" The retirement of Sir William Stephenson from the post of Chairman of the Inland Revenue deprives the Civil Service of one of its most able and eminent members. When fifty years ago Sir William Stephenson entered the Treasury as a junior clerk, the system of open competition for public appointments was not even talked of. Clerks were nominated to the Treasury as to other public offices by Cabinet Ministers; and whatever may be the result of modern improvements, it cannot be denied that the old days of selection produced a class of public servants of whom the Civil Service of any nation might be proud, and of whom Sir William Stephenson is a notable example. As private secretary to Sir Robert Peel for some years, he had the advantage of a training under that statesman to which he no doubt owed much of the administrative ability he has so signally displayed in his official career. For many years Sir William Stephenson was the trusty and trustworthy adviser of successive Governments on questions not only relating to Treasury business, but also to that of other Departments, and his sound judgment and experience rendered him invaluable as a guide and adviser to ' My Lords,' whenever they found themselves in a difficulty. Sir George Lewis paid no slight compliment to Sir William Stephenson's tact when he remarked that ' he was the best witness before a committee that he had ever seen.' "
Two letters which he received at the time of his retirement plainly show the estimation in which his services were held.
"2 Whitehall Gardens, May 15, 1877.
" Dear Sir William, — It would be unreasonably selfish in me to grudge your retirement after the labours of fifty years! I ought rather to congratulate you on the jubilee of a public service which has rarely for its intelligence and fidelity been equalled. I will take the necessary steps about the pension which you have so honourably obtained: I trust, however, that there may yet be occasions when the country may profit by your experience and abilities. I must apologise for not having replied to you before, but I have been quite incapacitated by gout from writing, which I fear this note too clearly proves. — I am, dear Sir William, very truly yours, Beaconsfield."
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" My dear Sir William, — I hope you will consent to remain on the Pensions Commutation Board as our representative. It is hardly fair perhaps to ask you to work on when the time has arrived at which you have a right to claim complete rest, but I should urge on the other side of the question, that the work is not very hard, that your experience is very valuable to
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the Government, and the personal and perhaps selfish reason that we should be very sorry indeed to part with you. I hope you will consent to stay. — Yours very sincerely, W. H. Smith."
His work at the Inland Revenue Office brought him into contact with various Chancellors of the Exchequer, for whom he had to prepare the details of the Budget speech in the House of Commons. Of these the one he preferred to work with was Mr. Gladstone, although he always said that he gave more trouble than all the rest put together, by insisting upon thoroughly going into and understanding every detail that he intended to make use of in his speech. Two or three interviews were required with their searching questions and acute comments before the Budget night, and this was what my father appreciated.
Disraeli, on the other hand, simply expected to be supplied with perfectly correct facts, and required no personal interview, communicating with the Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue through a private secretary, and was apt to treat him as a useful and accurate machine.
Mr. Robert Lowe was on a different plane altogether. He not only required instruction in facts, but needed the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue to remind him of them during the progress of his speech. He was, however, easy and pleasant to work with, and a personal friend.
Disraeli was the only high official my father was ever heard to say he disliked working with, and that he never said while in office himself, being far too good a disciplinarian to talk about those he had to serve under, when he did not share their views.
Shortly after retiring from public life Sir William gave up his London house, and after spending some months abroad settled down in 1879 in the country, where for the rest of his life, some twenty years, he rented The Chestnuts, near Uxbridge, a place situated on the edge of the park of Hillingdon House, the property of his old friend Mr. Henry Cox.