EFFORTS FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN POSITION. (1851-2.)
The extent to which railway affairs had come into my hands, combined
with the necessity, under existing arrangements, for my acting through
the medium of others not subordinate to me, and prone to interfere
with my proceedings, led me to urge upon the Postmaster-General the
importance of formally transferring the secretarial management of the
railway department to myself. This was the more necessary, because the
circular of December, 1847--never yet recalled or superseded--made it
the duty of the surveyors and others to disregard any instructions I
might give in railway matters; so that I had been reluctantly compelled
to ask Mr. Tilley [the assistant-secretary] to sign letters for me. My
Journal (June 26th, 1851) thus continues:--
"The Postmaster-General still hesitates--says he will consult the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to-morrow, &c., and meanwhile advises
me to sign instructions in disregard of the circular."
This promise, though not forgotten, produced no effect for several
months. Meanwhile my health again began to suffer. The assistance
lately granted me, valuable as it was, not only fell far short of my
requirements, but also came too late for full benefit. My friends were
still moving in my behalf, as appears by the following letter from Mr.
Cobden:--
"Midhurst, Sussex,
"14th September, 1851.
"MY DEAR SIR,--Having learnt your address from your brother, I
write merely to say that, although I did not forget to fulfil my
promise, yet the conversation I had with the Chancellor (which I
took care was a casual one) ended in leaving matters where they
were. He spoke, as usual, in terms of high regard for yourself, and
is, I believe, sincerely desirous of promoting the object I had
in view in speaking to him. But the difficulty in the way of the
arrangement is the same now as before. 'M---- is not an old man;
he cannot with decency be shelved; and at present there is nothing
good enough in point of salary to which he could be transferred
so as to create a vacancy in his post,' &c. I confess I don't see
why this should not be treated as an exceptional case, and believe
that a very good defence might be made of such an arrangement as
was spoken of; but I gathered from the Chancellor that he was
not disposed to take upon himself the responsibility of such a
proceeding. And so the matter must remain for the present. We will
talk the subject over again when we meet....
"Hoping you are finding health in the sea-breezes,
"I remain,
"Very truly yours,
"R. COBDEN."
Soon afterwards, at the request of the Postmaster-General, I visited,
in company with my son, the more important towns in the West Riding of
Yorkshire, where I discussed with Mr. Godby, the surveyor, numerous
demands for postal improvement lately received from that important
district. At Leeds, Halifax, Bradford, and Huddersfield I received
deputations. The result of my proceedings is thus recorded:--
"_November 19th._--Succeeded in every instance in satisfying
the parties that we were desirous of doing all that was
practicable--that some of their demands were unreasonable, or of
doubtful practicability, and others dependent on the expense
as compared with the correspondence to be benefited. I was
exceedingly well received, thanked for the trouble I had taken, and
complimented on the benefits I had conferred on the nation. I am
very well satisfied with the visit, though it will cause me some
months of hard work."
Meanwhile, a little incident occurred which may perhaps be worth
mentioning. A gentleman who was writing an account of the Post Office
having written to Colonel Maberly to inquire as to the difference
between the duties of the "secretary to the Post Office and those
of the secretary to the Postmaster-General;" and Colonel Maberly
having politely referred the querist to me, I wrote a brief note, the
substantial part of which ran as follows:--
"There is no essential difference between the two offices, and the
term 'secretary to the Postmaster-General' is in strictness the
official designation of both. The two secretaries are in the same
relative position to the Postmaster-General, who assigns to them
their respective duties."
Colonel Maberly, though not quite agreeing in the terms of my note, did
not object to its despatch, which was accordingly made; but the querist
having objected to the brevity of my reply, I referred the matter to
the Postmaster-General, who settled the point by pronouncing my note "a
devilish good answer."
I perceived about this time various indications of an improved feeling
towards me in the office. My complete success in the trying struggle
relative to Sunday observance, and in some other important matters to
be spoken of hereafter, combined with the confidence now constantly
reposed in me by the Postmaster-General, and at the Treasury, seemed
to have convinced opponents that further contest was unprofitable,
and that it would be better frankly to enjoy the comfort of harmonious
action.
"_December 26th._--The entries in my Journal have of late been
comparatively few. This is not because there is less to be done,
but partly because, since the appointment of Frederic, less has
fallen to my share, and partly (indeed chiefly) because there
is now much less opposition to my measures than heretofore....
The improvement in this respect is so great that, but for the
apprehension that in the event of a new Postmaster-General being
appointed the opposition would revive, I should scarcely desire a
change in my position."
Ground of anxiety, however, soon re-appeared; strong representations
being made to me as to bad appointments in the secretaries' office,
the advancement of unfit men, and grievous inconvenience thence
arising; a pressing reason for change which had not occurred to me.
Accordingly, about a fortnight later, I again spoke on the subject to
the Postmaster-General,[95] who, admitting that the administration
was in a very precarious state, promised to speak immediately to
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he accordingly did, but with
little success, the old difficulties being still dwelt on, though the
Postmaster-General now informed me that Colonel Maberly was willing
to accept £1,500 a year as a retiring pension. I pointed out to him,
moreover, that the restoration of the old gross revenue, which seemed
now to be an established fact, was an epoch in the progress of my
plan which afforded opportunity for decided action. In this view he
concurred.
A few days later the Postmaster-General spoke a second time to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, but again with little result, save that
he induced him to consent to my applying for support to my friends
in Parliament. With this view, I obtained several copies of the
correspondence already mentioned, and appended a memorandum, in which
I pointed out that another year had passed away, the fifth since
those expectations had been held out to me which still remained to
be fulfilled. I again referred to enforced delay in improvement; to
insufficiency in the net revenue, owing to my inability, circumstanced
as I was, to give full effect to the economical arrangements which
I had always contemplated; to the comparative insignificance of the
expense implied in granting to Colonel Maberly any retiring allowance
that could be thought of, and to means by which even such small
sacrifice could be directly compensated.
Lastly, referring to the actual position of Ministers, to the
expectations held out to me, to the acknowledged fulfilment on my part
of the only condition on which they were made to depend, and, above
all, to the extent to which the public service was suffering, I pressed
on Government to adopt at once the only means by which it could with
certainty fulfil its engagement, viz., to allow Colonel Maberly to
retire on a sufficient pension. While I admitted that such a step would
be a departure from an excellent rule, I pointed out that mine was an
exceptional case, and must have been so viewed by Government at the
time when it raised the expectations in question.
"_January 31st._--Called on Cobden. Read to him the memorandum,
and left a copy of the correspondence for his perusal. He enters
warmly into the business, will again speak to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, says he ought not to hesitate; advises that I should
apply to those only who, like himself, are pledged to the success
of penny postage, either as members of the Committees of 1838 and
1843, or as witnesses. I think he is right; at all events, this
will be the safe side. Cobden, to my surprise, said that I ought
not to give up any part of my salary--that £2000 a year was not
too much, adding that I ought to be Postmaster-General, and would
have been such in any less aristocratic country than ours. Wrote to
Moffatt, who is at Ventnor, inclosing a copy, and gave a third to
Thornley. Hume, Warburton, and Currie are out of town."
A few days later, however, I saw nearly all these gentlemen, as also
Mr. Milner Gibson. Mr. Hume spoke of difficulties, Mr. Thornley had
already spoken to the Chancellor of the Exchequer without effect,
Mr. Warburton, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Moffatt were as usual very much in
earnest, all undertaking to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
Mr. Warburton volunteering to go also to Lord John Russell whenever I
might think this expedient.
"_February 11th._--Brown reports that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer is angry, complaining that he has had no less than four
applications about me within the last two or three days, and that
he can do no more. Received from Cobden the following letter:--
"'103, Westbourne Terrace,
"'10th February, 1852.
"'MY DEAR SIR,--Hume and I spoke to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. There is a difficulty which he threw in our way (upon
high authority) which you do not seem to have seen. Has Hume
explained it to you? If not, give me a meeting for a minute either
here or at the House. These matters are better talked about than
written about.
"'Yours truly,
"'R. COBDEN.
"'R. Hill, Esq.'"
The next day, on seeing Mr. Cobden, I learnt that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer had pronounced my suggestion impracticable. He alleged
that two secretaries were necessary, and that consequently any retiring
allowance to Colonel Maberly must be an additional charge on the
revenue, an addition which Mr. Hume was not prepared to defend, though
Mr. Cobden was. Mr. Hume subsequently confirmed this statement of his
views, and while assuring me that the Chancellor of the Exchequer spoke
very highly of me, and promised promotion at the first opportunity, he
himself was of opinion that nothing could be done at present, and so
counselled patience. He forgot that such advice to a man tottering and
almost sinking under his load is much more easily given than received.
_The mysterious allusion in Mr. Cobden's letter was never fully
explained to me._
As the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the late conference, had
assigned as a reason for Colonel Maberly's retention that the foreign
negotiations were under his charge, I no sooner arrived at the office
than I called upon the head clerk of that department for a specific
statement on the subject, when it appeared that of all the negotiations
then in hand, eleven in number, every one, without exception, was under
mine.
"_February 13th._--Without committing Cobden, I put the question
plainly to the Postmaster-General, as to whether he was still of
opinion that, in the event of Colonel Maberly's retirement, I
should be able to manage the department without other aid than
that of the two assistant-secretaries. He answered emphatically in
the affirmative, and on my adding that there was an impression on
the minds of some of my friends that the appointment of another
secretary would be necessary, he authorised me to state the
contrary in his name, and volunteered to speak to the Chancellor of
the Exchequer on the subject, under the impression that my friends
must have been misled by some mistake on his part."
After reporting all this to Mr. Cobden, I called, by his advice, on Mr.
Moffatt, who was about to speak to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on
the subject. Of course I put him in possession of all the facts.
"_February 15th._--Met Moffatt at the Reform Club. He says the
Chancellor of the Exchequer refused to hear him--that he complains
bitterly of my 'unfairness' in setting the Members upon him, and
says that if my friends are not satisfied, they ought to meet and
appoint a deputation, with which he will, once for all, go fully
into the matter, but that he will not see any more individual
Members. Moffatt thinks the result of his interview unfavourable,
but I do not. I have all along desired to have a meeting of
Members, but was afraid that it might look too much like direct
agitation."
"_February 16th._--Saw Cobden, and reported proceedings. We are
to do nothing for a few days, in order to allow time for the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to cool."
"_February 17th._--Moffatt tells me that last night he had a
conversation with the Postmaster-General, in which the latter
stated that if Colonel Maberly retired the appointment of another
secretary would be unnecessary."
"_February 18th._--The Postmaster-General told me of his
conversation with Moffatt, adding that he has expressed a similar
opinion to the Chancellor of the Exchequer."
"_February 19th._--Reported proceedings to Warburton; he will
attend the meeting of Members."
"_February 21st._--Called on Cobden to advise that the meeting of
Members should now be held, when I learned to my surprise (not
having seen the morning papers) that Ministers resigned last night
in consequence of a defeat on the Militia Bill. He considers the
resignation real. I certainly have been very ill-used."
"_February 23rd._--The Postmaster-General confirms Cobden's
impressions. Lord Derby has undertaken to form an administration,
and Lord Clanricarde retains office only till his successor is
appointed."
I fear the deep mortification I underwent at this sudden frustration
of my hopes when I thought fulfilment so near at hand caused me to
regard the important change which was taking place much more from a
private than a public point of view. My excuse may perhaps be found
in the recollection of the struggle that I had for so many years
sustained, in the fact of my worn health of both body and mind, and in
the non-fulfilment of the promise originally made me, a delay by which
the term of six months had already been extended to five years, and, as
now appeared, till those who had given the pledge had lost the power
to redeem it. On those who were now to become my official superiors I
could have but little claim, and my expectation from them was even less.
It still remained to do what was possible for diminishing the evil
of the change, and, as my readers will readily believe, I had full
reliance on the friendliness of Lord Clanricarde. I therefore drew up
a minute proposing that the restrictive regulations laid down on my
entering office should be rescinded, and that the practice which had
superseded them should be formally approved. To this minute I obtained
Lord Clanricarde's sanction. Colonel Maberly, as his lordship soon
afterwards informed me, sent in a counter-minute, but without effect.
Lord Clanricarde's reply to this was admirable. While, of course,
leaving matters with his successor, he gave it as his own opinion that
a practice which has gradually grown up is more likely to work well
than any rule that can be prescribed.
A further step on my part is thus recorded:--
"_February 27th._--At Lord Clanricarde's request I have prepared a
statement of the principal improvements which I and Frederic have
effected, and of those in hand, as also a statement of the savings
which we have effected. The improvements now in hand are no less
than thirty in number, even counting each class, as for instance
the eleven foreign negotiations, as one; the savings, omitting sums
under £20, and disregarding the numerous applications for increased
salaries, &c., which have been prevented, amount to nearly £60,000
a year."
This is exclusive of the large savings I effected whilst at the
Treasury.