The real question is, whether the conveyance of a newspaper at a lower rate than other printed matter, and, indeed, at a rate too low to cover the cost, be not a sort of bounty or protection granted to a section--in fact, a small section--of newspaper readers at the expense of the general public. My own opinion being strongly in the affirmative--believing, moreover, that such a departure from the principles of free trade is unwarrantable--I found it my duty to prevent, if possible, the establishment of such an anomaly. The better, however, to set forth my proceedings on this point, I must mention some antecedent circumstances. First, it must be borne in mind that while newspapers had been gradually relieved of all special taxation, the postal privileges originally conferred upon them in consideration of such special taxation had been not only maintained, but greatly extended. Thus, whereas under the old system free delivery, even of stamped newspapers, extended only to such as passed between post town and post town, such towns being but about nine hundred in number, while a charge, varying from one penny to twopence, was levied in all other cases, they were now almost everywhere delivered free. Of course, too, newspapers shared with letters the advantage of that rapid transmission which was maintained at great expense.[209] All this, and much more to the same general purpose, was set forth in an elaborate minute which I had to prepare some time afterwards. Nevertheless, in the year 1858, Government was called on to extend these privileges still further, and this unreasonable demand I felt bound, in the interest of the public, to resist. As the correspondence, _pro_ and _con_, will be found at full in Parliamentary Return No. 302, 1860, a short notice here will suffice. In a minute there given, after dwelling on the important changes mentioned above, I pointed out that the actual rate charged on newspapers, was, in respect of the heavier newspapers, only one-eighth of that charged on letters. I referred to the known impracticability of defining a newspaper, and the consequent necessity of extending the privileges now applied for, if conceded at all, to much other matter; and I indicated the obstacles that would thence arise to the rapid conveyance of the mails, through the difficulty and danger of giving out or receiving heavy bags without stopping the trains.