Her Majesty's Mails: An Historical and Descriptive Account of the British Post-OfficeLewins, William
History
Her Majesty's Mails: An Historical and Descriptive Account of the British Post-Office
Lewins, William
Postal service -- Great Britain
who declared that he intended for a time to be satisfied with a part of
his former profits; but hoped eventually to secure himself against loss
by increased business, greater attractiveness, and diminished cost
of management. In six months, the policy of the Government was
acknowledged on all hands to be the correct one, for on the 10th of
August the Treasury had its minute confirmed by the Statute 3 & 4 Vict.
chap. 96. The _Quarterly Review_,[97] as an exception to the general
feeling, stigmatizes the measure "as one of the most inconsiderate jumps
in the dark ever made by that very inconsiderate assembly." It is
"distinguished by weakness and rashness," &c. But the judgment of
posterity is sadly against the reviewer.
A Treasury appointment was given to Mr. Hill to enable him to work out
his plans, or, in the wording of the said appointment, "to assist in
carrying into effect the penny postage." He only held his office about
two years, for when the Conservative party came into power in 1841, he
was politely bowed out of it on the plea that his work was finished;
that his nursling had found its legs, and might now be taken into the
peculiar care of the Post-Office authorities themselves. A study of the
past history of the Post-Office might have enlightened the minds of the
members of the Executive Government as to the advisability or otherwise,
of leaving entirely the progress of Post-Office improvement in the hands
of the authorities. Mr. Hill intreated the new premier, Sir Robert Peel,
to let him remain at any pecuniary sacrifice to himself, but
his entreaties were unavailing. He must watch his scheme from a
distance.[98]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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