The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

330 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1855-9
kind of postal monitor ; correcting misconception as
it arose, and keeping the public constantly informed as
to the real proceedings of the department.
STAMPING.
The Post Office stamp indicating date had never
been renowned for clearness, and perhaps the constant
increase in the number of letters may have tended to
make the dark darker still. At all events means for
had been for some time in earnest con-
improvement
sideration, when circumstances drew public atten-
tion pointedly to the defect. At a trial presided over
by Lord Campbell, towards the end of 1856, a question
of some importance turned upon the precise date at
which a letter was posted ; and the stamp being too
obscure to supply the necessary evidence, his lordship,
though in a tone of general friendliness to the Post
Office, animadverted rather sharply upon the failure.
This brought me a letter from the Duke of Argyll,
who was then absent from town, to which I replied as
follows :
" 1 7th December, 1856.
" MY DEAR LORD DUKE, Active measures for the improvement
of the date stamp have long been in progress, and much has already
been accomplished ; a further minute on the subject will be ready, I
hope, by to-morrow night's post ; Lord Campbell's censures are there-
fore, to say the least, ill-timed.
" The foreign stamping is on the whole somewhat better than ours,
but the difference is not great, and Mr. Bokenham thinks it will dis-
appear when we have a better ink. The foreign stamping is, I
believe in most cases similar to our own, but the work is done more
leisurely.
" We have tried various machines, but as yet without success. My
son thinks he can overcome the difficulties, and he has for a long