The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

$6 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1847
large in amount and mischievous in their tendency, simply because
he has once enjoyed them.
"
Spoke again of the absolute necessity of my being better informed
as to what is going on, and proposed that he [the Postmaster-
General] should direct that all communications to and from the
Treasury should pass through my hands. He at once concurred in
the necessity of the thing, but proposed that, instead of writing a
minute on the subject, he would himself take care that I saw such
papers before they left his own hands. I fear that the arrangement
will frequently be forgotten, but I could not object to try it. He
again expressed a wish that I would not disturb existing arrange-
ments, at least so far as they appear in writing ; but on my telling
him that the rule requiring me to obtain papers through him caused
much inconvenience and delay, he told me in confidence that he did
not desire that I should regard it, but send for any papers that I
wanted."
Not liking this anomalous state of things, I consulted
confidentially with Mr. Jones Loyd, mentioning also
my uneasiness at the slow progress of improvement,
and referring to the expectations held out to me through
him and Mr. Warburton before I entered the Post
Office.* These expectations, however, I did not suppose
were likely soon to be fulfilled, as I had just learnt
that a large addition was about to be made to Colonel
Maberly's staff. Mr. Loyd, while recognising
the ex-
pectations held out to me, advised me temperately to
press the Postmaster-General to assign to me a depart-
for his
ment, or at least to leave in my hands till ripe
own decision all matters connected with any specific
improvement which may be assigned
to me. On this
advice I resolved to act as occasions arose. I presently
had further evidence that I was advancing in the confi-
dence of my official superiors. The Postmaster-
General placed the secretarial management of the
Money Order Department in my hands, and directed
* See pp. 43-46.