1 68 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



to ])rocui'e liis dismissal, and avIkmi at Icni^tli tlicy 

 did ^viii to his proscnc(> lie made it quitch clear 

 that it was not in their direction his sympathies 

 extend(Ml. Indeed, it is quite jiossible that the 

 Com j)tr()ller General Mould have seen his masters 

 out of office while he retained his own, had it 

 not heen for the extraordinary and unex2)lained 

 treachery of Palmer's own friend, Charles Eonnor, 

 whom he had ])rovi(le(l with a sj)lendi(l post at 

 the General Tost Office. This man suddenly 

 launched a pamphlet in which he accused his 

 benefactor of delaying the London post in order 

 to create popular demands for reforms Palmer 

 himself desired to introduce, reforms that would 

 j)lace him in a j)ositi()n of higher authority. The 

 Postniasters-CJeneral received the publication of 

 this ])ami)hlet a\ ith a well-simulated amazement, 

 but the suspicion that they had themselves induced 

 Eonnor to perform the jjart of Judas is inevitable, 

 and is deepened by their subsequent action. 

 Palmer, of course, suspended Eonnor, a\ hereupon 

 they asked the reason, and on Palmer refusing 

 to give an explanation that must have been Avholly 

 unnecessary in fact, if not in actual form, they 

 reinstated the man. Nay, more, when Eonnor 

 repaired to my lords with the news that Palmer 

 had refused to reinstate him, and had, in fact, 

 ordered him with threats off the premises, they 

 consented to read and to show to Pitt the i)rivat(5 

 and confidential corr(\s2)ondence he had l)rought 

 with him, addressed l)y Palmer to his former 

 friend during a series of vears, and containing not 



