The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1847-8] MONEY ORDER DEPARTMENT. 71
times exceedingly imperfect, the omission being in
one instance that of a very important report ; and of
course fresh delays occurred while these omissions
were supplied. Again, when, in reference to a pro-
the head of
posed measure of economy, I called upon
the department and his immediate subordinate to
support my views by expressing in writing opinions
which they had given in conversation, they excused
themselves by pleading that they should thereby incur
serious displeasure.
The omitted report was one made some time before
by Mr. Jackson, recommending an improvement
calculated to save the department between ,2,000 and
,3,000 per annum. Taking up this rejected measure,
I was enabled, after long elaboration, to procure its
and in a few months more its beneficial
adoption,
results were placed beyond question ;
department reporting
the head of the
that the accounts were more
complete and the checks more efficient, and that the
annual saving was even greater than had been reckoned
upon, amounting to nearly ,3,500.
In the meantime, however, these various obstruc-
tions, combined with the fact that both in public
estimation and by Colonel Maberly's distinct renun-
ciation I was now solely responsible for the right
administration of this special department, led me to
take a decided step. I accordingly wrote a minute,
proposing that all minutes and instructions regarding
the Money Order Department of England and Wales
should proceed exclusively from myself; that all
reports from the department
to me ;
should be addressed
in short, that the secretarial control of that
department should thenceforth be entirely in my
hands.
In consequence of this, the Postmaster-General