[Such a date.]
[Sidenote: Minute No. 1. ]
1, 6, 4—.
Her Majesty’s Commissioners represent to my Lords, that with a view to
a complete and satisfactory discharge of the important duties devolved
upon them opportunity is necessary for calm consideration of the
varied subjects into which it is committed to them to inquire:—That
such opportunity is totally denied them in the apartments assigned by
my Lords, in which no suitable provision exists for ventilation, and
in which the Smoke appears to come down the Chimney, instead of
ascending in conformity with custom. In order to the due performance
of their duties to the public Her Majesty’s Commissioners, therefore,
request that my Lords will make an order for the attendance and
inspection of the Ventilator-General, with instructions to consider
and report upon a plan for improving the ingress of air, and egress of
smoke, to and from the said apartments of Her Majesty’s Commissioners.
By order of the Board.
(Signed) AUGUSTUS AIGULET.
The document was then handed to Mr. Slaney, who made a fine copy
thereof, on an extremely large and thick sheet of cream-coloured
foolscap, enclosed it in a ditto envelope, sealed it with an enormous
official signet, rang the bell for the messenger, and dispatched the
document to the Assistant Secretary of the Lords Commissioners of Her
Majesty’s Treasury.
In two hours a reply was returned. This sufficiently demonstrates the
extraordinary despatch which all matters of this sort receive at the
hands of “my Lords,” and at once exhibits the fallacy and absurdity of
the constant and therefore unreasonable complaints, which are made by
poor widows, orphans, and other troublesome and disagreeable
complainants concerning the delays which they suppose that they
encounter in getting even the most reasonable claims attended to.