The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

l86o-3] REGISTRATION. 367
Fear had been expressed during the progress of the
bill through Parliament that the sub-postmasters would
fail to carry out the details of the measure ; but it was
found that
" The postmasters throughout the country have lent themselves
cheerfully and readily to the work, and instead of merely carrying out
their instructions perfunctorily, and in ordinary course, have exerted
themselves to make known and to explain the advantages of the Post
Office Savings Banks, and to facilitate, so far as lay in their power, the
transactions of the poorer depositors."*
REGISTRATION.
In the year 1862 an important improvement was
made in the matter of registration. It may be remembered
that my urgent advocacy of the lowering of
the fee from one shilling to sixpence, in opposition to
the opinion of Lord Lowther, appeared to be the immediate
cause of my dismissal from the Treasury by
the Government of Sir Robert Peel.t I had easily
succeeded in obtaining that important reduction after
my appointment to the Post Office by the Government
of Lord John Russell, and the change had been
followed by a large increase in the number of registered
letters, and a corresponding diminution in the
amount of loss by dishonesty or negligence within
the Office.^ Of course, however, even the lower fee
proved a stumbling-block to some persons, and, not-
withstanding all remonstrance from the Post Office, the
*
"Eighth Annual Report," p. 15. Any of my readers desirous of further
information on this subject may refer with advantage to an interesting work on
the "History of Savings Banks," by Mr. William Lewins, author of "Her
Majesty's Mails." (Sampson Low and Co.)
+ See Vol. I., p. 459. ED.
J See Vol. ii., p. 315. ED.