weight it amounted to 100 per
cent. on the normal rate. It was, moreover, disproportionate to the cost
of the service of delivery.[243] Since 1850 the Prussian administration
had incessantly urged the abolition of the charge. Special charges for
delivery had already been abolished in England, in France, and in other
of the larger States. The efforts of the administration were, however,
frustrated by the Minister for Finance, who was unable, from regard to
the needs of the national exchequer, to abandon the revenue obtained
from this source. These financial considerations delayed the abolition
of the charge by at least a decade.[244] The existence of the charge was
found to be especially unfortunate in regard to foreign letters, since
its collection was regarded by foreign administrations as an addition to
the ordinary postage and consequently an evasion of the terms of
agreements under which foreign rates had been fixed. The charge was
ultimately abolished in 1862.[245] In order to avoid inconvenient
reduction of revenue, it was arranged that the abolition should be
effected gradually: for certain classes of traffic as from the date of
the coming into force of the Act, for other classes as from the 1st July
1863, and for the remainder as from the 1st July 1864.

The political events of the years 1864 and 1866 occasioned far-reaching
modifications of the postal service in Germany. After the expulsion of
Austria from the German league, Prussia took over the administration of
the postal service in the duchies of the Elbe. Prussia had also absorbed
the kingdom of Hanover. The territory of the Prussian postal
administration was thus largely extended; and in addition the Prince of
Thurn and Taxis relinquished in favour of the Crown of Prussia the
control which he had exercised over the postal service in eighteen
States.[246]

The North-German Union was established in 1867, and the postal
arrangements for the whole territory of the Union were unified. Up to
this time ten independent postal administrations had existed in this
territory,[247] and the rates of these administrations differed in
various particulars. The Prussian rates were applied temporarily to all
postal traffic passing between the old and new Prussian territories, and
the rates of the Union service were applied to traffic passing between
the territories forming the North-German Union.

The continuance of these conditions was not consistent with a unified
admi