Last night a report was in circulation that the morning despatch had been abandoned from the difficulty of obtaining hands. I hope, Sir, that this will not be the case with the evening duty, but that you will persist in the determination to benefit the public, in spite of in door opposition and out-of-door twaddle. Never mind if every letter is not got off on the first attempt—it will soon improve. Give the clerks an intimation that if they refuse this modification, it will be offered to the Subsorters on the same terms. They are afraid of us now. Educated in a better school—the Newspaper Office—for becoming officially dexterous, we could beat them at their own duties, and not one of them could accept a challenge to play the return match at those which we perform.
I will not trespass longer on your patience than to state that the hostility, portrayed by Mr. M. D. Hill in 1839 as likely to exist, is now in full vigour. In the ten years which have elapsed since then, they have not become reconciled to the name of Rowland Hill, but hate it worse than ever. The soothing system is of no use. A stronger motive in future must rule the Inland Office.
I am
Sir, most respectfully,
My poverty and not my will consenting to the omission of my name,
A Subsorter.
[APPENDIX G.]
[See [p. 164.]]
Letter to Mr. Warburton.
Hampstead, November 16th, 1850.
My dear Sir,—As you have kindly undertaken to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer on my behalf, I beg to trouble you with a brief recapitulation of the case.