The Express.
London, England, 1849-09-22 00:00:00

POST-OFFICE AND RAILWAY ROBBERIES.

The robberies in the Post-of oe atd on railways are
blears*" truly alarming. A number of Post-ease servants
have been Iliedisadeill lately is all parts of the coaatry,
charged wllk posisliMw letters by whelesele ; and a large
number of Is have been recently taken up,
seemesdef Manes valuable bales el membandise. The pub-
lie mast and will know why this isitelemis animus cannot
he clapped. Buernt bye we shell hem eessesaos societies
Isholiteitlitirlfstrellegberied plamsdigrbollasso pi to trans flea berg Tit
them . Ostend Nab/sty:OM Televise secostary,
rftWaYelle sp Oat the dish/mil which prevailed amongst
I the enmemhatee ef his depsztmeat ea truly frightful ; and
!Eithet dace that time Is 'basMereased maim than
It wait at one time tbenffill that Ovate indd
ersnld work a stoat eadmehhe bear for the public
than the monument, but the Wend* kiwis esmaahted by
wawa, somata have proved it Me be a hUsey.
Tweety yeses ago, whoa he ship Ilestamme MU power,
they appeared anima almot the mime gmerament pamoal
age, and their aid tory aubeeitaillepoi=nl °miry" i°
snare that ef the customs, sad auks. An
outcry was hammiest that the midge rewarded their tae-
ales ad math* Mesh • end the mesequenee was that
a plan weempahed he the manageserat of the whole of the
government patronsp, sad which was adopted by the tories
when they got Into power. It apposes that every vac am?
whisk now wears in a government of is reported to the
T , who writs to the government member of the
town w the vacancy occurs, and he nominates one of
his supporters, or a eon, or • brother of one of them, to
the office. In the official notification of the appoiatment it
is diaticctly and ponapougy mentioned that the perry NIX
been appointed at the recommendation of Sir Mulberry
Hawk, or Lord Verisopht, M.P. for se-sad-so, on purpose
that it may be made known what is pined by voting the
right way.
Many evils arise from this system. Voters are bribed by
it prospectively to vote for the government ; incompetent
and improper persons are appointed to edictal
situations bemuse voting for • certain party is
the only qual•fication required, and it effectually
prevent& a government department from adopting a
system of promotion by removing an official from
one place to another. If any attempt is made to fill up a
mercy by promoting a deserving raw a hue-and-cry is
raised by venal voters against the intrusive stranger ; and
Sir Mulberry or his Lordship is obliged to write to the tea-
ser„ to mouse the government that he cannot count on his
next election, unless one of his supporters obtains the situa-
tion. In the For-office the pay is mall, and the work labo-
rious ; and the poor servant in that department is
doomed all his lifetime to fill the situation to
which he has ones been appointed. No prove:got reward
or promotion cheats his monotonous toil. The best
way to remedy these evils would be for the govern-
' meat to insist that no one should be appointed to an effleial
' situatim, salmi some respectable party would be answerable
in some sum of money for his good 'toadied ; and also to
promote es many deserving servants as possible, by means of
I every vacancy that occurs. If Sir Mulberry or Lsrd Vert-
, elan must have the local patronage of the government, it
i should be after the claim to reward of old and faithful
public servants had been duly attended to.
The demoralisation of railway servants is to be attributed
in a great measure to the bad example of their superiors
The tonna very likely think it not much worse to steal
goods, or sash, than for the latter to "cook' amounts.
Wait respect fur honesty can men have whose patrons and
employers are publicly denounced as wieder* and cheats
There Ims been too much fraud sad chicanery practised by
railway magnates, to expect that their subordinates will be
faithful to those who employ. them, ce to the public. When
railway boards and directories are purged, and disreputable
persons are superseded by honourable men, the morals of
railway servants will improve, and the property of the public
will be better secured.

A similar evil, however, prevails in railway as in Pott.
Lela management. There is gross carelessness in appoint.
lag redway servants, and they are ill-treated after they have
been appointed. A merchant or leukemia seeks to employ
the most competent and worthy as his cleats, or shopmen ;
and would rather maintain a dishonest relative in idleness,
than be encumbered with his assistance. Not so railway
directors The persona they easploy are recommended by
friends and acquaintance, and their only qualifications are
very often their proved unfitness for every other kind of em-
ployment. A merchant constantly watches the conduct of
his servants, and kcews that his interests tre materially ad-
vanced by rewudisg the deserving. Neither railway or
post -office !servants get any of these encouragements. Re-
wards are solely foe those who possess political or directorial
interest. . _

It appears that there are not less than a quarter of a mil-
lion of persons employed in the post-Wmos and on the
railways of this country. Tae g ent and the railway
companies have the monopoly of conveying letters and
Roods; and the public must sternly insist on vigorous
and effectual measures being taken for the safe transmission
of their property and correspondence. It is no compensation
to the poor man who has lost a money letter, or the tram-
mel' whose bale of goods has boon stolen, that the post-
°file, or railway Odd is transported if detected. The aattonal
chareater is degraded by this extensive demoralisation of
public servants, and the iseenvesienee it pauses the public
and the extent to which it the badness and coma
me of the country, is hie.

AGRICULTURAL RIVALRT.—Mr. W. Hodgson, of
Low Walton, sass Whitsluiveu, in • letter publiehed this
wcsk addressed to Messrs. Med* Davis, and Hu:table,
says—" At a casual meeting of prsetieal agriculturists at the
above-named plate, this day, the old-fashioned mode of
fersiag, and your' scientific) treatment of the soil,' as it is
fashionably termed, naturally became the subject of conver-
sation and comparison ; and though we in the north are sup-
posed to be a unary behind the southern agriculturists, no
les than six of the party in question volunteered to chal-
=ll or any of the Nun airatlemen I have the honour of
log, on points which I shall by-and.by particularise.
As challenges nom half a dose at mos were regarded as
selnewhat too formidable,it was resolved to cast lots who should
be the diallseger, and the teak fell upon the humble
indleidnal who now address you—William Hodgson, of
Lew Ashes, seer Whishaven • tenet farmer under the
light Hon. the Earl of Lonsdile. To come to the point,
end in order to tat the merits of northern agriculture and
the southern scientific treatment of the eoll, I challenge you
for any sum, from 201. to 1001., to produce a any of Swede
turnips t qual to a crop at present upon my farm--soil and
situation considered; and in the event of your taking up the
gauntlet thus thrown down, I thenutnaallFte you in addi.
tion for the like sum for the beet- farm, and the
quality of the general stock thereon. I my challenge be
accepted, and according to fashionable notions, I give you
almost immeasurable odds—the difference at least lanai en
scientific' agriculture and the culture of the soil as prac-
tised by our forefathers—l may observe as proof that this is
no empty gasconade, the needful' deposited the =mint
pr.liminartes are arranged."—Chehnsford Chronicle.
THE LATE LADY BLESSINOTON.—A Dublin solicitor
haws been in Clouse!. for the purpose of exactly &seer-
tag fire age of the late Counties of Blessingtou in refer-
ence to aa insurance claim. She wee not so old at her death
as the newsmen said, having been married in 1804, at the
only age el Mee years, so that she eras only 60 years old
at her decease.—laid.
IfcCENDIAIv FIRE.—On Meshy lest, the inha-
bisats of Market Deering were aroused by the cry of fire,
when it was discovered that a stack-yard belonging to Mr,
Creet, landlord of the Wheel publiahous, was in a blase.
The nem, were speedily procured, awl every exertion was
made to subdue the flames; all, bewever, psweed unavailing ;
• strong wind blowing at the thee rendered the utmost
efforts abortive. A wheatetank, a strawneasili, and a hay-
stack, together with • range of hovels, • lege quantity of
wood, a winos, a mit, sad ether impionisate, ill a prey to
the fire. There appeared me deal the ft was the work of
an imeadiary ; and as them Mahan throe aces In the plies
lately, a great deal of anxiety peevailed. Oa Wednesday
evening, • man having the appearance of a labourer, on
seeing Goodliffe a polls-officer, in St. Mary's. street, Stain.
ford, ioquired whether he was in smirch of him se he was
the party who set fire to the stack-lard at Deming. The offi-
cer, not oaring heard of the fin, said he was sot in search
of any on. for the asses, as ha wee ussenseious of its
having occurred ; bat as the man peesiessill In his statement,
he conveyed him to the statist-Mw. He gave his nese
John Kisser, • native of Mint, in Wales, by trade •
tailor,. end he said that he had been working at Biabrook,
nest lauth, for Mr. Atkin., and that he wee discharged two
months aggoo from Hines house of cornetist, where ha had
besei valued he eh menthe he wanking a sestablo.
Sines his disbar" he mess to have been prowling about
the country, and aoseionally working in the agricultural
districts monad Bosom. Ho alleges that en Monday night
be went into the stash-yard at Deeping to sleep, and that on
awaking on Twitchy eneraing, he eadeavoured to light his
pipe; whilst he was so doles • spark ignited the straw,
and being lianas& be immediately ran away. He was con-
veyed to Duple% sad committed for trial—Stamford
Merntry.
Btautrito op Ax Amptitlonx STK/NEL—The fol-
lowing is from a letter tared lierishas, July 98:—"About
half-paet two in the minim of the 24th we were alarmed
by a smereager Mingle / faxillsa hat the BptUe was in
dames; sad ***rhea immetilately to the spot, she was dis-
covered in full ad mesparoschable. la the moss of
• few hears, the moos oomboldblo soolortol Wog onomod,
the firs osbobiod rollotatolty to amble nomorme
cocoa to come owl while some woo optplybo,
water, others were appopriadett• timissolves
what same to boadja Alfa Id 001118, Mb"ifs mfg
trpeolz wreck wee bribmi al Mere, mg OW very ovottlag
of by samba Ibr 1.1116,9111 no., 111 oleo won tho
throe boots. TM ousbort sad ear, end east trifling
articles, *MP cabin ferelture: will he NM ens."—TM
ttillelawoo built in 1815, by Brown and Belli mad wasa
employed by goverment dories tbi
wen: wee purchased, sad fitted up in good style, end kik
this part on the of March hr California • short time
after leaving port she esperimeed a shoe gale, sad wee
-compelled to put We mss. repiir lke. The
Sphere bad la IWO, She rim Siamed M
1110-strset for 26 NO thilam Thee ike Mitre we wei
Mama; the isi;:aelithe time wee ea Mere, trameatiag bush
mei with his .—liiterant CarmscialAdvectimer.
DAY 'Ow HUMILIATION. Youtottio_y
_woo obolgtod
as • day of Immiliesioa mad ha airlmen. will. Fla.!
Ih=rebi of the me-
rtre .641.111"111. %Id' iIitiVIOZOSSINES Ver. allifiengf
estialal. the wsee wanalieetlideesd, sad the ileum
win mills demist lima* aelsily the tmm ea flaatkqe. •