The Commission appointed to enquire into and report upon the state of
Rotten Row, was entirely unpaid. The right honourable gentleman on whom
the appointment of the Commissioners devolved, took great credit to
himself that the members of a Commission whose report was likely to
prove of such infinite value to society, and especially to metropolitan
equestrians, had undertaken all the laborious duties appertaining to
their office without expressing the slightest desire for remuneration or
reward. “He believed,” he said, “that all the charges connected with the
performance of this great public duty would begin and terminate with the
mere cost of the indispensable official staff, and he undertook to
pledge his word that the expenses connected with that department should
all be settled at the lowest practicable scale.”
In accordance with this declaration, the Honourable Augustus Aigulet,
first cousin of the right hon. gentleman aforesaid, was shortly after
appointed Secretary to this indispensable Commission, at a salary of
1400_l._ per annum, and Mr. Slaney, of Somerset House, under a Special
Minute of my Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, was promoted to
perform the active duties of clerk to the Commission, at an increased
salary of 60_l._ a year, “in accordance with the scale of savings
recently effected in the public service.”
These economic views were further carried out by the saving of rent. The
Rotten Row Commission was to be accommodated in certain new buildings,
recently erected at a small charge of 300,000_l._ The apartments
consisted of an office, a Secretary’s apartment, and a Board-room. Mr.
Slaney took possession of his desk in the office, having instructions to
prepare the large room for the meeting of a Board, which instructions he
duly performed by arranging the inkstands in the centre of a table, and
by spreading sundry sheets of blotting-paper, with a due proportion of
foolscap and official pens, at equal distances on either side. The Board
was to meet at two o’clock. At half-past one the Honourable Augustus
Aigulet opened the door of the office, and proceeded to instal himself
as Secretary. By the time he had taken possession of the key of a great
despatch box, on which was emblazoned, in gilt letters, the words