The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-09 00:00:00

THE FOURPENNY POSTAGE.

We congratulate our readers on this first step to an
Improved system of charge c n letters, which canie into
operation on Thursday last throughout the United
Kingdom, and which, we believe we may say, notwith-
-tanding the fears of some, that the necessity for weigh-
uig letters would increase the labour and difficulty of
corking it, that no great change was ever made in that
department of the public service with so much facility
so little confusion, and with so large a diminution of
labour, at least in one of the chief operations of the
cost-office,—the counting of letters from the bags, or
rather the adding together the amount of the postages.
Instead of the necessarily tedious process of
counting various sums marked on the lev,ers,
from one penny up to Is. 4d., all that it is
now requisite to do is to count the numbers of
letters (casting aside the foreign letters for separate
estimation) as so many fourpences, and as a letter ex-
ceeding half an ounce would be easily detected in passing
it through the fingers, it is only to count it as two four-
pences, unless it be so ponderous as to exceed an ounce.
In this way the operation, which must be prior to that
of sorting, will be expedited very materially. The ope-
ration of weighing, too, is greatly facilitated by the use
,f a very simple and neat apparatus, we believe manu-
tactured for the use of the Post-offices throughout the
kingdom. It consists of three flat scales like those used
for weighing butter, being each supported by a single
rod from above. These are arranged in tiers one above
another, the lowest scale turning with the most minute
fraction above half an ounce, the next weighing
r up to an ounce, and the highest up to two ounces.
These are all weighed by means of the same fixed
weight ; but for letters or newspapers exceeding
two ounces, there are loose weights which may be used
with this machine. The clerk has only to throw the
letter into the scale, and if it descends it is subject to
he next rate of postage. This little machine is well
calculated for the use of large commercial concerns of
extensive correspondence.
We understand that, as indeed might have been
expected. there was a considerable diminution in the
',umber of letters on Wednesday last, through the
Manche ter Post-office, of course all letters not of an
urgent nature being withheld to the following day ;
out this diminution was not perceptible previously to
Wednesday, the number of letters on Monday and
Tuesday being about an average. On Thursday, we
understand, there was a considerable increase in the
number of letters sent and received by the Manchester

Post-office, as compared with the ordinary daily arerage ;
ut, of course, there would be a large accession from
he fact of the much smaller number of letters going

through the post on the preceding day, We believe
we are correct in stating, that the number of letters
passing through the Manchester post office yesterday,
was about as large as on Thursday, thus showing a
considerable increase in number over the ordinary
daily transmission under the old system. It is yet too
,00n to form any estimate of the increase of the num-
ber of letters through the Post-office, or of the amount of
revenue from the now nearly universally uniNrni charge,
is compared with the old system of charging according
to distance.--Manchester Guardian.

We are happy to learn that the latest authentic
,ccounts respecting Turkey, state that Austria, Great
Britain, Russia, and Prussia continued to be ►n perfect
accord as to the necessity of maintaining the integrity
.if the Turkish empire ; and we are confident that the
French Government, however it may have yielded for a
noinent to the interested clamour of the few individuals
vho would elevate Mehemet Ali upon the ruins of the
Ottoman empire, will, upon consideration, see that
peace in the Levant, as well as the general interests of
humanity, will be best secured by that policy to which
ill the other great European Powers have given their
cordial and resolute adhesion.—Observer.

The private letters received on Monday last from
Lisbon were full of anticipations that the Portuguese
Ministry was, if not actually dissolved, on the very eve
of dissolution. Later accounts assure us that Sabrosa
had been actually displaced, and that the Count Bomfim
bad not merely been charged by the Queen with the
formation of a new Ministry, but that be had fully suc-
ceeded in doing so. The Lisbon Mail, which will arrive
to-morrow, must gibe the full details of the Ministerial
change.—Observer.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—FATAL ACCIDENT
BY CLEANING WINDOWS.—On Saturday an inquest
was held in the board-room of University College Hos-
pital, before Thomas Wakley, Esq., M.P., on view of
the body of John Breck, aged 24, a journeyman glazier.
On Thursday last, while cleaning some windows at Mr.
Printer's, Southampton-court, Russell-square, he slipped
his hold, and fell on his head into the yard, a height of
about 35 feet. He was directly brought to this Hos-
pital, and expired in about a quarter of an hour after-
,cards. Verdict—Accidental Death.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday an elderly
female, whose name and address were unknown, was
knocked down while crossing the Minories. near Tower-
bill, by a cart belonging to Mr. Isaac Day, of Snow-
fields, the wheels of which passed over her body, and
killed her almost instantaneously. The remains now
lie at the London Hospital.

INCENDIARY FIRE.—A fire, supposed to be
the act of an incendiary, broke out at Tickford Farm,
Newport, Pagnell. on Sunday evening. About half
past six o'cica 'hat night, as a gentleman was proceed-
ing on the road to Ne,,, port, lie saw the fire burst forth,
And immediately proceeded into the town and gave the
a'arm. On reaching the spot it was found that four
or five stacks were on fire ; in the vicinity of these stood
a barn, which also speedily ignited. Every exertion
was made to stay the devouring element, but without
success ; the whole was burnt to the ground. Fortu-
nately, Mr. Price (the occupier) wa insured. The
farm on which this fire took place is not situated more
than half a mile from the spot where the incendiary fire
igroo
occurred on the previous Monday, as recorded by us
last week.—Aylesbury News.
of
the mildness
of
fF
the
eH climateECL
(Truro), we were shown a beautiful nosegay, on Friday
last, ccnsisting of roses, fuchsias, and other choice sum-
mer
flowers, which had been gathered in a garden at
Pill, the property of a gentleman of this town.— West
Briton.

Among other late odd doings in Spain, the fol-
lowing may be quoted as " unto queer" :—At Barce-
lona, according to the Moniteur Paristen, a fete was got
up not many days since, on the first exhibition of the
Daguerreotype. An immense crowd assembled in the
parts of
square, where the instrument was set up, with banners
wE
on .ep —ste°n dW up and music, and so great was the contest for the impres-
sion when taken that it was disposed of by lottery.
Mu
r, bills MURDER.—On p ;
the city, offering, by their Excellencies the Lords Jus-
tehseda my ots ntorning, at an early
prominent
hour,
Jus-
tices, and signed by Lord Morpeth, a reward of 1001.
oeidnn
for the apprehension and conviction, within six months,
of Christopher M'Donough, charged with being a prin-
cipal in the murder of Andrew Ganly, on the 22d of
September, 1837, in Halston-street. M‘Dono hug was
one of those tried at the last Commission, for the com-
bination assault against Mr. Verschoyle, and acquitted.
—Dublin Morning Register.
Finks IN THE METRotoms.--During the
last three months no fewer than 200 fires have hap-
pended in London. and attended with the loss of sixteen
lives.