The plan of carrying letters by mail-coach was, on its introduction, sadly marred by a simultaneous or almost simultaneous increase in the rates of postage. Pitt had brought forward his budget on the 30th of June; and among the measures he proposed with a view to replenish an exhausted Exchequer was a tax upon coals. The proposal was not well received by the House, and it was afterwards withdrawn in favour of an increase of postage. Palmer took credit to himself that he had proposed the substitution. If, as would appear to be the case, the claim is well founded, one can only regret that he should thus wantonly have handicapped his own proceedings. It is true, no doubt, that he was about to make the post both quicker and more secure; that he would have a better article to dispose of, an article that would fetch a higher price. It is also true that his plan, weighted as it was, proved an unqualified success. And yet it is impossible to deny that his reputation as a Post Office reformer, high as it stands, would have stood still higher if his counsel had been on the side of reduction. The rates prescribed by the Act of 1784, as compared with those of 1765, were as follows:-- +-----------------------------+-------------------++-------------------+ | | 1765. || 1784. | | +----+----+----+----++----+----+----+----+ | DISTANCE. | S | D | T | O || S | D | T | O | | | i | o | r | u || i | o | r | u | | | n | u | e | n || n | u | e | n | | | g | b | b | c || g | b | b | c | | | l | l | l | e || l | l | l | e | | | e | e | e | . || e | e | e | . | | | . | . | . | || . | . | . | | +-----------------------------+----+----+----+----++----+----+----+----+ | |_d._|_d._|_d._|_d._||_d._|_d._|_d._|_d._| |Not exceeding one post stage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 || 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |Exceeding one and not | | | | || | | | | | exceeding two post stages | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 || 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | |Exceeding two post stages | | | | || | | | | | and not exceeding 80 miles | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 || 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | |Exceeding 80 and not | | | | || | | | | | exceeding 150 miles | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 || 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | |Exceeding 150 miles | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 || 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | |To and from Edinburgh | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 || 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | | | | | | || | | | | | | | { The Irish Post Office had only |