The ruling principle in England, from the beginning down to the triumph of penny postage, was revenue; and this is still the ruling principle with us, to which all else is subordinated. England was accustomed to say, and the United States now say, with Shylock, “We would have moneys.” The abolition of the franking system is proposed on this ground,--not to lighten the existing burden of correspondence, not to cheapen postage, not to simplify the postal service, not to provide the American equivalent of the English penny postage, but simply to increase the revenue. We are summoned to give up a long-tried system, educational in its influence, merely for the sake of the Treasury. This is the object perpetually in view. Even the Postmaster-General, who is so liberal in all his ideas, says, in words which hardly do justice to the times, “As far as lay in my power, during my short administration, I have reduced the expenditures and increased the revenues of the Department.”[76] Something better than this remains to be done. COMPLEXITY AND MULTIFARIOUSNESS IN OUR SYSTEM. The postal system of the United States was kindred in character to that of England until the latter was transfigured by the felicitous genius of Rowland Hill. Both had the same incongruities and incumbrances. The rates in both were complex instead of uniform, and dear instead of cheap. The Act of Congress, February 20, 1792, establishing the Post-Office, provided for no less than nine different rates of postage, viz.,--six, eight, ten, twelve and a half, fifteen, seventeen, twenty, twenty-two, and twenty-five cents,--according to distance. In 1799 the number of rates was reduced to six, viz.,--eight, ten, twelve and a half, seventeen, twenty, and twenty-five cents. In 1816 the number was further reduced to five, viz.,--six, ten, twelve and a half, eighteen and a half, (in 1825 changed to eighteen and three fourths,) and twenty-five cents,--and so continued until 1845, when, yielding partially to the English example, the rates were established at five and ten cents, with two cents for drop letters; then, in 1851, at three and six cents for prepaid and five and ten cents for unpaid letters, with one cent for drop letters; then, in 1855, at three and ten cents prepaid, and one cent for drop letters; then, in 1863, at three cents, or, failing prepayment, six cents, with two cents for drop letters; and finally, in 1865, at three cents prepaid in all cases, with two cents for drop letters delivered by carriers, or one cent where there is no delivery.[77]