THE EARLY MAIL-COACHES 167 



have found some way of compromise, but with 

 Walsingham he coukl not do other than carry on 

 a strugii:le for mastery. The end came when that 

 l^eer had for his fellow the Earl of Chesterfield, 

 who iiossessed sufficient humour hy himself to be 

 amused with Palmer's frettings against authority, 

 but in conjunction with Walsingham could only 

 follow his lead. Annoyed beyond his own poAvers 

 of control (which, to be sure, were very limited) 

 by the action of the joint Postmasters in referring 

 to the Treasury an affair which he conceived to be 

 a purely Post Office matter, concerning the mileage 

 to be paid for the Carlisle and Portpatrick mail, 

 Palmer forthwith suddenly stopped on his own 

 authority the Palmouth, Bristol, Portsmouth and 

 Plymouth mail-coaches, which were all being paid 

 for at a higher rate than his superiors thought 

 necessary, but which they had not agreed to 

 discontinue. Questioned about this action, that 

 had thrown the mails in the south-west of England 

 into utter confusion, he insolently declared that 

 what their lordships objected to on one road was 

 surely objectionable on another ; if they preferred 

 mail-carts to mail-coaches they could have them. 

 A violent quarrel then blazed up. Palmer 

 charged the Postmasters-General Avith deliberately 

 and capriciously thwarting his best arrangements. 

 He would appeal to the Prime Minister against 

 their interference. 



The Postmasters desired nothing better ; but 

 Pitt, who had the greatest confidence in Palmer, 

 long evaded the interview they sought with him 



