The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-21 00:00:00

THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION.

In reply to • question from Mr. Hoxsissx,
Sir G. GREY said the living of Easier was annexed to
the bishopric of Peterborough, and was not held in com-
mendxm, and, therefore, the ecclesiastical commissioners
had no power to take it for the purpose of augmenting the
income of the bishop.
DISMISSAL OF A LETTER-CARRIER.
_ .

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE rose to bring under the notice of the
house the petition of Robert Grapes, complaining of dis-
mi►sal from lila office of letter-carrier; and he was sorry to
find that certain returns on the subject, which he had moved
for a fortnight ago, had not yet been furnished. The peti-
tioner complained that he had been dismissed not for
mis-
conduct, but because he had been instrumental in producing
certain reforms in the Post-office, and exposing some dia-
honest practices in reference to the " Post-office Directory,"
and other matters. He (Mr. Duncombe) had received a great
deal of the information which he had laid before the house
as to the malpractices at the Post-office from Grapes, and
that man had been persecuted ever since, until finally he had
been dismissed upon a most trumpery pretext, after having
been seven years in the establishment, without a fault hav-
ing been found with him. The hon. member concluded by
moving that an inquiry should be made into the allegations
of the petition.
Mr. PARKER regretted that from inevitable delay the
returns to which the honinember alluded were not yet ready.
With reference to the dismissal of the petitioner, it appeared
that the Postmaster-General, having instituted an inquiry,
had good reason to be satisfied that Grapes had prevented a
man called Watts from giving his testimony against some
men who had been tried at the Old Bailey for the embezzlement
of letters, end for that reason he had been discharged. The
papers which the hon. member bad moved for would, how-
ever, shortly oe before the house, and the facts of the case
would then be more fully known.
Mr. PROTHEROE thought that the management at the
Post-office must have been very faulty, when it appeared
that the authorities there had not come to any decision with
respect to an inquiry which had commenced is November.
He would pronounce no opinion respecting the charges
which had been brought by Grapes against the PL,st-office
authorities ; but if it was true that he had been dismissed
without knowing for what reason, the parties who dismissed
bim did not possess the commonest sense of ordinary justice.
A great deal of mismanagement arose from the carriers
being obliged to collect information for Mr. Kelly's book.
That was now, however, divorced from the Poet-office, and
the carriers were no longer obliged to hawk it about. He
thought that Grapes was entitled to know for what reason he
was dismissed.

Mr. HUME said that it was a most serious question
whether a poor man wu to be ruined for doing a service to
the country—for exposing abuses. Any man who would in-
form against his superiors ought, instead of being punished,
to be liberally rewarded.
Sir D. L. EVANS objected to this doctrine.
Mr. MOFFATT believed Robert Grapes had been useful
in exposing many abuses, and that he had not been fairly
tried by the Post-office authorities. The Post-office altoge-
ther was most oppressively and obnoxiously .nanaged, and
no one who complained could get any redress. He hoped,
during the recess, government would direct inquiries into
these matters.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER denied that
Grapea had not yet had a fair hearing, but begged the house
to forego discussion till the papers were before them.
Mr. T DUNCOMBE replied. It was wholly false that
Grapes had tampered with witnesses. The charges agsinst
the man were altogether trumped up by Kelly, who had
openly said ho would give 1,0001. to secure the man's dis-
missal, and whose anger and vindictive feeling Grapes had
incurred by endeavouring to expose his delinquencies. Grapes
was dismissed to gratify that man's malice. Kelly was the
bane of the Post•offies, and as long as be remained there
nothing would go en well. There had been nothing but
jobbing during his administration, and he was the greatest
trutit that ever evhereigeueltleLover a pmubovliee Lffili..cHeitrt,ohpear..2
office management, and partidarly into Kellyirgepartment.
The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn.
CONFERENCE—PASSENGERS ACT AMENDMENT