The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-11 00:00:00

A very numerous meeting was held yesterday of the
commercial men of London, in the Egyptian Hall,
Mansion-house. The platform was crowded by repre-
sentatives of the most respectable houses in the City,
amongst whom we noticed Mr. Montefiore, Mr. Loyd,
Mr. Dillon, Mr. Gibbons, &c. ; also Mr. Pattison,
M.P., Mr. Crawford, M.P., Sir M. Wood, M.P., Sir
James Duke, M.P., Mr. Alderman White, Col. L.
Stanhope, M. D. Hill, Esq., Mr. L. Murray, Mr.
Laurie, Mr. Ashurst, and Mr. Wire.

The LORD MAYOR took the chair at three o'clock,
and said he was proud to meet so many of the com-
mercial men of London on that occasicn, though he
had expected their time might have been saved as they
had been led to expect that the plan they had in view
had been acquiesced in. He knew not what possible
objection there could be to a plan which must benefit
all classes of the community. It would naturally in.
crease the means of circulation throughout the coun-
try, and whatever did that must naturally benefit the
commercial prosperity of London ; but that was a
narrow view of the matter, because it would increase the
prosperity,and of course benefit the whole of the country ;
it had this advantage, too, that it would not only benefit
England, but also Ireland and Scotland. There could
be no question that it would be for the benefit of all
classes of the community, and he hoped it would also
be for the benefit of the revenue.—(Hear, hear,
hear.) He was of opinion, however, that that was a
matter which did not concern them—that was a ques-
tion for the Chancellor of the Exchequer—it was suffi-
cient for them to show that if the plan were carried out,
it would promote and conduce to the general good. If
there was any thing that pressed upon trade, it was the
duty of those in office to take it off—he trusted the al-
teration would increase the revenue—he thought it
would—for it would very greatly increase the number
of letters transmitted by post, not only from those who
could write, but it would induce those who could not
now write to educate themselves for the purposes of en-
joying the pleasures of communion with their distant
relatives—(Cheers)—from which they were now de-
barred. It was impossible in such a question to fix
any certain data as to the increase of letters; but if it
was for the good of the public at large—even suppose
there was a deficiency—it appeared to him that when
the hundreds and the thousands which were raised so
easily for railroads and canals—and when it was shown
that it would be for the benefit of the whole
community at large, it would be easy to
find a substitute for any deficiency. He was not aware
of any thing which could be said against the plan, he
would therefore sit down and call upon the Committee
to explain their plans.

Mr. G. D. LARPRNT then came forward to move the
first resolution, but from the inconvenient position we
occupied the Hon. Gentleman was very imperfectly
heard. He was put forward because he happened to
fill the Chair at a previous meeting upon the subject,
which he had hoped would have been done by Mr.
Baring, of Baring, Brothers. He then explained the
reasons which led to the formation of the Mercantile
Committee for carrying out the plan put forward by Mr.
R. Hill. He confessed that when that plim was put
before him he had some very considerable doubts as to
various parts of it ; but after a close investigation of it
in all its parts, he was perfectly satisfied that
it could be well and easily carried out. All his
doubts were removed. That plan was complete
in all its parts—it was proved that it would
be of vast benefit, not only to the commercial com-
munity, but to all classes, and for the purpose of carry-
ing it out the Commercial Committee was formed. They
had stirred up the country upon the question, and the
consequence was that no less than 1,087 petitions were
presented in its favour, with 195,333 signatures more than
on any other subject agitating the public mind. The
charge for postage was excessive. The charge for con-
veying a letter from London to Barnet and from Lon-
don to Edinburgh was the same, and Mr. Hill had
completely proved the uniformity of the rate. With
regard either to the tax or to the mode in which the
Government had taken up the monopoly of carrying,
he should say that the effects upon commerce were de-
cidedly bad, and he need only refer to the evidence
given by Mr. Bates and others in proof of this as-
sertion. The high rate of postage interfered with
the diffusion of knowledge, of science, and of
religion, and it was also a great hindrance to domestic
intercourse. The objections raised about uncertain de-
livery he thought had been completely obviated by Mr.
Hill's plan of registration. There were many other
objections raised, but he could not think the authors of
them serious. With regard to the stamped paper, the
objection which had been raised by the gentlemen con-
nected with the paper trade was utterly unfounded. for j
it could never have been intended to have the-paper
made exclusively by one party,—(Hear, hear.) He now
came to that which was considered the main stumbling
block, namely, the deficiency of revenue. He consi-
dered there would be an immense increase in the num-
ber of letters, and as the coaches could carry 37 times
the number of letters without any increased expenditure, I
he did not think much dread need be entertained as to
the falling off in the amount. It had always been
found that a diminution of taxation had caused
an increased consumption, in proof of which he need
only mention the articles of cotton, coffee, soap, and lat-
terly of glass, in which when reductions had taken place
an increased revenue almost immediately followed.
There was another observation to be made—namely,
that the purchase of a stock of stamps would in the first
instance give a considerable revenue to the Government.
It had been estimated at nearly a million, but although
it might not be so much, it ought to be taken into con-
sideration. The present system of postage had been
proved to be injurious, and he trusted the meeting would
agree with him in the opinion that Mr. Rowland Hill's
plan was perfectly satisfactory. There was an enormous
evil pointed out, and the remedy must be found, for they
could not stop where they now were. The only remedy
for the evil he conceived was the adoption of Mr. Row-
land Hill's plan in lobo, which was recommended by Mr.
Goulburn, the Duke of Richmond, Sir Robert Peel,
and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as the wisest
plan which could be adopted. Mr. L. concluded by mov-
ing the first resolution, to the effect that the present rates of
postage fetter commercial transactions, are prejudicial to
the interests of the revenue, check the education and
moral progress of the people, and tempt all classes to
systematic violation of the law.
Mr. TIMOTHY CURTIS seconded the resolution. It
was a bold attempt of the present Ministers to establish
a penny postage, and one that deserved support.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. DILLON, in proposing the second resolution, ob-
served that there never was a subject that had made
such a rapid advance in public opinion as the question
of Post-office reform.—(Hear, hear.) It had been said
the Post-office was created for the advantage of trade
and commerce, but it was a strange way of benefiting
trade and commerce, to place in the hands of the Go-
vernment the monopoly of carrying letters, and thus
giving them a profit of 200 per cent. on their outlay—
the expense of keeping up that establishment being
700,0001. a year, and the annual income being 2,2.10,000/.
What the country wished was, that the Post-office
should now be put on a footing equal to the public
exigencies. Knowledge and science had increased—
education had increased—intercourse between man and
man had increased, but the utility of the Post-office
had not increased. The Post-office did not make ade-
quate provision for the public exigencies. The Post-
office had undergone great reforms through the ability
and instrumentality of Mr. Palmer ; but all improve-
ments now remained stationary, and it was no longer
equal to the performance of its duty. It was about a
year since that Mr. Hill's pamphlet very unexpectedly
made its appearance among them, and this he would
say, that no man had ever done so much in describing
an evil, and pointing out the remedy as Mr. Hill had,
with respect to the abuses and the e%ils of the Post-office
system.—( Hear.) The remedy Mr. Hill had pointed
out was the adoption of a uniform penny postage.—
(Hear.) It was astonishing what a perfect ignorance
existed in all quarters on this suLject ; and upon inquiry
it had been found that the most profoundly ignorant of
all were the Post-office authorities. They were so near
the sun of truth that they appeared to have been
blinded. A Committee of the House of Commons had
been appointed to inquire into the Post-office, and also
to inquire into the nature of Mr. Hill's plan. That
Committee sat for a considerable time. The Post-office
authorities, Mr. Rowland Hill himself, traders, bankers,
schoolmasters, and authors, were examined before that
Committee ; and the Committee published three vo-
lumes of reports ; but what astonished the world most
was the enormous, the unparalleled extent, to which the
evasion of postage was carried.—(Hear.) All classes
of the community endeavoured to correspond free of
postage—tile rich as well as the poor. The solicitor
for the Post-office stated that every species of device
which human ingenuity could resort to was adopted for
the purpose of evading the postage. It was mentioned
before that Committee that a House in the country
had received 170 orders from London, and had
never paid one farthing for postage.—( Cries of " Hear.")
Tile Chancellor of the Exchequer seemed inclined to
recommend the adoption of a twopenny postag e. It was
much more likely that a penny postage would, by
the innumerable shoals of letters it would bring in—
make up for any possible deficiency in the revenue,—
than that a twopenny postage should.—(Hear, hear.)
It was impossible to estimate the social evils produced
by the interruption to correspondence, occas)oned through
the heavy amount of postage.—(Hear, hear.) Educa-
tion, science, all that/Was valuable to' man, was im-
proved and extende,ft; by means of conniunication ; it

was a law of our nature that we should be benefited
by intercourse with our fellow-creatures ; we
were essentially social creatures, and it was the
duty of a good Government to give every facility
for the communication of intelligence instead of allowing
impediments and obstructions to that object.—(Cheers.)
If it were asked what should be done to remove these
impediments, let the unanimous answer of the meeting
—of the country, be—the immediate, the unreserved
adoption of Mr. Rowland Hill's plan.—(Loud cheers.)
With regard to the objection that it would injure the
revenue—admitting for a moment that the effect of the
plan would not be, as he had stated, he believed it
would—to increase rather than diminish the
revenue—he boldly declared his conviction, that it would
be wisdom to impose a tax to meet the deficiency in the
revenue, should it occur, from the adoption of this plan.
To use the language of Scripture :—" There is
that scattereth and yet iacreaseth ; there is that
withholdeth more than it need, but it cometh to poverty.
Let the meeting recommend the Government at once
to act with a bold prudence—with a wise temerity—and
if there was a deficiency, to supply it.—(Cheers.) It
was a novel situation for a Chancellor of the Exchequer
to be in, to have to devise taxation—not for war
—not for the purposes of avarice or ambition—
not to spread far and wide scenes of bloodshed and dis-
order, but for the diffusion of intelligence—for the pur-
poses of knowledge and truth and social improvement.
—(Loud cheers.) It was to be hoped that this great
subject would be discussed on enlarged principles—that
it would not be tampered with for any paltry purpose of
place—(Cheers)—nor sacrificed for any paltry purpose
of opposition.—(Loud cheers.) On this national
question there could be neither Whig nor Tory, Radi-
cal nor Conservative—but all must zealously combine.—
(Cheers.) Let not party spirit enter into it—(Cheers)
it was a banquet spread for the whole nation. Let not
the harpies of discord descend upon that holy feast.—
(Loud cheers.) Let men of all creeds, all sects, all
parties in this good cause, heartily unite—(Cheers)—in
the cause of science, of education, of religion—(Cheers)
—the cause of domestic intercourse and national im-
provement. The Post-office was to all of us: open ;
to all of us, therefore, it was deeply interesting that
the Post-othe should be well and economically ma-
naged.—(Cheers.) Any Administration, whatever its
name, whatever its party, which should have foresight
enough to perceive the necessity of adopting Mr. Row-
land Hill's plan, boldness enough to grapple with its
difficulties, and wisdom enough to recommend its adop-
tion, would deserve well of their country and of man-
kind.—(Loud and long-continued cheering.) He now
begged to move—
" That the plan proposed by Mr. Rowland Hill for
establishing a uniform 'postage of one penny for each half
ounce, to be paid in aduance, through the medium of small
adhesive stamps, would, in the judgment of this Meeting,
increase the general revenue, and ultimately realize the
of
fegserenatt agmraotuifinetaotifoPnostto thisOtlie Meeting
Office receipts
that Gov
; and itisaersnumbjeenctt
have decided upon the adoption of such a plan, as well as
that all parties are agreed in acknowledging its merits.".....
(Cheers.)

Mr. T. HANKEY, in seconding the resolution said,
he felt it his duty to give all the support in his
power to a plan which he firmly believed would be
to the country at large, an incalculable benefit.
—( Hear, hear.) To all classes—agriculturists—
manufacturers merchants a cheap and ready
communication of letters must be immensely advanta-
geous, in a hundred ways which it would take long to
enumerate : in every business—to every interest—the
advantages of an easily available system of postage,
would readily suggest themselves.—( Hear. hear.)
Considering the plan of Mr. Rowland Hill efficient for
those objects, he must say that in his judgment the
question of the revenue was the last to be debated.—
( Hear, hear.) The main question was whether the
plan would be beneficial to the country at large—at the
same time he was fully satisfied that the ultimate result
would be an increase and not a diminution, of the
revenue.—(Cheers.)
A person in the body of the meeting begged to state
a simple fact, that a poor servant girl haB to pay 2s.
postage for remitting a sovereign to a sick relation.—
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.")
The LORD MAYOR said this was a good illustration
of the heavy manner in which postage pressed on the
poorer classes of the community. He had received
many letters offering suggestions in relation to the sub-
ject of the present meeting, but they merely suggested
plans for carrying the proposal into effect ; that he con-
sidered was the business of Parliament; they had merely
met to support the plan of a penny postage, not to
suggest any details as to the carrying that plan into effect.
He merely mentioned this in order that those who had
written to him on the subject might not imagine that he
had neelPetedtheir communications.

The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. TRAVERS said that the preceding resolutions
bad all relation to the importance of this plan
with respect to the general commerce of the country.
With respect to its operation on the revenue
of the country, he considered himself competent,
from his long connection with the trade of the
metropolis, to form a decided opinion on the sub-
ject, and it was his honest opinion, founded on long
observation, that the carrying out of this measure would
be of lasting benefit to commerce, it would tend to in-
crease the number of commercial transactions, and by
means of affording an earlier knowledge of the state of
the market, it would cause quantities of goods, which
would otherwise lie on hand, to be brought into the
market ; it would save goods which would otherwise pe-
rish, and increase the consumption with advantage to
the consumer, and the duties which would thus be
paid would be a great help to the revenue.—(Loud
cheers.) But there were matters of higher interest
connected with this question—matters of social
and moral consideration. He would ask whether
there was any one present who had never con-
veyed letters evasively or encouraged others to do
so ?—( Cheers.) For himself he would freely confess
that nothing gave him greater pleasdre when about to
proceed on a journey, than to be letter-carrier general
to his friends--(Cheers)—whom of course he should ask
for a return of a similar obligation.—(Cheers.) Let
them look into their own household—which of them had
never given a servant a newspaper to send to evade the
post-office ? He was in the daily habit of doing so.
They were constantly committing these petty frauds and
encouraging their children and dependants to do so, and
because they were petty they were passed over
without notice, and having encouraged fraud in this
instance, they were surprised to find them using deceit
in other matters. Free communication tended to purify
the affections, and to improve our knowledge of man-
kind ; it was of importance to the morals, to the reli-
gion, and to the security of the community ; it ce-
mented society together, and he felt that, on a subject
of this nature they ought to be superior to all sordid
considerations. The London Cammittee on this sub-
ject was composed of men of all opinions, of all parties
—and they should look to something higher than mere
party objects. He hoped the example of the City, in
this respect. would be followed. He had his suspicions
on the subject, but he hoped they would be disappointed.
He concluded by proposing a resolution to the effect that
the proposed plan would be ofgreat social and moral benefit
to the whole of the community, and that no considera-
tion of any assumed deficiency in revenue ought to opo•
rate to prevent the introduction of so important a
measure.

Mr. G. MOFFATT would merely make one remark, as
be considered the preceding speakers had nearly ex-
hausted the subject. The opponents of the measure
dwelt upon the opinions of Colonel Maberly--that is to
say the opinion of one man against a nation. The mass
of evidence was in favour of the plan, and it was scarcely
worth while to go into the evidence of the Gallant
Colonel. In the first place he doubts all the evidence,
and says he is not aware of any extensive evasion taking
place, but the evidence of Mr. G. Lewis, the inspec-
tor of mails, and of the postmasters of Margate
and Exeter, contradict this opinion. At Margate
no increase is observable in the number of letters
that pass through the office during the summer
over the winter, and the postmaster of Liver-
pool stated, that although 10,000 letters were carried
out by the steamer Sirius to America, only five passed
through the Post-office. And yet Col. Maberley was
not aware of any extensive evasion. The question was
between the little coterie of St. Martin's-le-Grand and
the whole nation. He had great pleasure in seconding
the resolution.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. COOK would not occupy the time of the meet-
ing with any speech, but merely propose a resolution
to the effect that the meeting was adverse to a Sunday
delivery of letters in the metropolis.
Mr. GASSIOT moved the fifth resolution, that peti-
tions founded upon the resolutions that had been
passed, should be presented to both Houses of Parlia-
ment. The subject bad been so fully gone into by Mr.
Dillon that it was unnecessary for him to detain the
meeting by recapitulating them.
Mr. CHRISTIE seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.

Sir M. WOOD moved a vote of thanks to the Lord
Mayor, for his kindness in granting the use of the
Egyptian Hall, and for his able and impartial conduct
in the Chair. The Hon. Baronet said that during
the long period he had had a seat in the House of
Commons he never felt greater pleasure in presenting
any petition than he should do in presenting and ad-
vocating the object of the one that had just been agreed
to. With respect to the privilege of franking, he
trusted that every Member of the House of Commons
would feel with respect to it as he did, that it should
be put an end to.--(Cheers.) Ho must confess that