“My dear Sir,—I hope to see you on Monday at the Office, when I shall probably introduce my successor to yourself and the assistant secretaries.
“Meanwhile I must express to you my regret on account of the change which removes me from official intercourse with you. I have had much satisfaction in that intercourse. It is a great pleasure to work in an office where every question is so thoroughly and carefully considered as by you; and you have every reason to be satisfied with the invaluable social benefits which you have been the means of conferring upon the people through the Office with which you have been so long connected.
“I am, my dear Sir,
“Yours very truly,
“Argyll.”
LORD COLCHESTER.
Lord Colchester, who succeeded the Duke of Argyll on the change of administration in March, 1858, I found an earnest and painstaking man, diligent in the careful perusal of all minutes submitted to him, and even of the enclosures (often dry and long) with which they were necessarily accompanied; patient in listening to any suggestion, however new, and to any details, however complicated; and ready to adopt any improvement. Of all those under whom I served no one was kinder in manner, or showed more consideration for the feelings of others. Lastly, he had a positive detestation for every kind of job, and never hesitated to resist pressure on this subject from whatever quarter.
LORD ELGIN.
Of the high administrative powers of Lord Elgin, who entered office in June, 1859, it would be quite superfluous to speak; suffice it to say that I found him equally diligent, candid, and trustful with his predecessor, and remarkably calm and dispassionate in his judgments. On entering upon his office, he said he wished to explain what he thought should be the relation between himself and me. In details he did not intend to interfere at all, thinking that the head of a department might better employ his time than in dealing with these; but, before determining to go further, he had thought it his duty to make careful inquiry as to whether I were a man on whose advice full reliance could be placed, and being satisfied on that point, he intended to throw the responsibility upon me—at least until he should have performed the long, difficult, and perhaps impossible task of making himself acquainted with the immense details of the department—by acting on my recommendation on all points, save perhaps in some exceptional case, where he should see strong reason to the contrary. Happily, to the best of my recollection, no such exception ever occurred. I have only to add that his kindness of manner accorded with the fulness of his confidence.
With 1859 closed the twentieth year since my entrance into the service of the Government in relation to Post Office management; or, striking out the years during which I had been excluded from my work, the sixteenth of my actual service in that department. During this time, as may be remembered, I had served under Mr. Baring and Mr. Goulburn at the Treasury, Lord Clanricarde, Lord Hardwicke, Lord Canning, the Duke of Argyll, Lord Colchester, and Lord Elgin, at the Post Office. Whoever has followed me thus far will have perceived that my estimation of my successive superiors, whether correct or otherwise, has varied considerably; but I believe all will agree that I may justly regard myself as having been, on the whole, very fortunate; as having had to deal, for the most part, with great intelligence, zeal, and honour, and as having met with almost unvarying courtesy and kindness, and not unfrequently enjoyed firm and earnest support. I must add my full belief that, had the power rested with my immediate superiors, I should have escaped the long interruption to my tenure of office, and have been spared the greater part of that protracted and exhausting contest which undermined my health.
It was not, however, until the last year of this period that I began to feel that permanent failure in strength which, combined with other circumstances, compelled me five years afterwards to withdraw at once and finally from my post. In this year (1859) after a careful consultation on my case by three eminent medical men, it was laid down that henceforth I must limit my days of work to four in the week. Amidst anxiety on this point, however, I had the satisfaction of believing myself pretty firmly established in public opinion, and in the confidence of Government. Two years before I had, without any movement whatever on my part, been elected a member of the Royal Society, my recommendation being signed by the Duke of Argyll, the Astronomer Royal, Sir Roderick Murchison, and several other distinguished members; this honour being followed a year later by my admission to that inner circle, the Royal Society Club. Later still, viz., in 1867, I had the honour to be elected a member of the Council of the Royal Society, though increasing infirmity soon compelled me to withdraw.
Early in 1860,—the twenty-fourth year, I may observe, from that in which my attention was first seriously turned to the reform of the Post Office,—Her Majesty was pleased to confer upon me the honour of Knight Commander of the Bath; an honour at once unsolicited and unexpected. The first notification of this gracious intention was received in the following letter from Lord Elgin, then Postmaster-General:—