The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-18 00:00:00

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LOND ON :
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1539.
----.*•

The report of the proceedings at the dinner given
to Mr. ROBERT STEPHE NSON on Saturday will
be read with interest. The name of STEPHENSON
is now associated with railroads. The father of
the engineer to whom the splendid service of plate
has been presented, pre sided over the first great
undertaking of this sort, the Liverpool and Man-
chester ; he has been engaged is the construction
of many others, and his son has the merit of having
brought to a successful conclusion the longest
line of railroad yet completed in this coun-
try—the London and Birmingham. For his
services in this great undertaking, the con-
tractors considered themselves bound to present him
with some lasting memorit' al, and it is only justice
to say that they have ma de the gift worthy of the
object. It must have been highly gratifying to the
son, and still more to the f*.ther, to have this tribute
of respect and gratitude fox private and professional
character and conduct, conferred on him by men
who have been associat ed with him for the last
eight or nine years, in cor istructing this great work,
and who could therefore appreciate well his skill, and
his judgment, as well as hiis strict impartiality to the
whole body of contractors.. It would be well if other
engineers would imitate his example, and make
allowances for imperfect :surveys and for accidents
and dangers which no hunutn foresight could predict.
Under such complicated difficulties a liberal and
considerate engineer must be an inestimable bless-
ing, and we need not therefore wonder at the en-
thusiasm with which Mr. MOUTH was cheered when
he drew the character of Mr. R. STEPHENSON in
these words :—" I know the feeling of all is that
Mr. STEPHENSON has been in every instance a
kind friend, a ready adviser, that he has always
endeavoured to enliven your prosperity and sympa.
,hise with you under difficulties and disappoint-

ments."

We publish, in another part of The Sun, two
letters taking us to task for the few words of com-
mendation we bestowed on the Treasury Minute,
relative to the reduction of postage. We willingly
publish them, that we may be fair towards all par-
ties, and at the same time take the opportunity of
defending ourselves from a censure that we have by

no means deserved.
We quite agree with Dr. Errs, that to the
people ; to Mr. ROWLAND HILL primarily ; to
the Committee of the Merchants of London ; to
Mr. ASHURST ; and to the great interest which
the people have taken in the question, we are in-
debted for all the reform yet obtained in the Post-
office. But if he and others will allow the Minis-
ters to have no share of the credit of accomplishing
it ; if the people are without them all-sufficient,
and alone worthy of all praise, then they must be
sufficient, without the -Ministers, to accomplish
every kind of reform at all times, and the corn-
plaints of the Liberals against the Ministers for
not advancing, become, on that principle, mere
querulous fault-finding, to conceal their own errors,
and their own want of decision. Dr. EPPS, how.
ever, takes a short and imperfect view of the ques-
tion, for the people could not have obtained this
reform without the help of the Ministers.
It is clear, from the Tories having divided against
the Bill in its progress through the House of
Commons, and from the language their Journals