The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1855-9] COMPULSORY PREPAYMENT. 335
COMPULSORY PREPAYMENT.
In my original plan, as may be remembered, I
counted upon universal prepayment as an important
means towards the simplification of accounts, and con-
sequent economy of time and expense ; the expedient
of double postage on postpayment being regarded by
me as a temporary mode of avoiding the difficulties
naturally attending a transition state; and though
hitherto postponing the measure to more pressing
looked forward to a time suitable
matters, I had always
for taking the step necessary to the completion of
my plan. Of course, the almost universal resort to
prepayment had rendered accounts of postage very
short and easy, but obviously universal practice alone
could render them altogether unnecessary.
In the year 1859, upon a review of all circumstances,
we hoped that the fitting time had at length arrived,
the proportion of unpaid letters having become ex-
we made the attempt. Such a
ceedingly small ; and
change, however, could not be effected without pro-
ducing a certaint amount of inconvenience ; and un-
fortunately, while those annoyed were loud in their
complaints, the general public could not readily be made
very sensible of the benefits, economical and otherwise,
thence to be derived, and still less could they be made
as earnest in defence as opponents were in attack. Not
to recommend
a little to my regret, I found it my duty
to the Postmaster-General that the measure should be
indefinitely postponed. My own feelings and opinions
on the subject will be shown in the following extract
from a letter which I addressed shortly afterwards
to my sister in South Australia :
" You will learn by the newspapers, perhaps, that we have been in
hot water with the public, i.e., with the majority of the public, in