The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1852] WHO TO BE SUBORDINATE? 2Op
view, as afterwards explained, of seeing the minister himself. Even
if necessary which it was not neither the time, just as I had
satisfactorily concluded a very difficult treaty, nor the manner, was
well chosen. To-day, on inquiring how the Postmaster-General
wished me to proceed when he was absent from the office, viz.,
whether I should delay the business or transact it myself, and report
proceedings on his arrival, he expressed a desire that I should, in
his absence, inform the '
Chief Secretary,' meaning Colonel Maberly,
of the minister's visit, so as to give him the option of the interview ;
an instruction which was particularly absurd, seeing that the very
negotiation in question had been transferred to me [from Colonel
Maberly]. . . . To this I replied that I should, of course, follow
the Postmaster-General's instructions as regards communicating with
himself, but that I must decline informing Colonel Maberly, as my
doing so would be equivalent to an acknowledgment of subordination
to the latter. On this the Postmaster-General declared an
intention of writing a minute, making my position really subordinate
to Colonel Maberly's, again using his favourite expression, 'there
cannot be two kings in Brentford' that there must be a first
authority, a second, and a third; that to have two equal autho-
rities was contrary to his views of discipline, &c., &c. I acquiesced
in the general proposition, but reminded him of Lord Clanricarde's
should be induced to
opinion, that it was desirable Colonel Maberly
retire ; adding that, during the last few years Lord Clanricarde was
in office, I was in effect the Chief Secretary ; and suggesting that, if
Colonel Maberly were retained, and it was necessary to place one
above the other, the proper course would be to ascertain which of us
was best qualified for the superior appointment, and to act accord-
ingly.
I said also that there would be no great difficulty in deciding
the question of superiority, for that he would find, on referring to
the minutes, that Lord Clanricarde was in the habit of requiring my
opinion in nearly all Colonel Maberly's difficult cases ; and when, as
frequently happened, we advised differently, in nine instances out of
ten my advice was adopted, and Colonel Maberly's rejected. As all
this seemed to produce little effect, I proposed to defer the question
for the present, and proceeded with the other business."
Among the minutes which I submitted to him was
one which, after reading it, he pronounced a "most
masterly statement," declaring
his intention to act in
accordance with its recommendation, and praising the
VOL. II.
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