The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

158 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1850
I scarcely need say that I heartily concurred in his
lordship's decision. If the public really desired, at the
sacrifice of its own convenience, to confer so great a
boon on the Post Office as that implied by the terms of
the resolution, it would have been very ungracious in
Government to intercept the concession. If otherwise,
it was but just that the responsibility of error should
rest on the House of Commons, which had interfered
in the matter. Accordingly, when, a few days later,
Mr. Forster wrote to ask for assistance with reference
to a bill which he proposed to introduce to legalize the
conveyance of letters on Sunday by private
hand a
measure, of the abstract justice of which no one can
doubt I thought it better to decline taking any part
in opposition to the decision of the House. Mr. Forster
persevered, but his motion was division.
negatived without a
As Her Majesty,* following of course the advice of
her Ministers, formally announced to the House that
its wishes would be complied with, notice was forth-
with issued from the Chief Office, totally forbidding
delivery, and notifying that, though letters might be
deposited in the receiving boxes as usual, they would
remain "unsorted and untouched until the Monday."
It was added, that postmasters contravening these
orders would be "most severely punished."
It is remarkable that whereas the late hubbub had
been all raised against the Sunday transmission of
letters through London, Lord Ashley's motion contained
no reference whatever to this innovation; and
though in the public notice just mentioned it was
distinctly announced that such transmission would be
* "June I4th, 1850. The Postmaster-General tells me in confidence that
the Queen was very much inclined to refuse compliance with the address."
Sir R. Hill's Journal. ED.