letters to and from foreign countries.[30] [25] W. Cunningham, _Growth of English Industry and Commerce_, 1896, i, pp. 305-306. [26] J. A. Froude, _History of England_, 1862, i, p. 127. [27] Cunningham, i, p. 430. [28] Stow, _London_, 1720, bk. v, p. 401. _Cal. S.P.D._, 1547-80, pp. 312, 321, 432. There was considerable rivalry between them concerning those nominated for Postmaster-General. See _Cal. S.P.D._, 1547-80, pp. 312, 314. [29] Stow, _London_, bk. v, p. 401. [30] _Rep. Com._, 1844, xiv, app., p. 36 (14). Sir Brian Tuke died in 1545 and was succeeded by Sir John Mason and Mr. Paget, who acted as joint Postmasters-General. Mr. Paget was the sleeping partner, and what little was done was by Mason.[31] They were succeeded in 1568 by Thomas Randolph.[32] He was occasionally sent as special ambassador to France and during his absence Gascoyne, a former court post, performed his duties. From Sir Brian's death until the end of Elizabeth's reign was a period of little advance in postal matters. The regular posts, and it is with them that our chief interest lies, appear to have fallen into disuse. The payments for special messengers are much larger than they had been during Henry's reign. In 1549, a warrant was issued empowering Sir John Mason to pay £400 to the special messengers used during the summer. If anything was left, he was instructed to use it in paying arrears due the ordinary posts.[33] Elizabeth is generally credited with being economical to the extreme of parsimony so far as state expenses were concerned. However this may be, she is responsible for an order to discharge all the regular posts unless they would serve for half of their old wages.[34] The postmen did not receive their wages at all regularly. Randolph was accused by the Governor of Berwick of withholding all of their first year's wages, of receiving every year thereafter a percentage of their salaries, and of demanding certain fees from them, all for his personal use. The Governor considered that Randolph's extortions were largely the cause of the general inefficiency in the posts,[35] but the accusation may have been due to personal grudge. At any rate one measure of postal reform may be credited to Randolph. In 1582, orders were issued to all the London-Berwick posts to the following effect. Every post on the arrival of letters to or from the Queen or Council was to fasten a label to the packet. On this label he was to write the day and hour when the packet came into his hands and he was to make the same entry in a book kept for the purpose. He was also to keep two or three good horses in his stable for the speedier conveyance of such packets.[36] [31] _A. P. C._, 1542-47, p. 267; _Rep. Com._, 1844, xiv, app., p. 21 (8). [32] _Ibid._, 1844, xiv, app., p. 21 (11). [33] _A. P. C._, 1547-50, p. 360. [34] _Cal. S. P. D._, 1547-80, p. 306. [35] _Cal. B. P._, 1560-94, p. 299. [36] _Cal. S. P. D._, _Add._, 1580-1625, pp. 75-76.