Not long afterwards, the papers announced that the Russian Government also had adopted the stamp, though for a reason which the Englishman even of that time would hardly have imagined for himself, and which certainly I had not set forth among expected advantages. The motive in each case was understood to be the desire of preventing fraud in the postmasters; and it is obvious that much peculation, practicable under the system of money payments, would be prevented by the use of stamps. It is remarkable, however, that the first countries to adopt the improvement—Spain and Russia—should be two so far from taking a general lead in European civilization and liberality.
On November 22nd the Committee’s Report was issued, and without loss of time I fell to such perusal and annotation of the whole evidence as were necessary preliminaries to the writing of my pamphlet. It was finished before the end of January, and copies were immediately sent to the leading journals, to every member of the Postage Committee, to Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Goulburn, to various other influential persons, and to a large number of friends and supporters.
Amongst various letters of acknowledgement I received the following:—
“From the Rev. Sydney Smith.
“Sir,—Many thanks for your book, which I will diligently read, as I know no one who has increased the public happiness and comfort more than yourself (I do not meddle with the question of revenue—that is a separate chapter); but it is impossible to speak too highly of the advantage and satisfaction your plan has afforded to the country at large; and though it may have diminished the revenue directly, I think it might easily be that facility of communication is a great source of wealth and revenue too.
“February 22nd, 1844.”
“From Miss Martineau. “February 26th, 1844.
“Dear Mr. Hill,—I write not to trouble you for an answer, about which I always feel most scrupulous, but to thank you for sending me your last statement. It is most painfully interesting; and it seems to be found so by others, for my copy has been passing from hand to hand, since the day after I had it. At first reading I was, I own, more discouraged than I ever felt before; but the more I consider, the more persuaded I am that all will yet end well. Of one thing I am now fully convinced—that there is no danger of any one supposing you responsible for ‘improvements’ superficially resembling yours, but expensive and ill-managed. From all I can learn everywhere, it does seem clear that a broad distinct line is drawn between your propositions and those of the reckless . . . or any one else. I am always at it with my acquaintance in Parliament; and what I see there is the ground of my hope that you will get justice at last. I find them all, at first, prone to the very natural error of supposing the Post Office gentry good authority on Post Office matters. When they take my reference to the Report, and find what a figure these same gentry cut there, a great point is gained, from which, surely, justice must, sooner or later, ensue.”