View report page

48
The Vestry then directed that a copy of the correspondence
be forwarded to Captain Penton, M.P.,
and that he be asked to see the Postmaster-General
thereon; and they received from him the following
letter:—
Chalfont Park, Slough,
29th January, 1890.
My Dear Sir,
In accordance with my telegram of Monday, I went to town
yesterday to try and get an interview with the PostmasterGeneral.
Unfortunately Mr. Raikes was out of town, and does
not, I am informed, return till this morning. I was able, however,
through the courtesy of Mr. Raikes private Secretary, to see the
official who has the matters referred to in the correspondence
which you sent to me in hand. From him I learnt that the
Post Office authorities, in using the expression “concede” which
occurs in Sir Arthur Blackwood's letter of the 9th August, to
which reference has been made, had in view the giving up of the
land in question to the local authorities, but never contemplated
conceding it free of cost: that the value of the land, roughly
speaking, is estimated at about £970: that the question of
whether the land shall be paid for or transferred free of cost is
entirely at the discretion of the Post Office and Treasury
Authorities, and that there is no precedent for such a transfer
without payment: finally that the Vestry and ratepayers have
not as yet, in the opinion of the Postmaster-General, shown any
sufficient cause to justify him in making the gratuitous concession
demanded.
Under these circumstances I should suggest, if I may be
allowed to do so, that the Vestry Clerk be direoted to write again
to the Postmaster-General, either setting forth more fully the
reasons which the Vestry have to urge in favour of the concession
asked for, or else if that be not deemed satisfactory, asking
Mr. Raikes to receive another deputation at an early date. I
should like to say that, in the event of the Vestry choosing the
latter alternative, I shall be happy to go with the deputation,
should my presence be considered to be of any use.
I am, my dear Sir,
Faithfully yours,
FREDK. T. PENTON.
To R. Paget, Esq.,
Vestry Clerk, Clerkenwell.
The Vestry thereupon decided that the