HILL, Sir TIOWI:AND (1795-1879). The re former of the English postal system. At twelve he became a teacher in his father's school at Birminghams and before he reached his majority he had organized a remarkable system of dis cipline which came to be known as the Hazelwood method I from the name of the school). This system was described by his elder brother. Mat thew Davenport Hill. in a pamphlet entitled Pub lic Education: Plans for tlo • Gorernmcnt and Liberal Instruction of Boys in Large Numbers (1822). The school became widely popular. and was carried on with success by the family. How land finally withdrew, however, partly because he recognized the defects of his scholarship, and partly because he was oppressed by the religious observances required. lie thought of joining Owen in his communistic schemes. but in 1533 became secretary of the eommission for South Australia. From childhood he had a strong bent toward invention. About this time he devised a sueces-ful rotary printing press: but it was not then adopted, because the Treasury demanded that each single sheet for a newspaper should be previously stamped. and forbade the attaching of the stamps by ma chinery. But his great work was that of securing the adoption of penny postage. The franking privilege was widely used by members of Parlia ment and high officials for themselves and their friends. The great body of the people, however.
sent few letters, and postage on them had to sup port. the whole service. Rates depended upon distance, and as they were rarely prepaid, to receive a letter was often a hardship. Under this system. rates of postage were advancing and postal revenues diminishing. After making a careful study of the statistics, in 1837 Bill pub lished a pamphlet. Post-011ie(' Reform, in which he recommended a penny rate for half-ounce letters, regardless of distance, inside the United Kingdom, and the use of adhesive stamps. His plan was adopted. and in 1840 he was given an appointment in the Treasury. where. against great opposition, he was working out the system when he was dismissed by a change of Ministry. In )846 a fund of f13.000 was raised by public subscription for him. The same year the Whigs again came into office, and he was made secretary to the Postmaster-General, and in ]S54 chief sec retary. In 1864 he retired on full salary, and' received a Parliamentary grant of f20,000. He wrote a History of Penny Postage. This was published in 1880, with an introductory memoir by his nephew. Dr. G. Birkbeek Hill.