"From that date forward the infant began to grow--sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, now and then by spurts--just like other infants, and a horribly spoiled and mismanaged baby it was at first. Those who see it now,--in the prime of its manhood, wielding its giant strength with such ease, accomplishing all but miraculous work with so great speed, regularity, and certainty, and with so little fuss,--can hardly believe what a cross-grained little stupid thing it was in those early days, or what tremendous difficulties it had to contend with. "In the first place, the roads in the land were few, and most of them inconceivably bad, besides which they were infested by highwaymen, who often took a fancy to rummage the mail-bags and scatter their contents. The post in those days was slow, but not sure. Then it experienced some trouble from other infants, of the same family, who claimed a right to share its privileges. Among these was a Post-Office established by the Common Council of London in direct rivalry to the Parliamentary child. This resulted in a great deal of squabbling and pamphleteering, also in many valuable improvements--for it is well known that opposition is the life of trade. The Council of State, however, came to the conclusion that, in an affair so thoroughly national, the office of Postmaster and the management of the Post-Office ought to rest in the sole power and disposal of Parliament; the City posts were peremptorily suppressed; opposition babies were quietly--no doubt righteously--murdered; and from that date the carrying of letters has remained the exclusive privilege of the Crown. But considerable and violent opposition was made to this monopoly. This is a world of opposition, my young friends"--the lecturer was pathetic here--"and I have no doubt whatever that it was meant to be a world of opposition"--the lecturer was energetic here, and drew an emphatic "Hear, hear," from the Scotch members. "Why, it is only by opposition that questions are ventilated and truth is established! "No doubt every member of this ancient and literary Society is well acquainted with the name of Hill--(great cheering)--Sir Rowland Hill, who in the year 1840 succeeded in getting introduced to the nation one of the greatest boons with which it has been blessed--namely, the Penny Post." (Renewed cheering.) "Well, it is a curious and interesting fact that in the middle of the seventeenth century--more than two hundred years ago--a namesake of Sir Rowland (whether an ancestor or not I cannot tell), a Mr John Hill, wrote a pamphlet in which monopoly was condemned and a penny post suggested. The title of the pamphlet was `John Hill's Penny Post; or, A Vindication of every Englishman in carrying Merchants' or any other Men's Letters against any restraints of Farmers of such Employment.' So, you see, in regard to the Penny Post, the coming event cast its shadow about two hundred years in advance.