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These boxes were intended for the deposit of unpaid 

 letters. With a fine disregard for public convenience, 

 amazing in a new colonial district where democracy 

 surely held up its head, the collection for the night 

 mail was made in the morning, and, as a natural 

 consequence, no more than a letter a day rewarded 

 the trouble of clearing the boxes. Yet Mr. Kemp, the 

 postmaster, had a high character for intelligence and 

 zeal, and must have had some sufficient, but unex- 

 plained, reasons for this curious arrangement. 



Mr. Frederic Hill, while working with his brother 

 at the Post-Office, became aware of an order given by 

 the Postmaster - General of the day for all letters 

 addressed to him to be put on his table. He found 

 thereon next day heaps mountains high. 



History did but repeat itself. I came across an 

 anecdote the other day which shows that a hundred 

 and fifty years earlier King George II. gave Sir 

 Piobert Walpole a similar order, i.e., to submit to him 

 every paper of consequence before taking action on it. 

 The machinery of State being thus threatened, Eobert 

 and his son Horace, on that occasion at least, laid 

 their heads together. 



Next day a waggon-load of papers was sent down 

 to the King, the Prime Minister apologizing for the 

 short supply, but assuring His Majesty that in a few 

 days quite twice as many would be ready for perusal. 

 So the royal order, issued the one day, was hastily 

 withdrawn or suspended the next, and was never 

 heard of again. What happened to Sir Eobert in 



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