Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-16 00:00:00

CORRESPONI)ENCE.

[IV do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of
our correspondents.]

TOWN IMPROVEMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.
S 1 ,—There are, Many vacant and Useless plots of
ground in our streets which might be sold'at good prices,,
and the proceeds made available for the ptirchase of old
premises, to improve the thoroughfares of the town ; for
instance, at the corner of Norton-street .and London-
road a large triangular .waste exhibits a great defect to
the regularity of the -district, Which space might be
built upon ; as well as the vacant ground oppoiite, at
Vie corner of Seymour-street ; and, with the suns
realised, the London-read might be widened at the
ein-ner of Hothain-street, where it in so much eon-
OLD INIIAETTINT,
; Limpool, 16thisiov.,. 1859.

St JAMES'S .CHURCTI.
TO
TILE EDITOR Qr TiIE .I,IOItTIIEIiN DAILY MM.
Sia,--Uaving observed that a letier which I recenily
received from my icallgregati,.;:l was 'published in your
Paper, h avail Myself of the same medium to ackaowledg•_,
the receipt, and shall feel obliged by your inserting the
My
dear Christian Friends,—From my heart I thank
you for yyur affectionate sympathy, expressed in your
letter. of a recent date. Deeply moved lam that cir-
cumstances nquire me to bring the case of fraud, to
which yol allude, more prominently 'before the pablic.
In a very short time it will be cleat:ly and fully
seen haw matters stand, and then my peculiarly
painful position will be rightly estimated. I need
hardly say, that Were. it not for an unusual press
of business, I would call to thank you for your kind-
ness ; however, the signatures' are too numerous tc,
adroit of my doing so for the present.—Believe me,
my 'dear Christian friends, to be your faithful and devoted
pastor, " ' LEwns FREDERICK TIIOIIA9.
To the Congregation of St. Jaines's Church,'

Toiteth Park,

BOTANICAL GARDENS.

TO. TIM 'EDITOR OF TTIE NORTHERN DAILY TIAPES.

Sin,—One of the greatest improvements that can be
effected, at .a Very trifling Cost, in our Botanical Gar-
dens; woqld be to:place the present, open iron gate from
the side .of the wall to the middle -,)f opposite the
centre avenue, -which would. prince a splendid effect
from the terrace of the green-honse,. and which latter
would then also be seen to great advantage from Waver-
tree-lane.

• Similar arrangements have been introduced in the
•Botanical Gardens of Oxford,. Brussels, and else-Ti!cre.,
'producing the effect deseribed.-Itour obedient servant,
AN; 06 RATEPAYER:

-I,,iverpo6l, Nov. IG, 1859.

POSTMASTERS AND THEIR POWER.

TO THH EDITOR OP THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.
reverting to the relationship at pre ent
existing bet Ween postmasters and their subordinitc3 iii
office, we demur to the doctrine that the matter of the
relationship,is• a matter for these oidcer3 themselves to
- determine, without the cognizance and: opinion of the
' public. Hitherto, the public has taken a deep and lively
interest in.questions connected Ni.;itii.the service
department ; and, knowing the exietence of many harsh
laws and grievous enactments, it cannot be supposed
that these should remain unheeded and unnoticed, even
• though it be at the risk of waking into sensation the
apathy of officialism.
The Post-oiliee'clerk, or goiter, is no mere machine,
• unconscious of pleasure,- of pain ; but pa() of a numerous
class,of indispensable functionaries, for whom, as for
all others, the public are'entitled in'requirihg the strictest
impartiality and the utmost candour in the administra-
tion of justice. Englishinen arc proverbially the lovers
of fair play ; andif it can be shown that acts of fair

play in the. Post-office are, like Irish guineas, the rarest
of novelties, our duty as Englishmen imperatively de-
mand that it be done. Besides, we feel certain that the
enlightened nebleman who now presides over the Post-
office needs only to be made aware of existing evils, in
order to insure a correct end speedy raress. We must
not be supposed, however, as objecting to postmasters
having power to maintain proper discridine in their
respective departments. We complain of the abuse of
• power and the iniquity of the existing-system-0f -go-
vernment. In dealing with this subject, we shall in
- 41 nothing extenuate, nor set aught down in malice."
Considering the broken and unseasonable periods of
attendance, and the minute and necessarily rapid mani-
pulation of the public correspondence, it is not surprising
that irregularities and errors occasionally occur, giving
to postmasters opportunities of exercising their pre-
rogative of punishing offenders. The most careful and
zealous officers are liable to eommit errors; but when
the amount of puni.shment for such errors is meted out
•by persons who are themselves, in a 'practical sense,
ignorant of the, dutic.i., and. who.lack judgment to &IS-
-0
criminate between what is venal and excusable, and
what is really censurable, then the worst possible results
naturally follow. When a. debt is 'paid "the Obligation
is cancelled; and when an officer. is .punished for an
error, there should be an end of the matter.;. not so in
_the Pest-office. If the postmaster considers it expedient
to visit hina with •a. severer punishment than is in
his own power to inflict, it is not difficalt to get up a
case, to be brought under the notice of the Postmaster-
General. The most generous and sensitive disposition must
silentlylisten to hoMilies the most latimiliating; and con-
scious innocence to insinuations.; the most base and
degrading ; for a disdainful look; an awkward perform-
ance of the expected obeisance, a laConic reply to a
,ridiculous-question, or even a provincialism in. the_mode
of 'expression,- is a peg strong enough upon which to
bang the dreadful charge of insubordination ; and, to
support it by collateral evidence the archives of the
department are ransacked, as for kidded treasure—
traces of former errors, weighty or iridium; or both,
are neverthelets;forwarded,
and though previously atoned,
with the postmaster's dissertation thereon (which for
obvious purposes the accused is never Permitted a sight
4) to the Postmaster-General, who innocently believing
that only the incorrigible, who have defied all mild andb
humane measures, are brought before him, pronounces
the victim's. doorn—disinisal, or degradation equally

injurious..:
In the Military service there are courts-martial, and
the accused has the opportunity of defending himself,
either in perion, er by counsel; be hears:all that dare
be advanced against him, and possesses' the right of
cross-questioning the witnesses. Even in the Customs,
an officer is furnished With the nature of the charges
made against him, and the privilege of defending him-
self readily permitted. Why should not Pest-office
officials be placed on a similar footing ? Why should
a postmaster alone be invested with the power of blast-
ing.for ever the prospects and reputation of men, who
are not less respectable than himself, and who
have faithfully served the public, it may be, the
best part of their lives. Painful instances are on
record, of innocent persons leaving suffered wrong-
fully, after a carceul. trial, before a just judge and
an impartial jury,—the futurerevealing that the evidence
was entirely false, or .purely circumstantial. If our
lcarnc ind,ses, after a Careful examinatica of evidence,
leeq!..l et; may sonntirnes arrive at ,i.roncous con-

—*l of a s-73i-.^-m -whorl -7

~,,, _,

evi:le ace at all, gave the private