After nine days spent on the matter which had recalled me, and other business at my office, thinking matters now in tolerable train, I again left town; going, however, only to Ramsgate, that I might keep within call, and arranging to receive a daily report of progress. Altogether, I had this time an interval of twelve days, interrupted only by the daily receipt of papers which I could deal with where I was; but on September 13th I was again recalled:—
“Journal, September 13th, Sunday.—Received a note from Mr. Gordon, stating that Lord Melbourne has applied to him for information as to the causes of the ‘continued and increasing deficiency of the Post Office revenue’ (I think these are the words), and as to the future prospects, and requesting I will enable him to supply it with as little delay as possible. As I cannot, while at Ramsgate, give this information, or rather satisfy Lord Melbourne that the revenue is not decreasing in reality, ... I decided on returning at once to town, and came away by the packet at eleven o’clock.”
Four days were now occupied mainly in procuring the information thus called for, and in drawing up my Report on the subject; in which the increase in charges for conveyance had to take a conspicuous part; but on the 18th I again returned to Ramsgate, where fortunately I was able to remain until the 30th, my term of holiday having been considerately extended by a week, on account of interruptions. I have already shown that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was working as hard as myself; abundant evidence of this might be produced from my Journal, but I will give only one more extract:—
“December 24th.—Saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer for ‘three minutes,’ left with him, for Christmas Day reading, a long report on the new envelopes, a minute thereon, a form to be filled up in all cases in which application is made for advancing the expenses of any office, and some other papers.”
I have now little left to complete the history of this year. Among other expedients I had recommended the introduction of pillar letter-boxes as they are now usually called; a plan which in its essential part I had seen in use in France some years before:—
“November 9th.—A day or two ago there was a letter in the Times suggesting that a letter-box should be put up in Westminster Hall, for the convenience of the lawyers. I thought this a good opportunity to propose an experiment on my plan for having letter-boxes put up throughout London and other towns, in the great thoroughfares and other places of resort; the letters being taken out by the messengers now employed to collect from the receiving houses. Mr. Baring consents to the plan being tried in Westminster Hall: if successful it will add greatly to the public convenience (when extended), and will save some thousands a-year in London alone.”[309]
Mr. Baring’s consent was, I believe, acted upon; but I had accomplished little more in this direction when the interruption occurred to which I have already adverted.
However, as the year of which I am now speaking (1840) advanced, increase in the number of letters began to show that steady progress which has never since been interrupted. Before the end of June this was pretty manifest, and by the middle of November progress was not only steady but rapid.
I insert here the following extracts from a letter received somewhat later from Captain Basil Hall:—
“Portsmouth, Dec. 31, 1840.