The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-09
PENNY POSTAGE.
Wonderful Changes That Have Taken rlaoe
in the Past Tiffy Years.

On Friday. Jan. 90, 1910, there came into
operation in this country one Of those great
measures Of social reform which may be said
b. constitute the landmarks Of a nations prog
ress-the uniform penny postage SYSTEM
This measure, originating with private in
dividual who, up 10 the age Of 81, had been a
schoolmas'er. aud who was wholly uncon-
uec,ed either with the postofiice or the gov
eminent, has, in the last half century. fey0-
lutiouizod the postal service Of the world, and
made the name Of its authorize late Sir
Rowland Hiil-a household word IN every
civilized country.
To the present generation the old postal
system, which was swept away by Rowland
HIS reform, is now 50 much n matter Of
ancient history, and Of history but little
studied, that probably very few have any
conception uf the state of affairs which cx-
isted in this country at a date no further re-
moved than tie early years Of her majesty 3
reign.
Up 20 1910 the postoiIice. SO far - Che poor
and the lower middle class was concerned,
may be- said 90 have been almost non-exist-
ent The rates charged on letters were In
these days SD exorbitant especially when
compared with the scanty wages then obtain
able that correspondence was luxury far
too costly for all hut the well 20 do. Even
in the upper middle ciaases the cost Of postage
was q heavy item of household expenditure.
only 90 be- incurred after much careful con-
s.deraiion. but the vast multitude az the
lower orders woro practically excluded from
all use ~ the u0stonice. When once their
families parted oG from bone 10 was a sepa-
ration almost ll,o that Of death. The bun
dreds ~ thousands VI apprentices, Of shop
men, 81 rufefue-ses. of domestic servants
were cut OH from family relations ms 81 seas
or deserts lny between them and homie
Except in the local town deiivcres-tech-
nically known rs ''penny posts'-the lowest
charge on any letter was four pence, but that
only mhicod for distance Of fifteen miles
beyond that radius the rates Of postage rap
iily increased with the distance the letter had
TO Dee conveyed, tIll letters. from London 20
, Liverpool or Manchester were charged eleven
pence, those t0 Edinburgh or Glasgow ono
shilling four and one-hnli pence, and % Cork
a. Londonderry. one shilling lye pence, and
even Theses ev0rbinut rates were at once
doubled or tfeblrl If thslettcr. however light,
contained 0ue on more Enclosures coz consisted
of TWO or three pieces Of paper THUS letter
consisting Of a sheet OF paper and a check,
with ON envelope go inciose them, which now
goes from London to Cork for one penny,
would. prior 20 1870. have been treated as "a
treble letter, and charged four shillings and
three pence. or more than iifty fold the pres
ent rate
Letters in those days were almost nlway.
sent unpaid. ami were in many eases refused
ly the persons 20 whom they we're addressed,
especially by those az the poorer classes, 81
that the postoiIico constantly ovcrshot rs
mari, in Us ondoayor to make n great profit
and had 90 carry tle letter from the writer
90 the adircsseo md after I'D 10 lose th'
whole postage Ihcod high rates Of postac,
simply kiliad all domestic or friendly CORE
.rondence. or drove 10 into illicit channels
and in proof of ibis Rowland lIill, IN 1917
drew attention 90 the remarkable Tact that
in the twenty years ending with l>J during
which period The trade and population of th'
United Kingdom had greatly increase'n. th'
revenue of the r0,foiiico had renamed sta
tiouary As an instance of the extraordinary
charges sometime made uulcr the old sys
tenn. BE- is stated Chat DO ioH Sir John Bur
gone wrote 90 complain that for packet OF
papers sent % BIN at Dublin, from some
other part Of ireland by mail coach. as a iet
ter instead Of o parcel, De bad been charge.
"a r0sta~eof GIL That is 90 say, for pac.e
which be could easily have carried in hr
pocket he was charged srm for which Do
could have engaged the who.s mail coach
London Standard