The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

224 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1854
A week later I was again taken by surprise, not
unmingled
with alarm :
"April i ^th. Yesterday the Daily News announced that Mr.
Edward Romilly .had been appointed to succeed Sir William
Herries. This I concluded was a mistake; but this morning a
similar announcement appearing in the Morning Chronicle, I sent a
note of inquiry to the Postmaster-General, and received by return of
messenger a note as follows :
'
Dear Mr. Hill, The announcement
in the Chronicle is true, but the fact in nowise affects any arrangements
respecting yourself. Yours, very faithfully, CANNING.' Later
in the day the Postmaster-General came to the office and explained
that the Government was unwilling to place a new man at the head
of the office ; they had, therefore, promoted Mr. Romilly, one of the
previous Commissioners, and that Colonel Maberly
was to take
Mr. R.'s place ; that he had consented so to do, and that the whole
was settled. . . The Postmaster-General added that the
thing
whole scheme was near being knocked on the head a few days ago
by the breaking-up of the Ministry on the question of postponing
the Reform Bill ;
for twelve hours they had in effect resigned."
Notwithstanding the announcement that " the whole
thing was settled," it may well be supposed that, after
receiving the last part of Lord Canning's communication,
I retained some little suppressed anxiety until the
necessary forms should be completed ; for this, how-
ever, ten days sufficed.
"April 25th, The following letter was this morning received
from the Treasury:
"Treasury Chambers, 24th April, 1854.
"Mv LORD, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of Her
Majesty's Treasury to transmit for your information and guidance a
copy of their Lordships' minute of the 2ist instant, appointing
Lieut. -Colonel Maberly to a seat at the Board of Audit, and consolidating
the appointments of Secretary to the General Post Office
and Secretary to the Postmaster-General in the person of Mr.
Rowland Hill.
"I am, &c.,
"C. E. TREVELYAN.
"The Right Honourable the Postmaster-General,
"&c., &c., &c."