forty or fifty years."--Abstract of
Evidence of Colonel Maberly, Secretary to the Post Office, _Third Report
from the Select Committee on Postage_, 1838, p. 18.

[82] _Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability_, by Rowland
Hill, second edition, London, 1837.

[83] See _Life of Sir Rowland Hill and History of Penny Postage_,
London, 1880; Sir Henry Cole, _Fifty Years of Public Work_, London,
1884.

[84] _Third Report of the Select Committee On Postage_, 13th August
1838, [S] 10.

[85] In 1837-8 the deficiency was [L]1,428,000; in 1838-9, [L]430,000;
in 1839-40, [L]1,457,000; in 1840-1, [L]1,851,000; and for 1841-2 it was
estimated at [L]2,421,000.

[86] "Was the Committee ignorant--we think not--that the radicals in
politics and the sectarians in religion, have been the warmest
advocates--and indeed (except the mercantile body we have alluded to)
the only very zealous advocates for this penny post?"--_Quarterly
Review_, October 1839, p. 531. Cf. _Edinburgh Review_, January 1840; J.
Morley, _Life of Cobden_, London, 1881, p. 411.

[87] "On the 9th April 1839, Lord Melbourne's Government brought in what
is generally known as the Jamaica Bill--a Bill for suspending for five
years the constitution of that colony. This measure was strongly opposed
by the Conservative party (led by Sir Robert Peel), and by many of the
Radicals. On the second reading of the Bill, the Government only escaped
defeat by the narrow majority of five votes. The Ministry thereupon
resigned; Sir Robert Peel was sent for by her Majesty, but owing to the
'Bedchamber Difficulty' failed to form a Government. Lord Melbourne was
recalled, and in the negotiations with the Radical members for future
support to his Government, the bargain was struck that that support
should be given, provided Penny Postage was conceded.

"Thus one of the greatest social reforms ever introduced was, to speak
plainly, given as a bribe by a tottering Government to secure political
support."--_The Post Office of Fifty Years Ago_, London, 1890, p. 24.
Cf. _Parl. Debates_, 26th March 1855, vol. cxxxvii, col. 1136; Sir
Stafford H. Northcote, _Twenty Years of Financial Policy_, London, 1862,
pp. 8-9.

[88] As a temporary measure, with the view of minimizing the practical
difficulties of the Post Office, a uniform rate of 4d. a letter (1d. a
letter for London local letters) was introduced on the 5th December
1839.

[89] Estimate of number of chargeable letters d