C 29 J • - A P P N D I X. No. i. < r The Examination of Mr. ISAAC DE JONCOURT ; taken upon Oath, • the 27th of February and 15th of June 1809. This Examinant faith, nnHAT lie is Prefident of the Inland Office, and has been fo fince January 1808. Previous to the eftablifliment of the Inland Office, the receipt and difpatch both of the Inland Mails and of the Britifh Mails were conduced in the Sorting Office, which has been formed by the prefent Poftmafters General into two Offices, the one called the Inland Office for the receipt and difpatch of the Inland Mails, the other the Britifh Mail Office, for the receipt and dif- patch of the Biitifti Mails. The four fenior Officers in the Sorting Office were called Clerks of Roads, after the then Poft Office divifions of the Country, named the Leinfter, Munfter, Northern, and Connaught Roads. It was their duty to manage as principals in the Office the receipt and difpatch of the feveral Mails, and as attached to their fituations to which they fucceeded according to their feniority in office, they had the privilege of circulating Newf- papers within certain limits free of Poftage. One of the Clerks of the Roads having been however appointed Secretary, and fubfequently another to be Keeper of the Alphabet, they were permitted to retain their emoluments as Clerks of the Roads, though they ceafecl to do duty as fuch, the junior Clerks next in seniority a& ing for them. The liberty of fending out for delivery in Dublin, Lottery Slips and British Newfpapers by exprefs on the arrival of the Britifh Mails, belonged alfo to the Officers of the Sorting Office, the emoluments arifing therefrom being enjoyed in succession by the two next in feniority to the Clerks of the Roads, according to certain assigned portions. The fituations to which thefe feveral privileges were attached being very lucrative, the prospect of succeeding to them, has induced Officers to continue on the establishment of the Office at low faiaries, though in fome inftances fcarcely able from age and infirmity to do any duty, and who after they have fucceeded to them, have been permitted to receive the emoluments thereof during their lives, as a compenfation for long fervices, without being required to do any duty. The Poft Office divifions of Ireland are fix in number, to each of which is attached a fenior Sorter. Thefe Officers difchargc the duties formerly executed by the Clerks of the Roads, to whofe fituations they expert to fucceed on any vacancy that may occur in the Clerkffiips that remain attached to the Office. The hours of attendance in the Inland Office, are in the morning from fix o'clock until the Mails are delivered to the Alphabet, the Penny Poft, and the Letter Carriers, which ufually takes place by nine o'clock, and in the evening from five o'clock until the difpatch of the outward Mails, which is completed by eight. The delivery in and difpatch of the Inland Mails from Dublin, have been greatly accelerated in confcquence of the improvements lately made in the internal arrangement of the Office. Formerly the Clerks of this Office were divided into two sets, each let doing duty on every fecond night and morning only, without- any provifion having been made for fupplying the place of fuch as fliould be abfenc from iicknefs or other caufes, in confequence whereof the bufinefs of the Office, which was in- creafing with the increafe of com- fpondence, was greitly retarded, and it became requifite to employ the Letter Carriers and Mail Guards to affift therein ; but fuch extra- affiftance is now become unneceflary, all the Officers being required to attend every night and morning, and a number of probationary Officers with fixed faiaries having been added, and befides there are always in attendance perfons called extra- probationers, who in cafe of the ficknefs or fufpenfion of any of the Officers in regular employment, do their duty and are paid out of their faiaries ' 1 he delivery of Letters in Dublin has been further accelerated by employ- ing a number of probationary Letter Carriers, who in cafe of the iilnefs or fufpenfion of any of the regular Letter Carriers do their duty, and are in like manner paid out of their faiaries. Along with every Mail fent to Dublin, the Deputy Poftmafler tranfmits a Letter Bill or Docket, fpecifying the total amount cf the Postage charged 011 the Letters contained therein, diflin- guifhine the paid from the unpaid Letters. The Mails on their arrival are carried into the Inland Office, where they are opened, and the Dockets accompanying them are compared with the charge 011 the Letters, and the actual amount thereof being entered in a column ap- propriated in the Dockets to that purpose, and the caufe of variance, if any, ftated, it is fent to the Letter Bill Office, for the purpofe of c harging the Poftage 011 poft- paid Letters againft the refpedive Deputies by whom it was received. Variances between the aflual amount of the Poftage and that dated in the Docket, feldom occur in the Mails coming to Dublin ^ when they do Examinant enters them in a book, kept by him for the purpofe of noting any irregularity or matter he may conceive proper to report to the Secretary. While the Officers are comparing the Dockets with the charges on them, the Letters are forted into three claffes, ( 540 H