The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1846] PRESENTATION OF TESTIMONIAL. 35
I added that, seeing
how much room there was for
further improvement, and yet how near the results
actually obtained approached to those anticipated from
the complete development of the I
plan, thought we
were .fully justified
in assuming that, but for the
unfortunate interruption in the progress of the measure
which took place on. the retirement of the Liberal
Government, there would ere this have been no
exception whatever to the realization of our antici-
pations.
I then referred to the good effects of penny postage
on the action of other countries ; its adoption by the
British Parliament having already led to reductions
in Russia, Prussia, Austria, Spain, and the United
States of America.
I continued as follows :
" Before I conclude, I must request your kind indulgence while I
lay before you a brief statement of the manner in which the establishment
of penny postage has affected myself. It is notorious that
a reformer must not expect a life of ease and comfort. Judging
from my own experience, he must make up his mind to labour hard,
to encounter much disappointment, and to have his motives and
conduct misunderstood and misrepresented. Still, when I compare
my own with the course of earlier reformers, I cannot but feel that,
independent even of the munificent reward which your kindness has
bestowed upon me, I have in many respects been most fortunate.
Sir Samuel Romilly tried year after year in vain to effect so obvious
an improvement as the abolition of capital punishment for privately
stealing in a shop to the extent of five shillings. This attempt met
with but little support from the people, while it was opposed by the
Government of the day, by Lord Chancellor Eldon, and by Chief
Justice Ellenborough. I, on the contrary, have seen my plan, however
imperfectly,, brought into practice; and none but those who
have laboured long and anxiously to effect an important improvement
can form any conception of the gratification which such a
result brings with it. There was, however, one period of my course
to which I cannot even now revert without pain. I allude to that
period when, with my health impaired by six D 2
years of incessant