in 1660; but great additions have been made to it from time to time, though the whole is disjointed and inconvenient.

The mode of carrying letters by the general post was greatly improved a few years since, by a most admirable plan, invented by Mr. Palmer. Previously to its adoption, letters were conveyed by carts, without protection from robbery, and subject to delays. At present they are carried, according to Mr. Palmer's plan, by coaches, distinguished by the name of mail-coaches, provided with a well-armed guard, and forwarded at the rate of eight miles an hour, including stoppages. Government contracts with coach-keepers merely for carrying the mail, the coachowner making a profitable business besides, of carrying passengers and parcels. It is not easy to imagine a combination of different interests to one purpose, more complete than this. The wretched situation, however, of the horses, on account of the length of the stages which they are frequently driven, is a disgrace to the character of the British nation, and requires the interference of the legislature. No stage should exceed twelve miles in length

The rapidity of this mode of conveyance is unequalled in any country, and the present rate of charge for each passenger is little more than sixpence per mile.

Houses having boxes, for receiving letters before five o'clock, are open in every part of the metropolis; and after that hour bell-men collect the letters during another hour, receiving a fee of one penny for each letter. But, at the General Post-office, in Lombard Street, letters are received till seven o'clock: after which time, till half an hour after seven, a fee of sixpence must be paid; and from half after seven till a quarter before eight, the postage must also be paid, as well as the fee of sixpence.

Foreign Letters.

The postage of all letters sent abroad must be paid when put into the post-office, and if not paid, the letters are opened, and returned in all possible cases to the writers.

Letters for the East Indies must be delivered at the India-House, where a letter-box is provided for their reception.

Those for the coast of Africa, or for single settlements, in particular parts of the world, may be sent, either through the ship letter-office, or by the bags which await the sailing of ships, and which are kept at the respective coffeehouses near the Royal-Exchange.

An excellent regulation has lately taken place to prevent the loss of small sums of money sent by post. Any sum not exceeding five guineas will, on paying into the proper office, be remitted and paid on sight in any part of England, Scotland, or Ireland; and the like accommodation may be had from any country post-master, to pay or receive money to London.

An office is established for receiving letters to go by merchants' ships, and the postage taken is half the rate paid by packet.

THE TWO-PENNY POST-OFFICE, for the delivery of Letters in and near London.

There are two principal offices, one in the General Postoffice Yard, Lombard Street; and the other in Gerrard