The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-26 00:00:00

IoYAL SURREY THEATRE.

/0„- ATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO.. ORRO VV.
▪ 49 minutes atter ti t Evening lO minutes atter 7.

'Am. • •"

thLe 4un.

LONDON :
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26. 1839.

A writer in the Times has discovered that Old
ay has grown schismatic and mutinous. He is
..ng to raise a sedition in the Church against the
yhhishep of CANTERBURY, and to cause a
m by " claiming the power of the keys"—
absurd and Popish expression," "lost sight
' •-r ages, and condemned by a greater than either
PUPE of Rome or of England." Into Old
31's schismatic errors we shall not venture to
; they are ouch too holy ground for us to tread
• .),t. The sacred precincts of the Church
the proper place for such truly Christian,
:.-ol:s, and Protestant writers, as those of the
. We look, indeed, with ,he awe and the
. .filer that become us on the Time"' iashinB Dr.
ILLPOTTS for his heresy; we have some little
.ieasure even in beholding the combat, similar to
..at we should feel at seeing two rampant and mad-
‘iened bulls, while we were in perfect safety, butting
' and goring each other; but we should never think
Tf venturing to play the part of umpire betwixt them.
Or, merely secular matters, however, we feel more
competout to speak, and feel ourselves bound, when
1/4 the Times rails Old TOBY a mutineer and an agi-
tator, to defend him against the accusation.
The writer in the Tines, who assumes the name
of " NESTORIDES,"fOrgetS that Old TOBY is a Lord
of Parliament, and that as such, though he be
the Archbishop of CANTERBURY:IB ti,: Church, he
is quite on a level with him. As a Lord of Parlia-
ment Old TOBY is bound to make good laws
and contribute to make them, whatever
other Lords of Parliament may do, and he is
bound, therefore, to oppose any Bill the Arch-
bishop of CANTERBURY may bring in if he think
a bad one, and bound to substitute a better for
it .if he can. Our country has a popular Govern-
-,nit, and the right of the priesthood of all
-..ses to meddle with law-making is established by
..ctice and law. A Lord of Parliament to carry
point must appeal to the public, and Old
.).n.Y, in appealing to the clergy in be-
•'r of his own Bill, and against the Bill
the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, in-
, -,1 of being an agitator, is only exercising a
and performing a bounden duty. If a
;Mop's duties as a Peer of Parliament clash with
(iuties as a Bishop of the Anglican Church, the
,hop is not to be blamed for that which is the fan

:!ie Legislature making him a Parliament Lord. Ifa
' ,t, 1p happen to be more in love with wrangling po-
s than Christianity, if he like pamphlet writing
than pastoral duties, why, when the Legis-
' .re I'm placed him in a position to gratify his
' , ,igs, ant! even made it his duty, should he be
tried fur delighting in politics, and being a factious
scribbler ? The Times, it is well known,
.does not like a rival, and it is no doubt afraid of
surpassed in its own style and manner; and
at' 't has in turn decried HUNT and COBBETT,
),_:ONNELE. and O'CONNOR, and every other
‘aildidate for mob popularity, so it now decries Old

- °lilt, and describes him as a mutineer and an agi-
!,tor. If the Times be just, its conduct to its late
rthy friend and ally is not becoming, and it
have left to us or our like the task of ridi-
casing
and abusing an arrogant, mutinous, Tory
bishop.

The accounts from Ireland confirm the accounts
frolu other parts of the country of the great increase
,t of the number of letters which has been caused by
the reduction of the rate to 4d. A similar increase
not only took place in London immediately con-
sequent on the change, but, as was expected, letter
has begotten letter, and day after day the ainourrt of
'..,ommunication by the Post-office has increased.
Of course it will be noticed that this increase is,
generally speaking, limited to letters Passing be-
tween distant places, the postage at and below 4d.
not baying been reduced. We except the re-
duction its the metropolitan district to ld.
on pre-payed letters, which was probably
adopted to try how far the public would
`fall into the plan of pre-paying their letters, and
-what would be its effects. It has quite answered
the expectations of its author, as the number of
ers circulated through the metropolitan districts
been much increased, and the whole increase
certrse is on pre-paid letters. That experiment

Two entirely New Dramas, and a Grand Christmas Panto-
nnrue, airh splendid Scenery, and a magnificent Diorama.
THIS EVENING DEC °6

I Will be acted, first time, a New Romantic Drama, call il
AiICI-lAEL EARLE, THE MANIAC LOVER.
I Cliaraeteo by Nlessrs. Saville, 11. Hughes, Neville, John-
and Smith ; Mrs. Vining, Mrs. Daly, and Miss Alartin.
Atter which, first time, a Comedietta, from the French, entitled
FAMILY JARS MENDED.

Benhomme, Mr. Smith ; Chapinct, Mr. Saville ; Madame
nonhornme, Mr.. Daly ; Tiaresia, Miss Martin.
(4,oncinde with a New Grand Christmas Pantomime, called
QUEEN BEE, OR O
HARLSHOESEQUIN. AND GOODY
TW

he splendid Scenery by Mr. Brunning—The magnificent
Diorama by Mr. P. Phillips.
C',,,umbine, Miss Sharpe ; Harlequin, Clown, Pantaloon, and
Sprite, by the Bolero Family.

1 has established two facts. namely, that the plan
of pre-payment can be conveniently carried into ef-
fect by the Post-office, and that the public are
willing and ready to adopt it. We scarcely
need again state that the system of levying
one uniform tax on letters and by weight is
found in practice to be very convenient, and
will no doubt lead to facilities in collecting, sorting,
and delivering letters, which will lessen the expense,
and save time.
Enough has already transpired to show that the
reduction of the tax in this case, is no exception to
the general rule; it has greatly promoted consump-
tion. Business of all kinds will be somewhat in-
creased by it, and when we take into consideration
the amount yielded by the tax on paper, and on
the various articles which will be consumed, or used
by the increase of business, we may begin to doubt
whether the revenue, on the whole, whatever may
be the case with the Post-office revenue itself, will

suffer at the end of a year by the Uniform Penny

Post plan.

Among the illustrations of the advantages of re-
ducing taxes, which will crowd on the recollection
of all our readers, we may notice, to confirm states-
men in their good resolutions, the abolition of the
stamps on almanacs. Since that took place, the
increase in the number of the old almanacs, such
as Moore's, published by the Stationers' Company,
has been doubled, while a very considerable number of
new almanacs have been called into existence. Now
When the taxes on paper, on the various other arti-

ties used in making almanacs, and on the various
articles consumed by the persons employed in the
increased business, are taken into consideration, it

is probable that the loss to the revenue by the abo-
iition of the stamps on almanacs has been more than
compensated by the produce of these other taxes
Nothing has produced a better effect on the public
mind for the Ministers than the reduction of post-
age already made ; and with that example, and
this example of the almanacs before them, we say
let them go forward in the same career, speedily

give us the Penny Postage, and they may be assured
of the gratitude of the country.

We are glad to find from a Treasury Minute,
published in another part of the paper, that Go-
vernment have resolved to carry into full effect the
original plan of Penny Postage as recommended
and sanctioned by the Legislature. The new post-
age will commence on Friday, the 10th of January,
and the charge will be one penny for half an ounce,
2d. for an ounce, 4d. for any weight above an ounce
and not exceeding two ounces, and so on in propor-
tion up to sixteen ounces weight, agreeably to the
scale published by the General Post•office on the
21st of November. We congratulate our readers
on this great boon ; and at the same time give all
due credit to the Government, and to the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in particular, for the
straightforward manner in which the whole transac-
tion has been conducted.

We rejoice to add that the QUEEN has surren-
dered her franking privilege, and that her MAJESTY
will pie-pay all letters sent by her like every body