y,
1840, the reduced uniform rate of 1d. per letter of half-an-ounce weight
was commenced. Under the new system the privilege of franking letters
enjoyed by members of Parliament was abolished, facilities of prepayment
were afforded by the introduction of postage stamps, double postage was
levied on letters not prepaid, and arrangements were made for the
registration of letters. Mr. Hill received an appointment in the
Treasury, but in 1841, he was told his services were no longer required.
This flagrant injustice caused great indignation, and a national
testimonial of L15,000 was presented to him June 17, 1846. On a change
of Government Mr. Hill was appointed Secretary to the Postmaster
General, and, in 1854, Secretary to the Post Office, a position which he
retained until failing health caused him to resign in March, 1864, the
Treasury awarding him for life his salary of L2,000 per year. In the
same year he received a Parliamentary grant of L20,000, and in 1860, he
was made a K.C.B., other honours from Oxford, &c., following. Sir
Rowland was presented with the freedom of the City by the London Court
of Common Council, June 6, 1879, the document being contained in a
suitable gold casket. It was incidentally mentioned in the course of the
proceedings, that at the time Sir Rowland Hill's system was inaugurated
the annual amount of correspondence was 79 millions, or three letters
per head of the population; while then it exceeded 1,000 millions of
letters, 100 millions of post-cards, and 320 millions of newspapers, and
the gross receipt in respect of it was L6,000,000 sterling. Sir Rowland
Hill died Aug. 27, 1879, leaving but one son, "Pearson Hill," late of
the Post Office.

_Hollins_, George--The first appointed organist of the Town Hall (in
1834), having been previously organist at St. Paul's, in the graveyard
of which church he was buried in 1841, the funeral being attended by
hundreds of friends, musicians, and singers of the town and
neighbourhood.

_Holt_, Thomas Littleton.--A Press man, whose death (Sept. 14, 1879) at
the age of 85, severed one of the very few remaining links connecting
the journalism of the past with the present. It was to him that the late
Mr. Dickens owed his introduction to Dr. Black, then the editor of the
_Morning Chronicle_. Mr. Holt was proprietor of the _Iron Times_, which
started during the railway mania. When his friend Leigh Hunt was
imprisoned for libelling the Prince Regent, he was