EARLY POSTAL SYSTEMS. 219 



and Taxis, who had established the post, was ap- 

 pointed Postmaster-General to the Empire. As long 

 as the Empire existed this postal system lasted. 



Austria and Prussia in 1850 formed an inter- 

 national post compact, in which, after a time, Bavaria, 

 Saxony, and various other States joined. At first 

 the stage-coaches were united with the post-offices ; 

 but this arrangement was, in that country as well 

 as in others, greatly altered and modified by the 

 introduction of railways. In France, shortly after 

 the beginning of the seventeenth century, the system 

 of posts began to receive more regular attention, 

 a Controller-General of Posts being appointed. The 

 post was then farmed out to private speculators 

 till the expiration of the last lease, and the establish- 

 ment reverted to the King at a time when it produced 

 an income of more than 11,000,000 francs. Until 

 the Revolution, which took away all such privileges, 

 the Post-Masters enjoyed great immunities. The 

 present rates in France, as regards letters, were 

 established by the decree in 1854. 



The Russian internal postage fees are very moderate, 

 notwithstanding the difficulty of travelling, owing to 

 the severity of the climate and want of good roads ; 

 the charge for each letter in that large Empire 

 amounts to no more than ten copecks, about twopence- 

 halfpenny. 



In Denmark the post is on the German model, 

 and managed very much with a view to revenue, 

 and the same is the case in Sweden. In Norway 

 there is an independent post carried on especially 

 by steamboats, which visit the whole coast. In the 

 Netherlands the English system of post seems to 

 be followed, and in Holland the French. 



