The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1851-4] OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE. 241
COLONIAL POSTAGE.
Towards the end of 1851, learning that an in-
fluential association had been formed for obtaining a
low rate of transmarine postage, and fearing that the
Government might be placed in the dilemma of having
either to resist a popular demand or to submit to a
very serious loss of revenue, I proposed
to the Post-
master-General (Lord Clanricarde) a middle course,
viz., a reduction of colonial postage generally to six-
pence, the rate at the time being for the most part
one shilling. Had I foreseen, what experience has
now shown, viz., that where long distances are concerned
the increase of correspondence bears com-
paratively little relation to the amount of charge, I
should probably have hesitated before advising con-
cession even so far. The proposed measure, however,
was not adopted at the time, nor under the adminis-
tration of Lord Derby. Early in 1853 it was at
length sanctioned ; too late, indeed, to forestall public
demand, but still early enough to prevent this from
troublesome force.
acquiring
" March f//i, 1853. The Daily News of this morning contains
an account of the Postmaster-General's reception of a deputation
yesterday, which came to urge the extension of penny postage to the
colonies."
It may not be amiss to remark here that this
demand, which has often been repeated, is generally
based on a false analogy. Penny postage, it is con-
tended, is eminently successful at home, therefore it
must needs succeed abroad ; distance is not taken into
account on land, therefore it need not be reckoned by
sea home letters have ; multiplied enormously under
reduced rates in the United Kingdom, and the same
VOL. II. R