This transaction, though apparently but of local importance, I have narrated at some length, because it shows how the progress of improvement was clogged, and how much my time was occupied in watching lest that which I had carefully planned should be marred in working. Other difficulties will appear as I proceed with my narrative:-- "_February 17th._--Requested that he [the Postmaster-General] would reconsider a minute directing that letters addressed to me by the subordinates shall pass not only through the heads of the departments, as I had proposed, but through Maberly's office." "_February 24th._--Finished a minute calling for copies of many of the periodic returns made to Maberly, to which I have added several original ones, with a view of obtaining tolerable statistics. At present they are lamentably deficient." "_February 27th._--The Postmaster-General is so much engaged in his duties as Cabinet Minister that he rarely comes to the office at present, and I am obliged to defer many points on which it is necessary to consult him. I am much dissatisfied with the little progress made." When, however, the Postmaster-General was more at leisure we sometimes got on apace:-- _March 5th._--Had a long interview with the Postmaster-General, and got through much business. I never met with a public man who is less afraid of a novel and decided course of action ... ; _e.g._, a proposal of mine to require the postmaster at Manchester to pay out of his fees the salaries of two new clerks, required on account of his own inefficiency, has been cordially adopted, in direct opposition to Maberly and the surveyor; and this is the more important, inasmuch as my minute is a direct attack on a claim hitherto treated with great reverence, viz., the right of an officer to continue receiving fees (unless compensated), however large in amount and mischievous in their tendency, simply because he has once enjoyed them. "Spoke again of the absolute necessity of my being better informed as to what is going on, and proposed that he [the Postmaster-General] should direct that all communications to and from the Treasury should pass through my hands. He at once concurred in the necessity of the thing, but proposed that, instead of writing a minute on the subject, he would himself take care that I saw such papers before they left his own hands. I fear that the arrangement will frequently be forgotten, but I could not object to try it. He again expressed a wish that I would not disturb existing arrangements, at least so far as they appear in writing; but on my telling him that the rule requiring me to obtain papers through him caused much inconvenience and delay, he told me in confidence that he did not desire that I should regard it, but send for any papers that I wanted."