Page:The Post Office of Fifty Years Ago.djvu/42

 resented, and when, in 1846, Lord John Russell's Government came into power, a staff appointment at the Post Office was offered to Sir Rowland Hill, and accepted by him (though at a serious personal sacrifice), in order that he might complete his reforms.

Gradually official opposition died away (or was confined to small cliques, more or less troublesome, within the department), old opponents became converted into zealous helpers, postal reform sped swiftly on, and the minute of the Treasury on the occasion of Sir Rowland Hill resigning the Secretaryship of the Post Office in 1864—which we here append—shows how cordially his services were at last recognised even in the official world itself.

letter from Sir Rowland Hill, K.C.B., dated the 29th February, stating that six months' absence having elapsed without any satisfactory results as regards the state of his health, he has now no course left but to resign his appointment as Secretary to the Post Office.

Read also letter from the Postmaster-General of the instant, stating that Sir Rowland Hill has in consequence of the state of his health been compelled to retire from the public service, and bearing his testimony to the eminent services which Sir Rowland Hill has rendered.

The retirement of Sir Rowland Hill from the office of Secretary