"The Railway Era may be said to have commenced about the time of the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester line in 1830, though the railway system developed slowly during the first few years. Men did not believe in it, and many suggestions were made to accelerate the speed of mails in other ways. One writer proposed balloons. Another--Professor Babbage--suggested a series of high pillars with wires stretched thereon, along which letter-bags might be drawn. He even hinted that such pillars and wires might come to be `made available for a species of _telegraphic communication_ yet more rapid'--a hint which is peculiarly interesting when we consider that it was given long prior to the time of the electric telegraph. But the Iron Horse rode roughshod over all other plans, and finally became the recognised and effective method of conveyance. "During this half-century of the mail-coach period many improvements and alterations had been made in the working of the Post-Office. "Among other things, the mails to India were despatched for the first time by the `overland route'--the Mediterranean, Suez, and the Red Sea-- in 1835. A line of communication was subsequently extended to China and Australia. In the following year the reduction of the stamp-duty on newspapers to one penny led to a great increase in that branch of the service. "But now approached the time for the greatest reform of all--that reduction of postage of which I have already spoken--namely, the uniform rate of _one penny_ for all inland letters not exceeding a certain weight. "The average postage of a letter in 1837 was 8 pence three farthings. Owing to the heavy rates the net proceeds of the Department had remained stationary for nearly twenty years. To mend this state of matters, Sir Rowland Hill fought his long and famous fight, the particulars of which I may not enter on just now, but which culminated in victory in 1840, when the Penny Post was established throughout the kingdom. Sir Rowland still (1879) lives to witness the thorough success of his daring and beneficent innovation! It is impossible to form a just estimate of the value of cheap postage to the nation,--I may say, to the world. Trade has been increased, correspondence extended, intelligence deepened, and mental activity stimulated.