Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
154
No
member
of
the
Committee
had
any
idea
of
the
extent
to
which
the
illicit
conveyance
of
letters
was
carried.
A
carrier
in
Scotland
was
examined,
and
confessed
to
having
carried
sixty
letters
daily,
on
the
average,
for
a
number
of
years--knew
other
carriers
who
conveyed,
on
an
average,
five
hundred
daily.
He
assured
the
Committee
that
the
smuggling
was
alone
done
to
save
the
postage.
"There
might
be
cases
when
it
was
more
convenient,
or
done
to
save
time,
but
the
great
object
was
cheapness."
The
labouring
classes,
especially,
had
no
other
reason.
"They
avail
themselves
of
every
possible
opportunity
for
getting
their
letters
conveyed
cheaply
or
free."
In
his
opinion,
the
practice
could
not
be
put
a
stop
to
until
the
Post-Office
authorities
followed
the
example
that
was
set
them
in
putting
down
illicit
distillation
in
Scotland.
"I
would
reduce
the
duty,
and
that
would
put
an
end
to
it,
by
bringing
it
down
to
the
expense
of
conveyance
by
carriers
and
others."
Mr.
John
Reid--an
extensive
bookseller
and
publisher
in
Glasgow--sent
and
received,
illicitly,
about
fifty
letters
or
circulars
daily.
"I
was
not
caught,"
he
said,
"till
I
had
sent
twenty
thousand
letters,
&c.
otherwise
than
through
the
post."
He
constantly
sent
his
letters
by
carriers;
he
also
sent
and
received
letters
for
himself
and
friends,
inclosed
in
his
booksellers'
parcels.
Any
customer
might
have
his
letters
so
sent,
by
simply
asking
the
favour.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
