Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project at http://www.tpdlp.net and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) A HISTORY OF POSTAL AGITATION _NEW SIX SHILLING NOVELS_ THE SEAFARERS By J. BLOUNDELLE-BURTON NELL GWYN, COMEDIAN By F. FRANKFORT MOORE AN IMPERIAL LIGHT-HORSEMAN By HAROLD BLORE A LOYAL LOVER By Mrs. LOVETT CAMERON BECKY By HELEN MATHERS THE TIGER’S CLAW By G. B. BURGIN THE ACCUSED PRINCESS By ALLEN UPWARD MARCELLE OF THE LATIN QUARTER By CLIVE HOLLAND THE GENTLEMAN PENSIONER By ALBERT LEE A LEGEND OF EDEN By HARRY LANDER LYONA GRIMWOOD, SPINSTER By L. HIGGIN PHARAOH’S BROKER By ELLSWORTH DOUGLASS A HISTORY OF POSTAL AGITATION FROM FIFTY YEARS AGO TILL THE PRESENT DAY INCLUDING A FEW FORGOTTEN PAGES IN THE WIDER “HISTORY OF OUR OWN TIMES” BY H. G. SWIFT I have eaten your bread and salt, I have drunk your water and wine; The deaths ye have died I have watched beside And the lives that ye led were mine. … I have written the tale of our life. … —KIPLING’S _Departmental Ditties_. LONDON C. ARTHUR PEARSON, LIMITED HENRIETTA STREET 1900 CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY—THE CAUSES OF DISCONTENT AND THE RISE OF POSTAL AGITATION 5 CHAPTER II BEGINNINGS OF COMBINED AGITATION—THE COMPULSORY SUNDAY LABOUR QUESTION—FIRST PUBLIC PROTEST AT EXETER HALL 23 CHAPTER III ECONOMICAL REFORM, AND A LOWERING OF STATUS—AN ESTIMATE OF ROWLAND HILL—EFFORTS OF THE _CIVIL SERVICE GAZETTE_—THE CONDITIONS OF THE SERVICE, 1854-60 30 CHAPTER IV GROWING DISCONTENT AMONG LETTER-CARRIERS—PROHIBITION OF PUBLIC MEETING—THE FRANCHISE AMONG POSTAL SERVANTS AND ITS HISTORY 46 CHAPTER V FORMATION OF AN ORGANISATION—BOOTH, THE LETTER-CARRIER—CONDITION OF THE LETTER-CARRIERS—PROPOSED PETITION TO PARLIAMENT 58 CHAPTER VI