The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

128 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1849
day that he had approved my minute " with great
satisfaction."
" October 25th. Called with Matthew on the Hon. [and Rev.]
Grantham Yorke, Rector of St. Philip's, Birmingham, who is come
to town partly to learn the real facts of the Sunday duties question
(he called yesterday at the Post Office, but I was unable to see him).
He takes a very liberal view of the question, and will defend the
measure at a town's meeting, to be held next Tuesday, in Bir-
mingham."
This promise Mr. Yorke handsomely fulfilled, and
not without good effect, though public feeling was still
too strong to allow of immediate success.
On the same day that I saw Mr. Yorke there were
more inflammatory notices at the churches ; but to
these no printer's name was attached. It was no
wonder that symptoms of direct insubordination began
to appear in the department. The gas in Mr. Bokenham's
office was on one occasion suddenly put out, and
one of the volunteers for the Sunday duty was hooted.
I could not but feel great anxiety as to the issue, since
an open outbreak would have thrown all into con-
fusion ; nor can I deem it even now needless to point
out that when any considerable portion of the public,
acting upon an ex-parte statement, and hastily assum-
denied must needs
ing that that which is not promptly
be true, takes upon itself to countenance discontent in
an important Government department, it must, at
least, produce in the department itself great anxiety
and the waste of much valuable time, and may expose
the whole country to the risk of most serious incon-
venience. Some months afterwards the Postmaster-
General admitted that he was now satisfied that we
should have had a strike in the Inland Office if the
that if
men had had the slightest pretext for it ; and
he had forced any one to attend on Sundays, which