CHAPTER XIV

Ship-letter Office--Increase in Rates of Postage--Abolition of the Penny Post--Invoices and Bills of Lading--Convention Posts--Prosecutions-- Auckland's Pleasantries--Repressive Powers--Guarding the Horse-mails-- Recovery of stolen Mail Bag--Troubles with Contractors--Surveyors deprived of their Post Offices--Rates of Postage again increased-- Threepenny Post--Post Office Revenue--William Cobbett--Early or Preferential Delivery--Treatment of Foreign Newspapers--Newspaper Summaries--The _Times_--Olney Post---Death-blow to Convention Posts-- Turnpike Trusts--Exemption from Toll--Roads discoached--Yet further Increase in Rates of Postage--Bewildering Complications--Want of Publicity--Exemption from Toll abolished in Scotland--Returned-letter Office--New Ship-letter Act--Mail Service to India and the Cape-- Generosity of the East India Company--Eulogistic Letter 328