"Sir Francis at first doubted whether he himself should be one of the best persons to promote the object of Hill's friends in seeing Mr. Gladstone, as he said he and the Chancellor of the Exchequer had each _angles_ that possibly might not quite _square_. However, afterwards, he agreed with me that such were of no moment, and that he felt it was due to himself, equally as to Hill, that he should unite with Mr. W. Patten and Moffatt. He said really emphatically, 'No public man can so well or naturally impress Hill's deserts on the Chancellor of the Exchequer as myself, and it is my duty to do it. Hill was long in office under me, _or rather I under him_. For months, I may say, he was little out of my own room. I have the highest estimate of his public services on the postal changes, of his talent and good judgment throughout many difficult considerations and decisions; and his integrity was unimpeachable in carrying out his plans. Further, I always found him open-minded in regard to objections made to his own individual propositions on some points, often material, on which we individually differed, and in which, now and then, I overruled him; he always made due allowance for _my_ disagreement with him, and all proper consideration for _my_ difficulties and views as Chancellor of the Exchequer. And I formed not only this high opinion of his character and public service, but I also formed a friendship for him which would induce me always to promote his interest in any matter in my power.' "I really thus pen his almost exact words as due to Hill, and because they much impressed me. And you know Sir Francis is not a man of many words, or, in manner, of overflowing heart.... He considers that at Hill's age, and considering the immense benefits his country has derived at his hands, a retiring pension on full salary only would be a 'mockery' (Sir Francis's own expression); and he considers that either his bare official pension, or, say £1000 per annum, might be asked of Gladstone, with a grant of a proper sum as a public reward or a just gift to him. We talked awhile on the _amount_ of that sum. * * * * *