The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

280 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1855-9
office, I was only too happy to act. The result which,
I first communicated to the Chancellor of the
however,
Exchequer I subsequently stated in the following letter
to the Postmaster-General. The reader will here see
something of the practical difficulties which even
Government, after giving its approbation to a measure,
has to apprehend in carrying it, however cautiously,
through
Parliament :
" February 23rd, 1857.
MY DEAR LORD DUKE, Mr. Gladstone is of opinion that the
Post Office interests in connection with the railways have been
greatly neglected by the Legislature; that the Government should,
if possible, obtain possession of the railways, when all difficulty
would, of course, cease ; that this might have been done seven or
eight years ago, but that now it would be very difficult, and that some
other course must in all probability be resorted to.
" He likes my plan (though inferior, as being less direct than the
other), but considers it too difficult a piece of legislation
for Parlia-
ment as matters now stand, and advises that, with the consent of the
Treasury, we should endeavour to make the arrangement with some
one company subject to the confirmation by Parliament, which, for a
single bargain, might, he thinks, be counted upon ; and that having
done this we should, if the results prove satisfactory, apply to Par-
liament for power to deal with other companies.
" He also thinks well of referring the whole question, including
the Bill, to a committee of the House of Commons, provided some
able member of the Government can spare time to manage the case ; but
not otherwise.
" Sir George Cornewall Lewis is inclined to the latter alternative ;
but the difficulty will be to spare Mr. Wilson or any other able man
to attend the committee. He spoke of Mr. Lowe, and promised to
consider the whole case.
"His Grace the DUKE OF ARGYLL."
" Faithfully yours,
"ROWLAND HILL.
While this matter remained under consideration at
the Treasury, or, in other words, was forgotten amidst
the demands of more pressing business, another attempt