SIR ROWLAND HILL.
[TO THE EDITOR OP T LIB "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—I always welcome adverse criticism when it is straight- forward, and therefore take in good part your reviewer's remark (Spectator, November 16th) on the impropriety of using such terms as " odious taxes on knowledge " and the "hoary iniquity" of the franking system. I do not share his view that, having " become a matter of history," they should be spoken of less harshly; though since he thinks so, he was justified in calling attention to the seeming fault. But the evil wrought both by the tax and by the monopoly was very real and very galling ; and when a system is so bad that, among other ills, it leads to the severance of home ties and the practice of fraud of many kinds, it is difficult for the historian to write of it, even as abolished, in terms of insipid amiability. But your reviewer is unfair to me when—perhaps became he read those portions of my " Story " somewhat hastily—he says that I air " certain notions " of my own, such as that " flogging did not diminish the crime of garrotting, and that the 'all-red route' is a mistake." As regards the garrotting, I wrote that the Messrs. Chambers in their "Encyclopaedia" had asserted that flogging did diminish suppress] garrotting, but that on the mistake being pointed out they honourably corrected the statement in a later edition. That was not airing a notion of my own, but alluding to a fact. It is also a fact that what I said of the proposal to have an " all-red route" was that it is "a mere revival." I hazarded no opinion on the subject, and the word " mistake" has been simply read into my narrative. I trust your courtesy will accord to this disclaimer a place in your next issue.—I am, Sir, &o., ELEANOR C. SMYTH.
[Mrs. Smyth does not quite understand our criticism. In writing of the past one must never forget that it is the past. We do not blame a child for being small, or even undis- ciplined. As for garrotting, what had it to do with the penny post P We regret to have misrepresented Mrs. Smyth's views as to flogging and the "all-red route," though we do not gather that, in fact, she is in favour of either.—ED Spectator.]
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