“August 9th.—Matthew has taken up the matter earnestly; he has seen Brougham, Wilde, Villiers, and Aglionby, who express great anger and surprise now they understand what is intended. It seems they had assumed that I was to be employed in some other department; this, they say, is the general impression, which accounts for the apathy on the subject hitherto. Some course or other will, I expect, be decided on to-morrow. Of course I take no part in the matter myself.”
After much consultation, however, it was deemed expedient to defer all action until the next session of Parliament; and, though the announcement of this decision was little to my satisfaction, I kept my thoughts to myself.
About a week afterwards I received a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply to my letter of July 29th, which, however, though it spoke in somewhat elaborate approbation of my services, repeated his decision as to their discontinuance.[331]
“August 20th.—I want to make the remnant of time as effective as possible, and with this view generally get to work soon after six in the morning.”
“September 10th.—Received an unexpected summons from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.... He was very cordial and friendly, and began to express his regret at the necessity under which he felt himself as to the termination of my engagement, &c. I told him that I did not intend to avail myself of the interview to reopen the question, and merely wished to thank him for his intention of recording in a Treasury Minute approval of my services.... He intimated the probability of his applying to me hereafter for special assistance in Post Office affairs, if I had no objection; thanked me earnestly for what I had done, and shook hands with apparent warmth. His manner now and heretofore, and the tenour of his letters, go far to confirm the impression that he feels that he is acting unjustly, and under compulsion, I believe, of the Postmaster-General, who is said to command five or six votes in the House of Commons.”
“September 14th.—My engagement terminates to-day.... The revenue payments for the quarter up to the 10th instant amount to £112,000; or £33,000 more than at the corresponding date of last year.
“September 17th.—On a review of this Journal I find that the savings which I have effected or proposed since the present Government came in (September 3rd, 1841) amount at a low estimate to £80,000 per annum, of which £51,000 is the amount since I received notice of the termination of my engagement. And these savings are in no instance obtained by a sacrifice of convenience on the part of the public, but in many [instances] are the result of measures tending greatly to increase such convenience.
“September 22nd.—Lord Brougham, who has seen a copy of the correspondence between Mr. Goulburn and myself, pronounces my case to be ‘irresistible.’ He has kindly volunteered to write to Lord Ashburton, who is daily expected to return from America, to get him to see Sir Robert Peel on the subject.... Sir Thomas Wilde, who had previously seen the same correspondence, also expresses a strong opinion as to the strength of my case, and has very kindly volunteered to undertake it in Parliament. A strong case in such hands will indeed, I trust, prove irresistible.
“September 23rd.—Many of the Liberal papers are attacking the Government on account of my dismissal.
“September 26th.—Yesterday and to-day prepared, with Matthew’s assistance, a letter to Sir Robert Peel, stating shortly the leading facts of my case, tendering proofs of each part, and earnestly begging an audience.