The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

122 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1849
The time appointed for the actual change being now
close at hand, definite and binding arrangements were
indispensable. The duties were accordingly divided
by mutual agreement amongst Mr. Tilley, Mr.
Bokenham, and myself. I was, however, confident of
success, as by this time a large number of volunteers
had come forward, so that we had to make a selection,
the men chosen being principally from the secretary's
office. The readiness to volunteer from this division
of the service proceeded, as I had the gratification to
learn, from a step taken by Colonel Maberly, who,
calling his clerks together, addressed them in a speech
in which he pointed out that the department was in
danger through unjust attacks, and called upon them
to stand forth in its defence.
" In the evening the Postmaster-General came to the office, having
arrived in town late last night, and met the deputation. Reporters
were present, and reports will, no doubt, appear in the morning
papers. The deputation, the Postmaster-General says, pressed for a
postponement of the measure, pleading that they had scarcely had
time to read the minute ; and after they left it was decided to delay
the change for a fortnight. . . . We
discussed the question of
compulsion, towards which I find the Postmaster-General inclined ;
but here again I found him uninformed as to the facts of the case.
He was not aware either that the clerks now engaged on Sunday are
volunteers, or that a sufficient number of men for the new duties had
come forward. I entreated him not to resort to compulsion, telling
him that I had authorised others to say that none would be employed
except volunteers, and pointing out that any compulsion would give
the men a real grievance, whereas at present their case rested entirely
on misrepresentation."
" October I2th. The best report on the deputation is in the
Morning Chronicle^ which also contains an able leader in favour
of the measure."
On the morrow I conferred again with the Postmaster-General
relative to the arrangements in ques-
tion, when he communicated to me, in strict confidence,