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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
162
The
Treasury
Lords
were
convinced,
however,
that
they
had
made
a
mistake,
and
they
resolved
to
give
the
measure
a
full
and
fair
trial.
On
the
10th
of
January,
1840,
another
minute
was
issued,
ordering
the
adoption
of
a
uniform
penny
rate.
By
adopting
Mr.
Hill's
plan,
the
Government
simply
placed
itself
in
the
position
of
a
trader,
who
declared
that
he
intended
for
a
time
to
be
satisfied
with
a
part
of
his
former
profits;
but
hoped
eventually
to
secure
himself
against
loss
by
increased
business,
greater
attractiveness,
and
diminished
cost
of
management.
In
six
months,
the
policy
of
the
Government
was
acknowledged
on
all
hands
to
be
the
correct
one,
for
on
the
10th
of
August
the
Treasury
had
its
minute
confirmed
by
the
Statute
3
&
4
Vict.
chap.
96.
The
Quarterly
Review,[97]
as
an
exception
to
the
general
feeling,
stigmatizes
the
measure
"as
one
of
the
most
inconsiderate
jumps
in
the
dark
ever
made
by
that
very
inconsiderate
assembly."
It
is
"distinguished
by
weakness
and
rashness,"
&c.
But
the
judgment
of
posterity
is
sadly
against
the
reviewer.
A
Treasury
appointment
was
given
to
Mr.
Hill
to
enable
him
to
work
out
his
plans,
or,
in
the
wording
of
the
said
appointment,
"to
assist
in
carrying
into
effect
the
penny
postage."
He
only
held
his
office
about
two
years,
for
when
the
Conservative
party
came
into
power
in
1841,
he
was
politely
bowed
out
of
it
on
the
plea
that
his
work
was
finished;
that
his
nursling
had
found
its
legs,
and
might
now
be
taken
into
the
peculiar
care
of
the
Post-Office
authorities
themselves.
A
study
of
the
past
history
of
the
Post-Office
might
have
enlightened
the
minds
of
the
members
of
the
Executive
Government
as
to
the
advisability
or
otherwise,
of
leaving
entirely
the
progress
of
Post-Office
improvement
in
the
hands
of
the
authorities.
Mr.
Hill
intreated
the
new
premier,
Sir
Robert
Peel,
to
let
him
remain
at
any
pecuniary
sacrifice
to
himself,
but
his
entreaties
were
unavailing.
He
must
watch
his
scheme
from
a
distance.[98]
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