The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1851-4] SILENCE UNDER MISREPRESENTATION. 235
continued irregularity of the northern mails still
provoked severe attacks on the Post Office, I sought
defence by publishing a circular which I had addressed
to the railway companies concerned. This step, how-
ever, produced a number of letters in reply, some of
them equally skilful
rejoinder would have
and unscrupulous. Effectual
made an intolerable demand
on my time and strength, so that I began to repent
having resorted to publicity at all. Objectionable as
it is to allow to misrepresentation the advantage of
inferences to be drawn from silence, it may be questioned
if it be not better to leave rectification to
the hand of time than to involve oneself and one's
department in distracting controversy.* Indeed, one
of our Post Office officials goes so far as to declare
that if he found himself charged in a newspaper with
parricide, he would hold his tongue lest the accusation
should be repeated next day with the aggravation of
matricide.
While, however, submitting to misconception, I
sought means to obtain substantial ends ; and for
this purpose, in preparing a scheme of mutual fines,
I added premiums for punctuality, hoping thereby
both to obtain the consent of the companies to the
plan as a whole, and to supply a new motive to
exertion and care. I also planned the conveyance of
the mails on one of the principal lines by special
trains absolutely limited to mail service, which I hoped
to accomplish at a moderate expense by inducing the
companies to join in an arrangement under which,
the bare additional cost in each instance being
ascertained by a neutral authority (some eminent
* "
It was said to old Bentley, upon the attacks against him, 'Why, they'll
'
'
write you down.' No, Sir,' he replied ; depend upon it, no man was ever
written down but by himself.' " " Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides."
4th Edition, p. 280. ED.