The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

126 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1849
Postmaster-General informing me that Mr. Bokenham
had withdrawn from his engagement to me, and that
he himself had thought it necessary to issue a positive
order, upon which he had no doubt the new duty
would be executed, and, as he confidently hoped, by
volunteers. After mentioning that he had overlooked
the phrase in my minute relative to
without, he advised that, supposing
volunteers from
Mr. Bokenham
should express no distrust of his power, I should now
leave the matter in his hands. I could not but feel
anxious lest his lordship's authorisation to Mr.
Bokenham should include that compulsion which I
so strongly deprecated. When I got sight of the
instructions referred to in his letter, I found that I
was not mistaken. I at
E), informing
once replied (see Appendix
him how I had become pledged to the
opposite course, declaring myself still ready to .undertake
the responsibility of the sorting by volunteers,
provided I received the powers
which had been con-
ferred on Mr. Bokenham, and repeating my earnest
desire that the improvement should be abandoned
altogether o rather than we should "run the risk of
compelling any one to do that to which he has a
conscientious objection."
My anxiety on the subject was not without
reason :
"
October igth. The Morning Herald has a leader, letter, and
advertisement, stating that the voluntary plan has been withdrawn
(hitherto this paper has repeatedly denied that the work was to be
voluntary), and that compulsion will be resorted to. The leader,
of course, attributes all this to me.
"The Postmaster-General came to town. He again hesitates;
will immediately consult Lord John Russell. I pressed for an
immediate decision. . . . The Postmaster-General intimates
that when the excitement is over there must be a searching inquiry,
and a change in the organisation of the office favourable to my