“30th January, 1860.
“My dear Mr. Hill,—I beg leave to enclose for your perusal a note which I have received from Lord Palmerston.
“Permit me at the same time to assure you of the great pleasure which I experience in conveying to you this proof of Her Majesty’s appreciation of your distinguished services.
“Very sincerely yours,
“Elgin and Kincardine.”
[Enclosure.]
“94, Piccadilly, 30th January, 1860.
“My dear Lord Elgin,—I have much pleasure in informing you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve of Mr. Rowland Hill being made a Knight Commander of the Civil Order of the Bath.
“Yours sincerely,
“Palmerston.”
By a pleasing coincidence, of which I was, however, at the moment quite unaware, the honour of C.B. was conferred at the time of my formal installation on one of my former pupils, Major Beecher, for important services in India.
The close of the period which I have been describing found the department in a highly satisfactory state. The various improvements which had been effected since progress had become unembarrassed were already producing very manifest results. The public convenience had been in many ways promoted, and various arrangements for its further extension were in steady progress; the revenue, already large, gave every promise of continued increase; the numerous improvements in relation to the health, comfort, and remuneration of the staff, and above all the rule of promotion by absolute merit—modified only by seniority in cases where merit was equal—now recognised as in full force, had gradually diffused such a spirit throughout the department as seemed to have secured vigorous and harmonious action. All, in short, was working smoothly;[218] and I well remember the satisfaction which Mr. Tilley, the senior Assistant Secretary, who up to this time had uniformly given me earnest and efficient support, expressed at the general state of the service, so different from what he had once known; remarking that now every one seemed to do his duty as a matter of course. I did not then foresee how serious a change was at hand. Of this, however, I shall speak but very briefly.