It has been shown that, several years before there is any record of
regular public telegraph business in continental Europe, the system in
the United States was in popular use. There can be no question that what
restrained its use in Europe for so many years was governmental jealousy
of its power, and not ignorance of its capacity. The subject was freely
canvassed in the public prints, and was familiar to the learned men of
all European nations. Even in England, whose government aided its
introduction through private enterprise, the employment of the telegraph
was hindered by a tariff so high as to shut it out from general use.
Respecting this latter fact, so as to give in more marked contrast the
early history of the telegraph on the two continents, a few details are
given.
The Electric Telegraph Company of England was incorporated in 1846, and
seems to have made its first work in the connection of the railway
stations, post-office, police, admiralty, Houses of Parliament,
Buckingham Palace, &c. As late as 1851 only eighty stations in the
provinces, including the chief cities and outposts, had been opened.
Priority of service was secured to the government, and the Secretary of
State was empowered, on extraordinary occasions, to take possession of
all telegraph stations and hold them for a week, with power to continue
so to do.
The tariff of charges adopted was, for twenty words, including address
and signature, one penny per mile for the first fifty miles; one
half-penny for the second fifty; and one farthing for any distance
beyond 100 miles. The lowest charge was 2_s._ 6_d._, sterling. This
tariff existed as late as 1851. Compare these rates with those of the
American lines at the same period.
From London to York, a distance of about 230 miles, the charge was
9_s._, equal to $2.25 gold.
From New York to Boston, a distance of 220 miles, the tariff for ten
words, exclusive of address and signature, was twenty cents!
From London to Edinburgh, a distance of about 400 miles, the charge was
13_s._, or $3.25, while from New York to Buffalo, 500 miles, the charge
was forty cents. On the English tariff of charges, a message from New
York to New Orleans would have been $11.46; the actual tariff was $2.50.