The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 183 g.

from the evidence of Sir EDWARD LEES, one of the
most intelligent and assiduous gentlemen belonging to
the department. From the time that the letter is put
into the box till it is handed over to the mail-guard, it
goes through the following process :

" It has first to he removed from the receiver, or letter-
box, then to be faced, then to he stamped, then to be sorted
up for the various districts into which the kingdom may be
divided ; then to be taxed, then to be thrown forward into
its own particular division, then to be re-taken from thence
and the bulk of the letters brought into one sum total in point
of postage, and the amount transferred to one particular
kind of slip to be furl-lI:AKA the day following to the Ac-
comptant-General to make out his account to the Deputy
Post-master, &c. The letter has then to be taken from
the box, placed in the mail-hag, which is then tied and
sealed, and handed over to tic guard."
Most of these operations would be saved by Mr.
HILL'S plan. The letters would have to be sorted
only for the places to which they are to go, and letters
of doubtful weight might have to be weighed, which
would be done by a mechanical contrivance in the
process of sorting. Perhaps, too, as suggested by
Sir EDWARD LEES, dimensions might be substituted
for weight ; paper might be stamped of certain size, and
the legal size, which would be easier ascertained than
the weight, might be allowed to carry any burden.
It seems probable, too, that the sorting might be re-
duced to one operation by a multiplication of the
boxes into which letters are now put. There are
separate boxes for Foreign letters, for Inland letters,
and for newspapers ; and we might have boxes for
the letters to Scotland, letters to Ireland, letters to the
West of England, &c. &c , put up in St. Martin's
and at Charing-cross, so that the public on bringing
their letters might at once post them for the various
districts into which they are to go. Of the present
system, and the adva:ltages of the one proposed, Mr.
ASHURST says—

"Tirst there are the acccuntS to be settled with the re-
ceivers (seventy-one in numher) for the post-paid letters ;
then there is to tax the letters which, without counting
franks, are frequently as many as 4,000, and every one of
which it is said (by the Revenue Commissioners' 10th Re-
port) is examined with a candle to see whether it is single
or double ; then the proper postage is to be determined
and marked on the letter with a pen and ink ; and, lastly,
nearly 700 accounts of postage are to be made out against
as many post-masters.

"Under the proposed plan there would be no letters to be
taxed ; no examination of those taxed by others ; no
accounts to be made out ,g..-tinst the deputy-postmasters
for letters transmitted to them, nor against the letter-
carriers.

" There would be no candle scrutiny to tempt poverty or
excite cupidity ; no :rant of ellecks ; no necessity to sub-
mit to frauds and numl)eriess errors from want bf means
to prevent and correct them. In short, the whole of the
financial proceedings would be reduced to a simple, accu-
rate, and satisfactory account, consisting of a single item
per day with each receiver and each deputy-postmaster."
All these advantages would be obtained, in ad-
dition to allowing the poor to correspond, making
writing of some use to them, to facilitating business to
an inconceivable extent, and in addition to promoting
the diffusion of knowledge and the discoveries of
science. But whether the Government consent to
adopt this simple and ingenious plan or not, something
must be done, for such a mass of grievances as are in-
volved in the present Post-office regulations cannot
remain unredressed.

" A change," says Mr. Ashurst, " must come, and must
come quickly, or the whoht inland postage will be as quiet:l:l-
-and effectively taken from the Post-office
,as tL...,-, mass of
correspondence outwards by ship-lets.:4s has been. Is it
wise to allow the people to (-: on thus repealing the laws,
and leaving to Puha
!::,ent only the ungracious task of re-
pealing them 1:.; corm, and that because they cannot enforce
them

The advantages to be obtained in the delivery of
the letters by Mr. HILL'S plan are as great as those
on receiving them, and we shall advert to them to-

morrow.

If the statement relative to the New Police, made
before the LORD MAYOR, yesterday, by Mr. PEW.-
TRESS, be correct, it certainly evinces an oversight, or
rather negligence on the part of the Commissioners,
not at all in keeping with the excellent general ar-
rangements made by these officers. Mr. PEWTRESS
stated it did not appear the police-constables had
received any instructions whatever relative to
the treatment of beggars in the streets ; that
all they had to do was to drive those in a state of
destitution from one beat to another, and that none of
the men to whom he had spoken knew either the names
or addresses of the relieving officers in the district.
Now one great duty of the police ought to be not
merely to remove vagrants, but to make a distinction be-
tween those who are really destitute, and that idle worth-
less class ready to beg or steal, in order that the guilty
may be punished, and the necessitous poor may have
the relief expressly provided for them by the New
Poor-law. But, according to the present practice,
neither of these objects is effected. The LORD
MAYOR has properly adopted another system, and
given directions that none shall be brought before
the City Magistrates till they have refused to
apply for food in the proper quarter, or have
been refused temporary relief by the Guardians.
No regulation can be more simple or effective ; and if
the Police Commissioners, with the concurrence of the
Stipendiary Magistrates, were to follow up the plan,
we should neither hear of starving beggars nor of idle
vagrants in the streets. The Magistrates have ample
powers to punish.the one class and relieve the other.
It is gratifying to find that the Chief Magistrate is
directing his attention to a subject which--considering
the high price of provisions and coals, the season of
the year, and the vast numbers in Spitalfields almost
on the brink of starvation—must, in a very few weeks,
become one of painful interest to every friend of the
poor. The City authorities cannot lower the price of
corn, but they have the means of lowering the price of
coals ; and what with the exertions of Mr. PEW-
TRESS and Mr.BRADFIELD, and the favourable dis-
position of the LORD MAYOR, we confidently trust
that provision will be made for all those who are real
cbjects of distress.

The Chamber of Commerce of Manchester has re-
quested its President, G. W. WOOD, Esq., M.P.,
to call a special general meeting of that body to
consider of the propriety of petitioning Parliament for
the repeal of the existing Corn-laws. The President
has appointed the meeting for the 13th of the next
month. Such an example will, we hope, be followed ;
and if the gentlemen who have formed themselves into
a Committee in the metropolis, to procure the aboli-
tion of the Corn-laws, do riot soon show some signs of
life, the world will reglrd them as not in existence.
Whether they move or not, the different boroughs
into which the metropolis is now divided, ought to
express an opinion on the subject. Why does
Lambeth sleep ? Why is Finsbury quiescent?
Why is Westminster as one of the dead ? All, their
inhabitants are deeply interested in the price of corn,
and ought not to allow themselves to be pinched or
starved by the landlords.

The following paragta )11 IA li. h we copy from the
Quebec Mercury of the 118tI ult.,ic. escaped our notice
Of its importance,yesterday.willi binestaneynabalneythpeopinutbloief
view, the progress of event
to
Aj udpgaeracgorrarpehe:l
Contain' g
GaLre port of some observations
vral to the delegates from
addressed by the Governor-General
hoifs
threeplyprtoovinthnieailr
andthe lower provinces aft?r "rea:
ad-
dress, has been going the ro'ulnng
American papers. We are
His
authorised to state that it is
nor.liand ; i
he
dep was he under theutatio❑ for their
incorrect in, many particulars.
Excellency used no
n His
snch expressions as are imputed to him with regard to the
conduct of his D'iends in E, ng
influence of any such t:rno:on; c. are described,
Ex-
cellency felt very gr..?.tJu 1
warm and friendly address, and, we doubt not, evinced
that feeling by his manner previous to delivering •
his re-

ply. His short speech subsequently delivered, neither
called for nor produced any particular expression of feel-
ing- b yond that earnestness which naturally pervaded the
tone of what he said.

The Paris Journals of Tuesday pass in review the
great questions which are likely to occupy the atten-
tion of the Chambers during the approaching Ses-
sion ; but though they agree that the Govern-
ment will be greatly embarrassed, they do not
undertake to assert that Ministers will be driven
to adopt more than slight modifications of the exist-
ing administrative system. The Journal des Debuts
regards the Eastern question as of more importance
to the peace of the world than all the others put toge-
ther—the issue of the civil war in the Peninsula not
excepted. " Never, perhaps," says that influential
Journal, " did the complication of events in the East
so completely menace the repose of the world. The
two Powers which appear to be insensibly drawing
towards each other to meet on this field of battle daily
approach nearer, and their advanced guards are now on-
the point of meeting. A change, a revolution, let us
avow it, is at this moment being accomplished in
oriental politics. By her recent treaty of commerce
with the Porte, England has in reality effaced and
annulled the famous treaty of Unkiar 'Skelessi, the
chef dceuvre of Russian diplomacy. By a second
treaty with Austria, Great Britain has advanced her
position to the very shores of the Black Sea. Diplo-
matically speaking, she has recovered all the positions
that Russia has so laboriously conquered during the
long pacific struggle that has passed." This is
precisely the language of an article which appeared
in The Sun of Monday last on this very
question. By one straightforward movement England
has regained all the ground which she had lost in the
Eat, during the last nine years. To remain where
we are is what Russia cannot tolerate without abandon-
ing the principle upon which the whole system of her
Government is based ; and to truckle again to the am-
bition of the CZAR, is a crime for which a
British Minister can never after this hope for
forgiveness at the hands of a British Parliament.
We therefore adopt at once the conclusion of the
Debats. A revolution in Oriental politics is, indeed,
inevitable.

The case of the young man shot dead in a state of
intoxication, while stopping at the railing of the
Tuileries, on Wednesday night, by one of the sen-
tinels, is the subject of severe comment in several
of the Opposition-Journals. The KING, however, has
done much to allay the ferment, by granting a pension
to the father of the deceased, who is in very indigent
circumstances.

A summary of the domestic intelligence contained
in the Paris Papers, will be found under the proper
head in another part of The Sun.

Intelligence from Madrid to the evening of the 13th
instant, has been received this morning. It was then
reported that the Government had fixed the following
day for revoking the Royal Decree declaring the
capital in a state of siege, with a view to escape the
consequences of -an inquiry into the necessity of such a
stretch of power by the Cortes. A Royal Decree
commanded the dissolution of the " Reprisals" Juntas.

We learn from a Correspondent at Brussels, that
an Address to the Hanoverians has been circulated in
the German Papers, to the following effect :
Germans of Hanover,--You have negociated with per-
jury too long—too long you have looked to the Diet for
aid. The free man helps himself. Germany and Europe
may misinterpret your delay, and you should prove at once
that you are worthy of freedom. A paper Constitution,
which a tyrant may tear, is not the guarantee of liberty :
it is the determination of a people to break on the head of
their oppressor the chains which he would impose on them.
Enough of words. Now come to action. Hanove-
rians, refuse to pay the taxes not imposed by the na-
tional representatives, and support your refusal, if
necessary, with arms. You will not be alone in
the holy contest—your neighbours will come powerfully
to your aid. The Cattes, always brave, the men of-Hol-
stein and Schleswick, whose warlike propensities are attested
by twenty centuries ; the Ditmarchers, who have never
been serfs ; the Danes, the descendants of heroes ; the
Notthmen, among whom more than one Sigurd burns to
measure himself with despotism,—will all hasten to share
your glories, and enable you to conquer. England will not
be indifferent to your fate. A Prince whose whole life has
been devoted to the defence of liberty will accept the
Crown you will offer him, and adopt the constitutional law
of Electoral Hesse, the only one worthy of a people of
high civilization like you.
Prepare Hanoverians for the battle. Men of the Hartz,
and of the sacred country ( Hildesheim) where the free
German worshipped his own gods, the emblems and pro.
tectors of liberty ; unconquered Friezlanders, who have
successfully struggled against slavery for ages, descendants
of the conquerors of the Romans, war to the death
against despotism—the tomb of which is the altar
of liberty ! Slavery is not a German word ; the slave
is unhappy on earth, and has no abode in heaven, the God
of which is the God of liberty. Rally round the banner
of freedom ! Long live Germany ! Long live German
liberty—rational liberty, the parent of order and modera-
tion after victory! Long live Augustus Frederick ! Shame
and disgrace to the cunning despot who oppresses Hanover;
shame and disgrace to those who tolerate his degrading
dominion !

If such a proclamation have been issued, with any
hope of rousing the Hanoverians into action, we may
safely say that it will be labour thrown away.

h Rainbow,G ener ala
rri Steamve d
from Navigation Antwerp
Company's
at
x oelomorning, hawing made the passage in 18 hours, although
the strong head-winds and thick weather she encountered
sisetkeat; steam-
ship,
materially impeded her speed. The Belgian boat that
sailed one hour before the Rainbow had not arrived some
hours after. On the outward passage the Rainbow ar-
rived at Antwerp three hours before the Belgian steamer,
although the latter sailed from London one hoer before her.
THE SONIFERON.—This curious instrument is a
powerful hearing trumpet, so constructed as to stand upon
a table and receive the voices of persons in the room, which
it magnifies to an extraordinary degree. The power of
the instrument is thus described by Dr. Scott, the inventor.
" I placed the Soniferon at the end of a room, 60 feet in
length, at the other extremity of which two persons were
in low conversation. As long as I continued to hold the
tube to my ear I could hear every word they said to each
other, but the moment I removed it I was only sensible of
a murmur of voices without distinguishing a syllable." To
an experimenter not deaf, the effects of the instrument
are by no means comfortable, as every word falls with the
force of a blacksmith's hammer ; and, in addition thereto,
it makes the ear ring with noises that no other person
perceives. These qualities, however disagreeable to an in-
div'dual whose hearing is unimpaired, are great recommen-
dations to the deaf, and the instrument will doubtless be
found extremely useful to those whose malady is too severe
to be assisted by common means.

At an early hour yesterday morning the following
melancholy and fatal occurrence took place at New Brent-
ford :—On the previous evening a barge, laden with
gravel, belonging to Dr. Hume, of Hanwell, arrived in the
Junction Canal, and was moored for the night off the bot-
tom of the Catherine Wheel-yard, in that town. On board
were Lewis Tellier, the captain, and Silvester Moles, a lad
about sixteen years of age, both of whom at an early hour
retired to rest in the cabin of the barge. Shortly after four
o'clock yesterday morning the captain was awakened by the
water bursting into the cabin, and nearly suffocating him,
and on his going upon deck lie found that the barge had
been moored so tightly to the shore as to prevent her rising
with the advancing tide. Being sensible of the danger of
his situation, he rushed into the cabin to rescue his compa-
nion, but the water had already risen to such a height as
to prevent his doing so, aad he had the greatest difficulty
in saving his own life. About six o'clock the body of
Moles was recovered and removed to the Catherine Wheel,
where it awaits a Coroner's inquest.

ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET, MONDAY,
Nov. 19.—There is no abatement in the demand for
coarse flannels to-day, and the prices have been equal to
those of last week. Fine goods have, for some weeks back,
been very little inquired after. There has been a fair bu-
siness doing in wool, at steady prices.
THE CHEVET TUNNEL ON THE NORTH MID-
LAND RAILWAY, NEAR WAKEFIELD.—This stupendous
undertaking, the work of many months, is at length opened,
we understand, at both ends. It is about three quarters
of a mile in length, and in some places nearly thirty yards
under ground. The line in the neighbourhood is fast pro-
gressing, as well as the viaduct over the Barnsley Canal,
which will be a gigantic specimen of art.—Leeds Mercury.

LLOYDS sutIPPING.—(THIS DAY.)

DEAL. Nov. 21. —Wind E. S. E., blowing strong and thick
weather.—Came down from the River and sailed, the Royal
Saxon, Towns, for Sydney ; Duke of Bronti, Harris, for
Jamaica ; Matilda Luckie, Munro, for Berbice ; Ariel, Strick-
land, for the Mauritius ; Chase, Austen, for Bourdeaux ; and
Baltic, Ditchrnan, for Liverpool. The Danish schooner
Rosina, Captain Shade, from Hamburg to Jersey, laden with
wheat, got on shore on the Goodwin Sands early this morning,
and has become a wreck—crew saved and landed here.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 21. —Wind E. S. E., blows hard, fine.
FALMOUTH, Nov. 20. —Wind E. to E. S. E., fresh breezes.
—Arrived the Eliza, Wall, from Barletta; Hebe, Clements,
from S vide. Sailed the Happy Return, Christian, for St.
Michael's. Her Majesty's steamer Meteor, on a cruize. Put
back the Marshal, Marshall, for Ostend. Mem. :—The ship
Larkins was surveyed this morning, and immediately com-
menced discharging her cargo. Two lighter loads have been
taken out. Notwithstanding four pumps are kept going, the
water in the hold has not lessened ; she has been in conse-
quence run on the ground above Greenbank and Flushing
Quays.
LIVERPOOL, Nov. 21.—Wind E. S. E., ;fresh —No arrivals.
Sailed the Victoria, Alexander, for Alexandria ; Charlotte,
Fisher, for Baltimore ; Gulnare, Williams, for Penang ; Alpha,
Turner, for Monte Video ; Jessie Logan, Major, for Charles-
ton ; Irlam, Braithwaite, for ISarbadoes.
DARTMOUTH, Nov. 21.—Arrived the Brunswick, Courtney,
from Gijon.
WATERFORD, Nov. 19. Arrived the Fame, Shagan, London.
Hum., Nov. 20.—Arrived the Consort, Armstrong, from
Hamburgh ; Williams, Cook, from ditto ; Express, Laycock,
from St. Petersburgh ; Halcyon, Shepherd, from ditto ; Ge-
sine, Cousins, from Konigsberg.
HUMBER, Nov. 20.—Arrived the Red Rover, Davey, from
Ha -nburgh.
DOVER, Nov. 21.—The Carolus, Holm, from Hamburgh to
Nantes, is on shore at Dungeness.
MILFORD, Nov. 21. —The Lord Ebrington, Day, of Swan-
sea, having sprung a leak, was abandoned at sea.
Hattwicti, Nov. 21 —The Alsa Craig steamer, from Lon-
don to Yarmouth, put into this harbour, and reports having
seen a brig, with topmasts out of water, on the Middlesand
this morning. The Louisa, Linguesteo, from Hamburg to
St. Ulxa's, was assisted into this harbour, having been entangled
between the sands off this port.
SOUTHWOLD, Nor. 21 —A binnacle box, branded " Ruby,"
also a quarter-board, marked " Ann," have been picked up on
the beach.

NEWPORT, Nov. 21.—The Bolivar, Harper, which arrived
here on the 13th inst., from Quebec, in swinging on the flood,
caught the bank, and strained so much that she has 12 feet
water in the hold.

DARTMOUTH, Nov. 19.—An iron-bound puncheon, marked
" B 210—Anne," near the bung, full of palm oil, was picked
up between Scilly and the Land's End, by the Susan, Down-
ing, bound from Labradore to this port.
Huta., Nov. 21.—The Tourist (steamer), from Leith to
London, put into the Hawk, 19th instant, and remains. The
Malta, Bainbridge, from Shields to London, has put in, with
bowsprit, knigbtheads, &c. brolm and damaged. The
Halcyon, Shepherd, from St. Petersburgh, in taking the her-
bGur this morning, caught the edge of the bank, and will, it is
feared, lay badly.
YARMOUTH, Nov. 19.—The Mary, Powsgate, from Stock-
ton, arrived here with loss of anchors, bound to Margete.
MEVAGISSY, Nov. 20.—Several pieces of wreck have been
washed on shore to-day, and there can be nu doubt but that
some vessel has been lost: from the remnants, it would seem
that she was built of beech and fir ; the greater part has the
appeaiance of being new. It is said that some oats and parts
of butter-casks have been washed on shore. The name of
John Cox is on the inside of part of a stern of a boat, which
must have been carvel built : this is the only indication at pre-
sent obtained to designate the vessel.
RAMSGATE, Nov. 21._-The Two Brothers, Dc Juy, ar-
rived here from Stockton for Rotterdam, leaky.

The Britons' Queen, Newton, arrived in the Creek, spoke
the Donegal, Swansea, to Malta, 4th inst., 30 E. S. of Lisbon,
and Prima Donna, same day, off the Buriings
The William Lees, Elstole, from Sunderland, was assisted
into Ramsgate, leaky, having been on shore.; bound to Rot-
terdam.