"_May 3rd._--The Postmaster-General has sent me a minute referring to my statement of the work in hand, and requesting that I will not enter on any new subject without his previous direction. As he was then at the office, I immediately applied to him for an explanation, when I found that he had sent a similar minute to Maberly, and that his object was to secure that he should at all times know what was going on. He says (all in good temper) that hitherto I have really been Postmaster-General, but that he intends to be Postmaster-General himself; adding, however, that he has no intention of obstructing improvement. His notion was that it would be practicable for me to apply for the authority in question, even before entering on the preliminary investigation of the subject, but I satisfied him that this was impossible; and the understanding now is that I am to make the requisite application as early as possible.... In the course of an interview a good deal of plain speaking occurred in a half-joking manner. Among other things, I told him that, if he obstructed improvements, I should leave him." If I had had any misgiving as to the manner in which my plain speaking had been received, it could scarcely have outlived the following:-- "_May 4th._--The Postmaster-General has sent Maberly and myself the following, which came written on a large sheet of paper like a minute:-- "'_To Celebrate the Queen's Birthday._ "'The Master-General of the Post Office requests the honour of Colonel Maberly's and Mr. Rowland Hill's company at dinner on the 13th of May, at a quarter before eight o'clock. "'Full dress.'"[97] It was curious that this act of politeness should be followed immediately by an act of discipline:-- "The same hour which brought this good-natured invitation brought also a demand for my latch-key of the private door of the General Post Office. The Postmaster-General has given up his own latch-key, and has required every one else to do the same. I am not sure that this is not a necessary precaution." Be this as it may, the safeguard was not long maintained, the latch-keys being quietly redistributed in the interregnum that followed Lord Hardwicke's retirement, and never afterwards reclaimed.