IIILL, ROWLAND. 



HOOD, JOHN B. 



IT.', 



defraud tho Government. Mr. Hill was much 

 impressed by this narrative, and henceforth 

 ili-ilii-uti'il liia energies to an amelioration of the 

 law. He lived to see the complete success of 

 his system in Great Britain, and its adoption 

 throughout the civilized world. Postage be- 

 fore his day, except to the easy classes, was 

 prohibitive. News was smuggled through the 

 mails in many ingenious ways. He met with 

 much official opposition. When Mr. Hill pro- 

 posed his plan to tho Postmaster-General, it 

 was unceremoniously rejected. In 1837 he 



Siblished a book on " Post-Office Reform." 

 y a convincing array of facts and figures he 

 proved that, despite increase of business and 

 growth of population, the post-office revenue 

 had decreased from 1815 to 1835, so universal 

 was the custom of sending letters through pri- 

 vate channels. He argued, in favor of cheap 

 postage, that a greater number of letters at re- 

 duced rates would increase the total revenue. 

 The public were quick to perceive the merit 

 of his plan. In 1838 the House of Commons 

 appointed a committee to investigate the sub- 

 ject, which recommended its adoption. During 

 1839 more than two thousand petitions in its 

 favor were addressed to Parliament. In spite 

 of official obstructions, early in 1840 the penny 

 post was established. Mr. Hill was appointed 

 to a place in the Treasury to superintend its 

 inauguration. Results have more than justi- 

 fied his prophecies. In 1838, the last complete 

 year of the old system, 76,000,000 chargeable 

 letters were delivered in the United Kingdom. 

 This number was more than doubled during 

 the first year of the cheap system. In 1854 it 

 reached 443,000,000. In 1878 the aggregate 

 amounted to 1,900,000,000. Within ten years 

 the postal receipts equaled the greatest high- 

 postage revenue. Since that period the in- 

 crease has continued without fluctuation. In 

 1842, on a change of ministry, Mr. Hill was 

 removed from office on the score that his ser- 

 vices, though successful, were no longer needed. 

 This did not meet the general approbation. A 

 subscription for a public testimonial was begun, 

 which rapidly brought in 13,360. In 1843 he 

 was manager of the London and Brighton 

 Railway. Subsequently he became its chair- 

 man. He was afterward appointed a member 

 of a Royal Commission on Railways. His dis- 

 senting views were published in a separate re- 

 port from those of his fellow commissioners. 

 In 1846 he was made Secretary to the Post- 

 master-General. In 1854 he received the ap- 

 pointment for which he was eminently fitted, 

 that of Chief Secretary This post he filled 

 with honor to himself and benefit to the nation 

 until declining health forced him to resign it 

 in 1864. The Treasury, after a handsome ac- 

 knowledgment, continued to him for life his 

 full salary of 10,000. Parliament voted him 

 also a grant of 20,000. In 1860, in recogni- 

 tion of his services in the Post-Office, he was 

 treated a Knight Commander of the Bath, 

 Civil Division. In 1864 the University of Ox- 



ford conferred on him the degree of D. C. L. In 

 that year he received the first Albert gold 

 medal of the Society of Art*. In 1877 a sub- 

 scription for a statue (no contribution over six- 

 pence allowed) resulted in 1,600 from over 

 100,000 persons raised in a short time. A few 

 months before his death the freedom of the 

 city of London was conferred upon him. The 

 ceremony was performed at his house, where 

 he was confined by ill health, and where soon 

 after, full of years and honors, he died. 



HILLARD, GEOBOB STIU.MAN, an editor and 

 anthor, born at Machius, Maine, in September, 

 1808, died in Boston, January 2 1 , 1879. He 

 graduated at Harvard College in 1828, and in 

 1833 was admitted to tho bar in Boston. In 

 the same year he became editorially connect- 

 ed with the " Christian Register," a Unitarian 

 weekly newspaper. Subsequently he became 

 associated with Charles Sumner in the publi- 

 cation of "The Jurist." In 1856 he bought 

 an interest in the " Boston Courier," and took 

 the position of associate editor, but retired at 

 the beginning of the civil war. He was most 

 successful in his contributions to magazines 

 and reviews, among which were the " Atlantic 

 Monthly" and the u North American Review." 

 His articles were chiefly reviews of books and 

 essays on subjects of art. In 1845-'47 he was 

 a member of the Boston Common Council. 

 He then visited Europe, and on his return 

 published "Six Months in Italy," which was 

 successful here and republished in England. 

 In 1850 he was a member of the State Senate ; 

 in 1853 a member of tho State Constitutional 

 Convention; in 1854-'56 Boston City Solici- 

 tor; and in 1866-'70 United States District 

 Attorney for Massachusetts. He was a pleas- 

 ing speaker, and delivered many public ad- 

 dresses. He published in 1856 a series of 

 school readers which were very successful. In 

 1839 he published, in five volumes, "The Poet- 

 ical Works of Edmund Spenser, with a Criti- 

 cal Introduction." His " Selections from the 

 Writings of Walter Savage Landor," published 

 in 1856, was well done. Several translations 

 were also made by him, one of which was 

 Guizot's "Essay on the Character and Influ- 

 ence of Washington." In 1864 he published 

 the " Life and Campaigns of George B. McClel- 

 lan." He began to prepare for publication the 

 life and letters of George Ticknor, but was un- 

 able to finish the work, which was completed 

 by Miss Ticknor. 



HOOD, JOHN B., Lieu tenant- General in the 

 Confederate Army, born at Owenville, Bath 

 County, Kentucky, June 1, 1831, died of yel- 

 low fever in New Orleans, August 80, 1879. 

 His preparatory education was received at 

 Mount Sterling. In 1849 he entered the Mili- 

 tary Academy at West Point. He graduated 

 in 1853 in the same class with Chamblisa, 

 Bowen, McPherson, Rich, Schofield, Sheridan, 

 Terrill, and other distinguished military lead- 

 ers. Assigned to duty in the 4th Infantry, he 

 served two years in California. In July, 1865, 



