The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

246 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1851-4
service. Further, it assigned
to each clerk a small
yearly increase of salary in case of continued good
conduct, regulated the number of classes and the
complement of each by the gradations and amount of
duty, made promotion strictly dependent upon fitness for
higher service, and laid down " that the amount of
salary assigned to the respective classes should be such,
and such only, as will suffice to secure the services of
thoroughly competent men." My hope that this minute
would serve as a model for more general regulations
did not wait long for fulfilment.
While these changes were in progress, other departments
of the Office were applying for a revision of
salaries, and, as a means of securing uniformity of
action, essential to general contentment,
I offered
to deal myself with all such cases. Though this
offer was but very partially accepted at the time,
a more decided step towards a uniform system was
taken soon afterwards, as already mentioned, by
the appointment of a Commission for the general
revision of salaries in several departments of the
Civil Service. My examination before this Commission
occupied eight days, and I had the satisfaction
to find its views concurring to the full extent with my
own and my brother Frederic's on the important points
of patronage, promotion, and classification.
The Report of this important Commission was
issued in the year 1854. Amongst the many valuable
recommendations which it contained, the following are
the most noticeable :
perhaps
The Commissioners first object to the double
secretariate, and, observing that "the business of the
Post Office is of a kind which peculiarly requires
centralization," recommend that the whole should be
placed under the direction of a single secretary.