The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

82 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1848
nature he appended the term Esq., adding, " The silly
fellow does not know that in a certain rank of life
every one signs himself Esq."
Complaints.
It is curious, and would at first sight seem inex-
plicable, that acceleration of the mails, though effected
solely for the public benefit, often too at great cost,
and always with much trouble, led in some instances
to angry complaint. Perhaps the most whimsical
instance of this was that of a lady in a northern
town, at which the night mail from London had
previously arrived somewhat too late for the last
delivery of the day, so that the letters could not
be distributed until the following morning, whereas
by this acceleration evening.
they
The allegation
were
was
delivered the
that, whereas
same
com-
plainant used always to get her letters early
morning,
night.
in the
she never received them now till late at
Joseph Ady.
Among miscellaneous incidents of the year 1848
the following may be mentioned. The office and the
public had long been troubled with a restless adventurer
named Joseph Ady, a man who maintained
the language and dress of a Quaker, but who, I
apprehend, was no real member of the Society of
Friends. This person was for ever posting a number
of letters to inform individuals that he knew of
something to their advantage, which, for a stated
fee, he was ready to mention. As all these letters
were unpaid, and many consequently rejected, Mr.
Ady was called on to pay no small amount of postage ;
but, by representations of his poverty, age,
and feeble
health, and promises to offend no more, he had again