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435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
191
He
pointed
out,
however,
in
a
letter
to
the
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer,
many
objections
to
the
plan,
and
contended
that,
so
long
as
the
registration
fee
was
fixed
at
the
high
rate
of
a
shilling,
inducements
enough
were
not
held
out
to
the
public
to
register
their
letters
voluntarily.
Mr.
Hill,
therefore,
suggested
that
the
fee
should
be
at
once
lowered
to
sixpence,
to
be
reduced
still
further
as
soon
as
practicable.
The
public,
under
a
lower
rate,
would
have
little
excuse
for
continuing
a
bad
practice;
but
if
it
was
continued,
restrictive
measures
might
then
be
tried,
as
the
only
remaining
method
of
protecting
the
public
from
the
consequences
of
their
own
imprudence.
The
sixpenny
rate
would,
he
thought,
be
remunerative;
nor
would
the
letters
increase
to
a
much
greater
number
than
that
reached
under
the
old
system
when
they
were
registered
gratuitously.
This
subject
was
still
under
discussion
when
the
special
committee
was
granted,
when,
of
course,
all
the
proposals
relative
to
the
registration
of
letters
were
laid
before
it
and
investigated.
Strong
objections
were
made
to
Mr.
Hill's
proposition
to
lower
the
rate.
It
was
contended
that
the
number
of
registered
letters
would
so
increase,
that
other
Post-Office
work
could
not
be
accomplished.
The
Postmaster-General,
for
example,
contested
the
principle
of
registration
altogether,
admitting,
however,
that
it
was
useful
in
reducing
the
number
of
ordinary
letters
containing
coin,
and
the
consequent
temptations
to
the
officers
of
the
Post-Office.
Like
many
of
the
additional
proposals,
this
subject
was
left
undecided;
but
no
one
at
this
date
questions
the
propriety
of
the
recommendations
made
under
this
head.
The
charge
for
registration
has,
within
the
last
few
years,
been
twice
reduced,
with
benefit
to
the
revenue,
and
no
hindrance
to
the
general
efficiency
of
the
Post-Office.
Not
only
so,
but
the
compulsory
registration
clause
is
now
in
active
operation.
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