rm Cheap Postage, was a
revolution in postal affairs. It may almost be called a revolution in the
government, for it identified the policy of the government with the
happiness of the people, more perfectly than any one measure that was ever
adopted. It prepared the way for all other postal reforms, which are
chiefly impracticable until this one is carried. We also can have franking
abolished, as soon as cheap postage shall have given the franking
privilege alike to all. We can have label stamps, and free delivery, and
registry of letters, and reduced postage on newspapers, and whatever other
improvement our national ingenuity may contrive, to the fullest extent of
the people's wants, and the government's ability, just as soon as we can
prevail upon the people to ask, and congress to grant, this one boon of
Uniform Cheap Postage.

V. _Franking._

The unanimity and readiness with which the franking privilege was
surrendered by the members of parliament--men of privilege in a land of
privilege--is proof of the strong pressure of necessity under which the
measure was carried. It is true, a few members seemed disposed to struggle
for the preservation of this much-cherished prerogative. One member
complained that the bill would be taxing him as much as L15 per annum.
Another defended the franking privilege on account of its benefits to the
poor. But the opposition melted away, like an unseasonable frost, as soon
as its arguments were placed in the light of cheap postage. And the whole
system of franking was swept away, and each department of the government
was required to pay its own postage, and report the same among its
expenditures. The debates in parliament show something of the reasons
which prevailed.

_July 22, 1848._ The postage bill came up on the second reading:

Sir Robert H. Inglis, among other things, objected to the
abolition of the franking privilege. He could not see why, because
a tax was to be taken off others, a tax was to be imposed on
members. It would be, to those who had much correspondence, at
least L15 a year, at the reduced rate of a penny a letter. To the
revenue the saving would be small, and he hoped the house would
not consent to rescind that privilege.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the sacrifice of the franking
privilege would be small in amount. But at the same time, be it
small or great, he thought there would be not one feature of