The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

258 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1851-4
In the year 1851 prepayment in money of postage on inland
letters was abolished at all those provincial offices where it had been
thus far allowed. Early in the following year the abolition was
extended to Dublin, next to Edinburgh, and last of all to London
thus completing the establishment of prepayment by stamps alone
throughout the United Kingdom, and greatly simplifying our pro-
ceedings. To save trouble, however, to the senders of large
numbers of circulars, a limited exception was still allowed at the
chief office in St. Martin's-le-Grand, the rule eventually taking this
form, viz., to receive prepayment in money from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
in sums of not less than 2 at a time. And thus, with this trifling
exception, was carried into full effect, and I believe without a
dissentient voice, a mode of payment which it was at one time
maintained that the public would regard with such disfavour that its
unpopularity would be found a serious obstacle, if not an insuperable
bar, to the whole scheme of penny postage.
MINOR IMPROVEMENTS.
Early Delivery.
"December Jisf, 1831. Frederic has succeeded in satisfying
Smith (President of the London District Office) of the practicability
of a considerable improvement in the delivery of the general post
letters in those parts of the suburbs of London which are about four
or five miles from the Post Office. For the last three or four weeks
the delivery at Brixton and in the neighbourhood has been about
two hours earlier than theretofore, and the improvement will shortly
be extended to Hampstead, Highgate, Stoke Newington, and many
other places about equally distant from the Post Office, if the
Treasury sanction the small increase of expense necessary. The
measure will be a step towards the more perfect plan which I
attempted to carry out more than four years ago, but which I
was obliged to abandon for the time in consequence of Smith's
objections.
"
January 3 1st, 1852. The further improvement in the suburban
deliveries commenced this morning. At my house [Hampstead] the
general post letters were delivered just before nine o'clock, instead
of, as heretofore, about half-past eleven."
The hour of morning delivery has now, for many years, been as
early as eight. This acceleration by three hours and a-half in the
principal delivery of the day, especially to the large
class resident in