While the revenue of the Post Office has thus more than recovered its former amount, the indirect benefit to the general revenue of the country arising from the greatly increased facilities afforded to commercial transactions, though incapable of exact estimate, must be very large. Perhaps it is not too much to assume that, all things considered, the vast benefit of cheap, rapid, and extended postal communication has been obtained, even as regards the past, without fiscal loss. For the future there must be a large and ever-increasing gain. The indirect benefit referred to is partly manifested in the development of the Money Order System, under which, since the year 1839, the annual amount transmitted has risen from £313,000 to £16,494,000, that is, fifty-two-fold. An important collateral benefit of the new system is to be found in the cessation of that contraband conveyance which once prevailed so far that habitual breach of the postal law had become a thing of course. It may be added that the organisation thus so greatly improved and extended for postal purposes stands available for other objects; and, passing over minor matters, has already been applied with great advantage to the new system of Savings Banks. Lastly, the improvements briefly referred to above, with all their commercial, educational, and social benefits, have now been adopted, in greater or less degree—and that through the mere force of example—by the whole civilised world. I cannot conclude this summary without gratefully acknowledging the cordial co-operation and zealous aid afforded me in the discharge of my arduous duties. I must especially refer to many among the superior officers of the department—men whose ability would do credit to any service, and whose zeal could not be greater if their object were private instead of public benefit. ROWLAND HILL. HAMPSTEAD, _23rd February 1864_. FOOTNOTES: [240] When my plan was published, the lowest General Post rate was 4d.; but while the plan was under the consideration of Government the rate between post towns not more than 8 miles asunder was reduced from 4d. to 2d. [241] In this comparison of revenue, the mode of calculation in use before the adoption of Penny Postage has, of course, been retained—that is to say, the cost of the Packets on the one hand, and the produce of the impressed Newspaper Stamps on the other, have been excluded. The amounts for 1863 are, to some extent, estimated, the accounts not having as yet been fully made up. INDEX Abbott, Sec. P.O., Scotland, 259 Aberdeen, 54, 206 Abolition of postal tolls over Menai and Conway bridges and Scottish border, 161; of money prepayment, 228 Account-keeping, official (blunders in), 174, 175; postal, 62-64, 105, 106, 175; practically revolutionised, 219 Accountant-General, the, 175 Adelaide, South Australia, 19 Adhesive stamps. (See Postage stamps)