The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

i855-9l COLONIAL AND FOREIGN POSTS. 317
Intra-colonial Rates of Postage,
By returns obtained from the colonies during the year 1856, it
appeared that reduction of rate was universal, or very nearly so,
and uniformity of charge almost as general. The lowest rate
reported was that in India, where the minimum charge was, and
still is, for all distances, as low as three farthings ; and though
the weight thereby covered is certainly very small being only about
one-tenth of an ounce yet on the one hand such restriction appears
to produce little or no inconvenience to natives, and on the other
hand it is more than counterbalanced by the vast extent of country
over which a letter may be conveyed. The new postal system, which
involved in effect the complete adoption of my plan, was established
on the recommendation of a Commission of Inquiry. I have lately
learnt (1870) with great satisfaction, that, whereas before the change,
the Indian Post Office was a source of expense, it is now self-
supporting.
Transference of Management of Colonial Post Offices.
As it had been found difficult, or rather impracticable, for the
Postmaster-General effectually to superintend postal affairs in distant
colonies, measures were taken in the year 1859 though they could
not be completed until the next year for transferring to the different
Colonial Governments in the West Indies (unfortunately, in the
case of Jamaica, at least, much against their will) the management
of their respective offices. Of course such transfer, following as it
did a similar change with regard to all our North American colonies,
materially reduced the amount of our revenue, the counterbalancing
advantage being the benefits usually arising from autonomy.
FOREIGN POSTS.
France.
The reduction of postage between England and France, already
mentioned, which extended to the transit rates charged in each
country on the letters of the other, having been followed by a large
increase of correspondence, further changes were considered de-
sirable,* and in the year 1856 my brother was sent to Paris to
negotiate with the French Office. The result of the proceedings
was the completion of a new postal convention involving large
* "Third Report," p. 15.