I concluded by promising to give in due time a full exposure of the fallacy—a promise afterwards fulfilled.[343] In the short period during which this return was under my consideration, an incident occurred which must be mentioned, because, besides giving additional evidence of Post Office incompetency, it excited some surprise and not a little amusement. The Overland Route to India being now established, a notice was issued by the Post Office, that persons wishing to send letters by that route to Australia must address them to “an agent in India,” who in turn must pay the postage onward, as otherwise the letters would not be forwarded. To the unreasonableness of expecting that every one writing by that route to Australia should have an agent planted half-way, was added such vagueness of expression as would have rendered the injunction very misleading; “India” being put for “Bombay,” where alone, according to Post Office arrangement, the postage could be paid. The absurdity of the proceeding was so manifest that within a week from its appearance the notice was withdrawn. In this short period, also, Mr. Ashurst, acting for the Mercantile Committee, issued a circular to mayors of towns and other representative persons, recommending that petitions should be sent up praying for the complete execution of my plan; the recommendation being accompanied with a statement showing, in the most pithy manner, the chief estimates as to number of letters and average of postage under the old rates, made severally by the Post Office authorities, the Parliamentary Committee, and myself, previously to the adoption of the plan, and comparing them with actual results. About this time Mr. Baring had moved for a return, to show how far the instructions, issued by the Treasury more than a year and a-half ago,[344] for the extension of rural distribution, had been carried into effect by the Post Office. Of course he had, ere this, learnt from me that its operation had been suspended by the Treasury; but now, in the return called for, this essential fact was suppressed, the whole answer being as follows:— “No definite arrangements have yet been made by the Post Office in conformity with the Minutes of the Lords of the Treasury, dated the 13th and 27th days of August, 1841, relating to the Post Office distribution in the rural districts of the United Kingdom. “W. L. MABERLY. “General Post Office, 8th April, 1843.”