The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-28 00:00:00

JOHN FORSYTH,

MR. FOX TO MR. FORSYTH.
Washington, Feb. 25, 1829.
Sir,--I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of this day's date, written in reply to a
communication which I addressed to you on the 23d
instant, upon the subject of the dispute that has ar;sen
between the Governments of New Brunswick and Maine.
With reference to that portion of your letter wh;ch
treats of the question of actual jurisdiction, pending the
negociation for the settlement of the disputed boundary,
I deeply regret to find that the Government of the
United States is now placed directly at variance with
the Government of her Majesty in its understanding of
that question.

I shall lose no time in transmitting your letter to her
Majesty's Government, in order that I may be able to
convey to you, if necessary, a full knowledge of the
views and intentions of Great Britain upon this part of
the subject. I confine myself, for the present, to pro-
testing in the most formal manner against the views set
forth in that part of your letter to which I am referring.
I adopt this course in preference to entering at once into
a detailed discussion of the matter, because, in the first
place, I shall be best able to do so after a direct com-
munication with my Government ; and, in the second
place, because I entertain the hope that an early settle-
ment of the general question of the disputed boundary
may render this subordinate point of difference of little
moment.

I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you the
assurance of my high respect and consideration.
To Hon. John Forsyth, &c., &c. H. S. FOX.

CHEAP POSTAGE.

Among the numerous party questions that distract
the country, cheap postage is a proposition that meets
support on every side save one,—the Exchequer,—and
even that has no ground for opposition. Since Mr.
Rowland Hill brought forward his plan of a penny
postage for all letters, so great was the conviction it
carried into every reflective mind, that it has received
the consideration, countenance, and support of the
Conservatives, Whigs, and Radicals.
In a country daily advancing in civilization, com-
merce, trade, manufactures, and all the arts of life,
ready means of communication become, as it were, its
life's blood,—circulating from the centre through every
part. But ready communication, though advantageous
to the wealthy, is of little use comparatively to the great
bulk of society, if the means of communication be so
dear as to place them above their reach.
In this case, a post office with all its paraphernalia,
may exist ; but nine•tenths of the population never can
avail themselves of it, whilst a very large portion even
of the wealthy will not, because they will not submit to
be taxed where a far equivalent for services ought only
to be demanded.

The postage of letters never ought to be used as a
medium of taxation. If it be, it acts as an impediment
upon every industrious movement and clogs every action
of society. Besides, it defeats its own intention. It
has been proved before a Committee of the House of
Commons that in consequence of the excess in a rate of
postage in this country, means have been adopted by
which millions of letters are conveyed through other
channels than the public post, which has thereby been
deprived of an invaluable revenue. Laws may be made
as stringent as you please ; but if unjust, particularly in
a financial point of view, be defeated, though written in
letters of blood. The public post is an establishment of
that description that as it could not be committed to
private individuals, it ought to be under the control and
management of the Government ; but Government has
no right to raise a revenue upon it. All that it is entitled
to attend to is, to see that the best possible means of com-
munication are established, and such a rate of postage
charged as will cover every probable attendant expense.
If a greater amount of postage is charged than is neces-
sary, the public will invariably set itself right by adopt-
ing some other means for the conveyance of letters than
the Government establishment.

As to Mr. Hill's plan, the mind of the public is
made up that it ought to have a fair trial. There is,
as we have already observed, but cne opposing party,
—the Exchequer ; but it has been shown, as far as
figures and just data can go, that the Exchequer, in-
stead of losing by the adoption of the plan, would be-
nefit to a very considerable extent. If this be doubted,
our reply is—make the trial.

With these views, upon this very important subject,
we are glad to hear that numerous petitions are getting
up in favour of Mr. Hill's Uniform Penny Postage.
A requisition for a public meeting in this town has been
numerously signed and presented to the High Con-
stable, who has called a meeting for Thursday next,
when we trust the inhabitants will not only come for-
ward in favour of Mr. Hill's plan, but that every firm
to which postage is an object,—and it is so, more or
less, to every one—will get up a petition, so that
Parliament may see that the whole country, for once, is
unanimous in demanding an uniform Penny Postage.--
Brigh to n Patriot.

GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

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Alamilton, Esq., President, in the Chair, amongst the
Cma athred who
died about three months ago, and who was the only
European that ever returned from Timbuctoo, the
attempt to reach which has cost the lives of so many
enterprising men. Mr. Pentland gave a very interest-
ing account of his travels in Upper Peru, which he
prefaced by reading a communication from Mr.
Bowring, who has resided for many years in that
country and Bolivia. He first described Cusco, the
capital of ancient Peru, a town containing 30,000 inha-
bitants, but of which very little is known to Europeans.
The construction of this ancient city and the whole of
the surrounding country, display many remarkable spe-
cimens of Cyclopean architecture, which display the very
great advances that must have been made in civilisation
by the ancient Peruvians. The walls of Cusco are of
porphyry, composed of blocks of 20 or 30 tons weight,
not cemented together, but most finely grooved. Many
stones of 300 to 350 tons weight, or about twice the
weight of Cleopatra s needle, are found in spots where
they must have been conveyed from a distance of at
least seven leagues, and this must have required some
extraordinary mechanical contrivance. Amongst the
diseases of the Indians, small-pox is the most prevalent
and destructive, and out of a population of 240,000 no
less than 30,000 fell victims to its ravages within three
months. It is a melancholy fact that the preva-
lence is attributable to the circumstance that the
clergy will not encourage vaccination, because a
great part of their revenue is derivable from burial
fees. Mr. Pentland next described the lake Titi-
caca, formerly held very sacred by the Peruvians,
which is six times the size of the lake of Geneva,
this remarkable inland sea being at a height of 12,900
feet in the Andes. The water is perfectly soft and fresh,
and all the peaks extending to the surface arc covered with
sepulchral monuments. One side of the lake is very rich in
agricultural produce, and the other equally so in mining in-
dustry; but there was not until lately any navigation on
it, with the exception of the common rush boat of the
natives. An enterprising Englishman, however who run
away from a dock-yard, has recently placed upon it a
schooner of seventy tons, for the purpose of communicating
betueeen,twhe
heeorpposites them hores,which he was obliged to make
piecemeal, and then carry across the Andes to the shores of
the lake,
thatple
sum
would be required. Amon his scientific observations was
noticed his discovery of fossil3o,oool.,put together. Anothercommencingregionsingenuity,theconstructionelevationofa
feet.twelvewhilstfeetprobably
remains in tertiary rocks at
an elevation of 19,400 feet, the highest, perhaps, that
had been discovered. The President announced that
the British Consul at Alexandria had communicated
that there was now an excellent opportunity for an en-
terprising English traveller to explore the White Nile.
A large Egyptian force was about to proceed, under the
Pacha or some of his superior officers, for the purpose