【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 32-35
In the early days of postage service, postage was paid by the person who received the letter. If the person could not be located, the postage service could not collect.
People often used a code to cheat the mails. The code would be marked on the front or back of the envelope. When the letter was delivered, the recipient would look at it and decipher the message. Then, if he had found out what he wanted to know, he would refuse to pay for the letter.
Finally it was decided that postage cost had to be paid in advance. This did away with a check on the amount of mail carried. Or on the amount of postage paid to the clerks.
This was left to the postage stamp, which was first used in 1840.
32. Who paid the postage originally according to the passage?