Surely in such circumstances anything in the shape of compulsion was out of the question, and all that should be done was to invite the merchants to bring their letters to the Post Office, when the Post Office would undertake to find a private ship that would carry them. A bill on these lines was brought in and passed; and on the 10th of September 1799 the ship letter office was opened, Bourne being appointed to superintend it under the title of inspector. The new measure failed of its object. On letters entering the kingdom fourpences were no doubt collected, because, until these letters had been deposited at the local Post Office, no vessel was allowed to make entry or to break bulk. But letters leaving the kingdom left it just as they had been used to leave it before the ship letter office was established. It was in vain that the Post Office tempted the keepers of coffee-houses by the offer of high salaries to become its own agents. All overtures to this end were resolutely declined; and during many years the letters by private ship that were sent through the post stood to those that were received through the same agency in no higher proportion than one to eighteen. In 1801 the Post Office was called upon to make to the Exchequer a further contribution to the amount of £150,000. What would have struck consternation to the hearts of most men was to Freeling a source of unmixed pleasure. Not only had he a perfect craze for high rates of postage, but it had long been with him a subject of lament that under the law as it stood no higher charge was made for a distance of 500 miles than for a distance of 150. This in his view was a glaring defect, and he now set himself to remedy it. The new rates--which, as he lost no opportunity of making known, were exclusively of his own devising--were adopted by the Government, and having passed the Houses of Parliament came into operation on the 5th of April. As compared with the old rates, they were as follows:-- +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | BEFORE THE 5TH OF APRIL 1801. | +-----------------------------------+-------+-------+-------+------+ | |Single.|Double.|Treble.|Ounce.| | +-------+-------+-------+------+ | | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | |Not exceeding 15 miles | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | |Above 15 and not exceeding 30 miles| 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | | " 30 " 60 " | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | | " 60 " 100 " | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | | " 100 " 150 " | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |Exceeding 150 miles | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | +-----------------------------------+-------+-------+-------+------+