isposal of Parliament; the City posts were peremptorily suppressed;
opposition babies were quietly--no doubt righteously--murdered; and from
that date the carrying of letters has remained the exclusive privilege
of the Crown. But considerable and violent opposition was made to this
monopoly. This is a world of opposition, my young friends"--the
lecturer was pathetic here--"and I have no doubt whatever that it was
meant to be a world of opposition"--the lecturer was energetic here, and
drew an emphatic "Hear, hear," from the Scotch members. "Why, it is
only by opposition that questions are ventilated and truth is
established!

"No doubt every member of this ancient and literary Society is well
acquainted with the name of Hill--(great cheering)--Sir Rowland Hill,
who in the year 1840 succeeded in getting introduced to the nation one
of the greatest boons with which it has been blessed--namely, the Penny
Post." (Renewed cheering.) "Well, it is a curious and interesting fact
that in the middle of the seventeenth century--more than two hundred
years ago--a namesake of Sir Rowland (whether an ancestor or not I
cannot tell), a Mr John Hill, wrote a pamphlet in which monopoly was
condemned and a penny post suggested. The title of the pamphlet was
`John Hill's Penny Post; or, A Vindication of every Englishman in
carrying Merchants' or any other Men's Letters against any restraints of
Farmers of such Employment.' So, you see, in regard to the Penny Post,
the coming event cast its shadow about two hundred years in advance.

"The Creeping Era may be the title assigned to this period of
Post-Office history. Little was expected of the Post-Office, and not
much was done. Nevertheless, considering the difficulties in its way,
our infant progressed wonderfully. Its revenue in 1649 was 5000 pounds.
Gradually it got upon its legs. Then it monopolised post-horses and
began to run. Waxing bolder, it also monopolised packet-boats and went
to sea. Like all bold and energetic children, it had numerous falls,
and experienced many troubles in its progress. Nevertheless its heart
was kept up by the steady increase of its revenue, which amounted to
76,000 pounds in 1687. During the following seventy-eight years the
increase was twofold, and during the next ninety years (to 1854) it was
tenfold.

"It was hard times with the Post-Office officials about the beginning of
last century.

"During what we may call the Post-boy Era, the o