The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

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APPENDIX H.
practically admitted, is utterly incompatible with the requirements
of the office.
Looking then back upon the events of the six years during which
my promised promotion has been delayed, I feel bound to state
that if in December, 1846, I could have foreseen what has occurred
I could not have accepted the offer then made, nor do I believe
that, under like circumstances, my friends would have advised me
to the step.
That much has been done is, of course, not to be denied by
me; but it has been accomplished amidst sore trials, and with
risks to health which my duty to me to incur.
my family would not have allowed
Let me then stand acquitted before your Lordship and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer of either impatience or presumption,
when I urge in the strongest manner, consistent with the respect
which I owe to my superiors, my claim to the prompt fulfilment
of the understanding on which alone I consented to take my seat
at the Post Office.
As every statement like that which I am called upon by your
Lordship to make is, of necessity, tinctured with egotism, I gladly
quit that part of the task which relates to my own personal interests,
and proceed to show that the change which I claim is equally
demanded by the public service.
In 1847 I was directed by the Postmaster-General to report on
the state of the Money Order Office, which resulted in my recom-
mending several large retrenchments and other improvements,
which were adopted by his Lordship and the Treasury, but which
Colonel Maberly declined to take the responsibility of carrying
into effect; in consequence of which the secretarial authority of
that Department was consigned to me alone.
By a report of Mr. Earth, the head of the Department, which
I called for soon afterwards, it appears that the accounts were
then so deeply in arrear that great doubt was entertained whether
they ever could be made complete, and the expense
of their
completion, supposing it to be possible, was estimated at ^10,000.
No general balance had ever been struck since the institution
of the Department in 1839, and the liabilities were of unknown
amount.
To avoid the great expense of bringing up the arrears, and to
insure the extinction of unknown liabilities, it was found necessary
to obtain an Act of Parliament calling in the outstanding Money
Orders. Concurrent efforts were made to bring up the more recent