The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-23 00:00:00

e tirL

WITH WHICH
THE " TRUE SUN " IS NOW

INCORPORATED.

LONDON:
FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 1838.

The news received this morning from the East is
highly important. According to three letters from
Constantinople, all dated the 31st ult, a Cabinet
messenger had reached the British Embassy two days
previously, with dispatches from Mr. M'NEIL, our
Ambassador in Persia, announcing that the SHAH
had raised the siege of Herat, and to remove
all doubt of his MAJESTY'S good faith, was
then, with his whole army, at a distance of
fifty-two miles from that city, on his return to
Teheran. According to one statement, our Ambassa-
dor finding the SHAH inclined to listen to the over-
tures made him by the agents of Russia, who backed
offers of substantial assistance by representing to him
that it would disgrace his MAJESTY in the eyes of his
subjects, no less than in those of their Imperial Mas-
ter, to raise the siege at the instance of a British
Envoy, ordered Colonel STODDART to state dis-
tinctly that the British authorities in India, had
actually authorized the march of 30,000 Bri-
tish troops, for the relief of the city, and that
in the event of the siege not being raised in the time
specified, an intimation to that effect would be given
to the besieged to encourage them to hold out. Other
circumstances concurred to give powerful effect to the
representations of the British Ambassador. We yes-
terday saw a letter from a British Officer at Teheran,
dated the 27th of September, who stated that
a deserter from the Herattees offered to betray
the city to the SHAH on conditions which were at
once accepted. In the middle of the night, conducted
by their guide, a body of Persians entered the city,
and had advanced a good way before they discovered
that the gate had been closed and their retreat cut off.
Hemmed in on all sides they were butchered without
mercy, to the number of 1,000 men and '72 officers.
The success of this stratagem, and the sight of the
heads of their companions in arms, made a strong
impression upon the Persians, previously disheartened
by the report of the landing of a British army at Bu-
shire.

Two of the letters from Constantinople attach
no credit to the report of the insurrection of the
Georgiaos, and the massacre of 6,000 Russians,
mentioned it► the correspondence from Turkey, which
will be found elsewhere in our columns. We have,
however, reason to believe that this report is well
founded, though, as regards the number of the slain,
somewhat exagerated.
It is with pleasure we learn from these letters, that
France has signed the Commercial Treaty between
England and the Porte, and that Austria has signified
her willingness to adopt it, by way of protection to her
subjects against the sinister designs of Russia. What
now becomes of the boasted German Commercial

League ?

As the labours of the Committee appointed by the
House of Commons, on the important question of the
Reduction of Postage, seem likely to occupy a con-
siderable share of the public attention, a short account
of the appointment of that Committee and its proceed-
ings may not be uninteresting.
During the early part of the last Session, in conse-
quence of the general uneasiness that was beginning
to be felt, on account of the enormously high rates of
postage, and of the anxiety which Mr. RowLAND
HILL'S valuable pamphlet had spread upon the sub-
ject, the House of Commons, on the motion of Mr.
R. WALLACE, the Member for Greenock, appointed
a Committee

" To inquire into the present rates and mode of
charging postage, with a view to such a reduction thereof
as may be made without injury to the Revenue ; and for
this purpose to examine specially into the mode recom-
mended for charginc, and collecting postage, in a pamphlet
published by Mr. Rowland Hill."

The Members were Mr. Wallace (Chairman), Mr.
Poulett Thomson, Lord Viscount Lowther, Lord
Seymour, Mr. Warburton, Sir Thomas Fremantle,
Mr. Raikes Currie, Mr. Morgan John O'Connell,
Mr. Thornely, Mr. Chalmers, Mr. Pease, Mr,
Mabony, Mr. Parker (Sheffield), Mr. George
William Wood, and Mr. Villiers.

That Committee commenced its sittings in Febru-
ary, and proceeded regularly during the whole of the
Session, sitting three days a-week, and usually four
hours per day, taking evidence.
In consequence of the conviction that was enter-
tained of the great body of evidence that could be
given, if it were properly collected and methodized, a
Committee of Merchants of London, appointed a So-
licitor to collect that evidence, and to produce it to the
Parliamentary Committee. Amongst the members of
the Mercantile Committee, there are members of firms
who expend 1,000/. and 2,000/. a year in postage.
Such men of course, from the extent of their corre-
spondence, had the means of judging of the injurious
effects of high rates of postage upon trade and com-
merce ; and feeling satisfied that the evidence only
needed to be collected, their Solicitor was instructed to
apply to the Parliamentary Committee, for permission
to produce and examine witnesses.
The Parliamentary Committee at first refused, but
they ultimately permitted the Solicitor to produce his
witnesses, attend in the room, and hear them examined,
and the Chairman having permitted him to hand up a
list of such questions as he desired to have put to the
witnesses, a great portion of the two volumes of evi-
dence, which have been published, has been the result.
Many officers from the Post-office were also called, by
the Parliamentary Committee before them to give
evidence.

We believe it was not at first anticipated by the
Parliamentary Committee, that evidence to the extent

to which it was produced before them, could be brought
together. After a few witnesses had been examined,
and the character of the evidence which the industry
of the Merchants had prepared was perceived, it ap-
pears by the Report that the Parliamentary Committee
required, through their Chairman, to be informed of
the further evidence it was intended by the Mercantile
Committee to offer, and the following letter addressed
to the Chairman of the Committee, appears in the
Appendix :

LETTER FROM W. H. ASHURST, ESQ., TO R. WALLACE, ESQ., M.P.,

(CHAIRSIAN.)
. _ _

Office of the Mercantile Committee on Postage,
6, Freeman's-court, Cornhill, March 28, 1838.

SIR,—In answer to your inquiry as to the further evi-
dence I intend to offer, I beg respectfully to state to the
Committee, that, as agent for the London Mercantile Com-
mittee, I propose to produce, in addition to the witnesses
I have already produced, witnesses from nearly every other
branch of trade and commerce not already examined, to
show that there is hardly any branch of trade in which the
proposed reduction of postage to one penny will not pro-
duce so considerable an increase in the number of letters
through the Post-office, that all fear of diminution in the
revenue may be safely dismissed.
I should call auctioneers ; official assignees ; brokers and
agents in most of the leading trades ; persons from the
Corn-market ; persons from the Coal-exchange ; iron.
mongers ; grocers ; hardware-men ; medicine venders ;
architects ; engineers ; medical men ; officers of religious
societies ; officers of educational societies; officers of sta-
tistical and scientific associations ; foreign merchants ; offi-
eers from insurance and joint-stock companies ; officers of
poor-law unions ; foreign wine merchants, the extent of
whose communications by circulars through the Post-office
with reference to the vintages would be very large ; war-
fingers ; carriers ; manufacturers. _ .

I have already communications from Edinburgh, Glas-
gow, Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds,
Dublin, Sheffield, of a very important character on this
subject.

I propose also to show by other evidence the extent of
the suppressive effect of the present rates upon all persons
in trade, in inducing them to abstain from communica-
tions it is desirable for the regularity of their business to
make, and that they would make them through the Post-
office at a very low postage.
I propose to produce much further evidence to show
the extent of the evasion of postage.
I shall also produce evidence to show the suppression of
an immense quantity of domestic correspondence amongst
all classes of society, who cannot obtain the advantage of
franks or other very cheap modes of conveyance.
The close application of the Committee, and the regu-
larity with which they have hitherto given three days in
the week to the investigation ; the necessity I have been
under of devoting the whole of the intermediate days in
getting up and preparing for the succeding day's business
before the Committee, has prevented my correspondence to
the extent necessary with the cities and towns I have men-
tioned and the country generally ; but during the recess,
I shall do this, and be thereby enabled to economise the
time of the Committee, and the money of the public, by
prev;ously ascertaining the competency of the witnesses to
be called to give material evidence.
Communications are being made to the Londor. Mer-
cantile Committee in such numbers that the conviction is
every day increasing that the extent of the suppression of
letters and the strength and generality of the habit of
evading postage has not been by any persons believed to
exist to the extant to which in fact it now appears that it
does exist.
An important public meeting has recently been held in
Manchester to petition Parliament on this subject, and a
Committee appointed there to get up evidence, and to com-
municate with the London Mercantile Committee.

•
I am, of course, in the hands of your Committee, and
am prepared with evidence to go on, but I respectfully sub-
mit that I should probably best aid the purposes of the
Committee if I am granted time to see witnesses in the
various branches of which I have spoken, and to arrange
and limit the evidence.
I have no doubt I could then shorten the evidence mate-
rially; for such is the anxiety of witnesses to give evidence
now, that in the brief interviews I have with them I have
not time to satisfy them that the facts they are all desirous
to state fully need now only be glanced at.
If the Committee will permit me, I shall take the liberty
of showing them the bulk of letters which I have received
during the short t;me the London Mercantile Committee
have instructed me to act in this matter.

If the Committee think fit to intimate any wish to me,
I shall most readily and respectfully attend to it, for the
Mercantile Committee are desirous to save expense in this
investigation, and anxious to secure the revenue.

I have, &c.
(Signed) W. H. ASHURST,
Agent for the Mercantile Committee on Postage

At this time witnesses from one or two branches of
trade had been examined ; but in consequence of the
extent to which it appeared likely that the evidence
would extend, and the conviction, then beginning to
be felt, that the evidence was likely to sustain the
case, and the Parliamentary Committee desiring to
hear witnesses from as many district branches of trade
as they could, they desired that the solicitor would, so
far as he could, confine himself to producing one wit-
ness upon each head of evidence which he intended
to open.

This request of the Parliamentary Committee was
attended to; and it ultimately ended in the conviction
that there was no necessity to call more witnesses ;
that those who had been examined were sufficient ;
and that the case sought to be proved had been esta-
blished. It is understood the Committee has re-
ported, though the Report is not yet published, that a
penny postage ought to be established, as soon as the
revenue will admit of a reduction ; and that a reduc-
tion ought to be immediately made on all inland letters
weighing half an ounce, to twopence. It is sup-
posed by some that it would take two years, if the
reduction were made to one penny, to bring the rece-
nue up to its present amount. In addition to the
portion of the evidence which we have already printed,
there is an immense mass of testimony brought to bear
upon the subject, and tendered to the Committee, to
which we shall, from time to time, draw the public at-
tention.

The result seems likely to associate the name of
ROWLAND HILL with one of the most important
administrative reforms and national benefits that can
be opened to a society in an advanced state of civiliza-
tion. The Mercantile Committee, who have taken
this matter up, and produced so satisfactory a case, are
also entitled to the gratitude of the country, for their
exertions ; and we trust they will not relax those exer-
tions until this great and important measure is carried.

The LORD MAYOR, from his seat on the Justice
Bench, stated the other day that he knew " tricks"
were practiced in the Coal-trade, and a " most inju-
rious combination" existed against the inhabitants of
the metropolis. Mr. GALLOWAY, yesterday, in the
Common Council, used language still stronger, and
affirmed from his own knowledge, that an " extensive
conspiracy existed against the public interest ;" and
Mr. BRADFIELD for the last ten years has been
using his " boring power" to convince the civic
authorities that not only a conspiracy exists, but
actual robbery is committed, and further, that the
public pay Hs. a ton for coals more than they
ought to pay ; yet the conspiracy is defended or denied,
and the evil goes on, and in all probability will go on
till the whole system of municipal government is radi-
cally changed. The LORD MAYOR and Mr. GAL-
LOWAY, no doubt, would willingly destroy the conspi-
racy at once, if they had the power, but the abuse has
become so inveterate, so many men who are called re-
spectable are interested in robbing the public, and the
public themselves place such blind confidence in those
they have elected into office, that ordinary courage
and ordinary perseverance are only wasted in the
I attempt to obtain redress. No public body re-
forms itself. The pressure from without is the
clonally
bestirreal retfhoermmseerlves
,and till the citizens of Lon-
, or the Government under-
take the invidious task of removing abuses which
the City functionaries call vested rights and ancient
privileges, the robbery of the many for the sake of the
few will continue to triumph. A new system of
police is now in agitation, and why ? Not because
the City
authorities desired it, but hecaustkeLinogrd
out of
J
RUSSELL announced his intention of a
their hands power which they only made subset.-

vient to their own selfish purposes. They have had
ten years to consider the subject, and they would have
considered it for ten years more but for this useful hint
of the Home Secretary. AU the boroughs throughout
Great Britain have been reformed, except the Metro-
politan Borough. The reform of Babylon the Great
was left for the consideration of the City functionaries;
they have now been considering that subject also for a
period of years, and will continue to consider it, or, in
their own words, to use their " most strenuous exer-
tions to rake it a model for all other Corporations,"
with littlt benefit to the public, unless the City Re-
form Association, or the Government, compel them to
begin the work in earnest. But it is too much to
expect that men having an interest in abuse will era-
dicate the evil. It will be seen from the Report,
that Mr. BRADFIELD'S petition was referred to the
Coal Committee, and we may just as well expect that
the City will reform itself, as that this Committee will
take any steps to remove the grievance.

The Dissenters propose, we see, to form a General
Union for the Promotion of Religious Equality; and the
proposal is already assailed by the organs of the Church
as an attack on its rights and privileges. They ac-
knowledge, therefore, that the Church is an op.
pressor, and cannot thrive unless it be by the oppres-
sion of other sects. The suddeness and fierceness of
the assault must serve to convince the Dissenters that
their plan is well formed, and must encourage them to
persevere. In another part of our Paper that plan is
inserted, and we are inclined to think with the Patriot:
that many of the clergy of the Church of England will
be induced to join the Dissenters. They want re-
ligious equality, and want protection against the arro-
gance of their diocesians as much as the Dissenters.
In the whole circle of priestly domination nothing more
offensive is to be found than the Bishop of EXETER'S
treatment of Mr. HEAD ; and, according to the Pa-
triot, the Hon. and Rev: BAPTIST NOEL has now
been treated almost as ungracionsly by the Bishop of
LONDON. The Prelates seem desirous to convince
their clergy, as the great body of the people have long
been convinced, that it will go well neither with religion
nor morality till there is religious equality amongst the
parsons as well as amongst the sects.

The Times is like the man mentioned in the Gospel,
of whom the evil spirits, after being once driven out,
again took possession, and of whom the last days
were worse than the first. About a week ago, under
the influence of some sudden impulse of generosity
and justice, at which it is to-day more surprised than
even the public was at the moment, it paid Lord PA L-
ME RSTON indirectly some fine compliments—spoke of
the commercial treaties concluded with Austria and
Turkey as " prudent and efficient measures of defence
and precaution, adopted under difficuties of no com-
mon sort ; and, well managed, though in a spirit of
perfect peace, and equity, and honour, may quash a
projected invasion of Turkey without spilling a drop
of blood." It then referred to the approbation fairly
earned by the Minister (Lord PALMERSTON), " to
whom we are indebted for them." To-day it seems,
overflowing with rage that it should ever for one
moment have forgotten itself so far as to be decently,
just and candid, and under the real or pretended inspi-
ration of " a Levant Merchant" attacks Lord PA L ER-
STON and Lord PONSONBY in the true wild-beast
style of the Times. It has now found out that these
Noblemen had nothing to do with one of those treaties,
but to endeavour to suppress it, and will, no doubt,
speedily bring forward evidence that the other has
been forced on them by Prince METTERNICH and
Mr. M‘GREGOR, their own agent, as this was forced
on them in despite of themselves, by a former Secretary,
Mr. URQUHART (DAOUD BET), and REDCHID
PACHA. Lord PONSONBY is, according to the
Times, a faineant, and semi-traitor, while Lord PAL-
M ERSTON is worse ; and the Times hates itself for
ever having said a word of him not characteristic of the
most despicable qualities of man. We are afraid that
we may have been instrumental in causing this sudden
relapse from a momentary sanity, by pointing out on
Monday what the Times was aiming at by its praise
and its exhortations. Being now convinced, however,
that it cannot take to itself the credit of having
brought Russia to its senses ; that the world is not
likely to believe that its thunder induced the SHAH
of Persia to retire from Herat, the Circassians to de-
feat the Russians, or the SULTAN to sign the treaty,
it is resolved that the Ministers shall have no credit,
and it depreciates to-day the Nobleman it lauded on
yesterday week, as if he, instead of the Duke of WEL-
LINGTON, had sacrificed Turkey. The circumstance on
which the Times dwells as a proof of Lord PALMER-
STON'S bad behaviour, the return of ,Sir R. STOP-
FORD to Malta, we regard as the certain sign of Lord
PALMERSTON'S complete success ; because Sir RO-
BERT would certainly not return, unless all parties
were fully assured that Russia means to respect the
independence of Turkey. We give the article from
our Contemporary which has suggested these few
words, in order that our readers may compare it with
the articles we copied from the same Journal on last
Monday and yesterday week.

The address to the Working Classes, by a working
man, on the subject of the Corn-laws, and their effect
o
on wages will, we hope, be read by all those to whom
it is addressed. It is a very convincing paper, and
should satify every person except the Landlords and
the Tithe Lords. The address has been published by
the Anti-Corn-law Association at Manchester for dis-
tribution, and is written, we understand, by an old
hand-loom weaver of Glasgow. It has all the shrewd-
ness and cleverness of a Glasgow workman. If the
Metropolitan Anti-Corn-law Association do not bestir
itself, it will find the field of usefulness completely occu-
pied, and we congratulate it, therefore, on its exhibiting
to-day some signs of life. We have received from it a
circular containing the names of the members—and
very good names they are—and announcing the reso-
lutions come to by the Society on the 9th instant. If
it mean to be useful it must be active, and combat
the prejudices while it rouses the energies of the people.

Iu resuming the subject of the present state of oar
relations in India, rendered of the last i.nportance by
the intrigues of Russia in Central Asia, it is lament-
able to be obliged to number the ignorance and impru-
dence of the English Missionaries among the causes
of the decline of our. influence over the various Brahm-
minical sects of Hindostan and the Mohamedans of
Eastern Persia. Whether it is that Englishmen
want that ardent enthusiasm, that extraordinary self-
denial, and that happy adaptation of manners to
o e
it
circumstances which distinguished the XAVIERS of
the Church; bu otf certainlim' we will
is,
not
hithertotake
rt3o, de-
termineone
that
Christian our Biblical Societies have made, they have
been taxed with making, ten hypocrites. Captain
WESTMACOTT, whose long residence in India enti-
tles his statements and opinions to great respect, in the
Tract which he has just published on the
subject of
Indian Commerce and Russian
intrigue,
referred to in
The Sun of Friday last, goes so far as to express
doubts of the reality of a single convert to
Christianity
ever having been truly made by the labours of the
British Missionaries. " Nine-tenths of those calling
themselves Christians," he affirms, " are notorious for
vice and debauchery, or they are outcasts, having no
religion, and glad to embrace any creed that holds out
a prospect of pecuniary advantage. The character of
the converts to Christianity is so morally vile, (for they
usually become drunkards, and acquire other Euro-
pean vices, with none of their virtues,) that this alone
would prevent a native gentleman, who has a character
to lose, from identifying himself with such a worthless
set. Both Europeans and Asiatics shun them, and
there is scarcely an instance of our cp,untrymen having
a native Christian in their employ. Now this is a
very deplorable picture, inasmuch as we cannot expect
that the ignorant nativea, CM of the very highest
rank, will readily comprehend that ouch 4 depravity
of moral conduct is not the effect of the adoption of
the Christian religion. This is particularly the case
in Central India, where the power of England is only
known by the numerous oppressions of wl;ich it is
made the cloak ; and where an idea of the morality
produced by a belief in the Gospel, can only be formed
from the conduct of those outcasts who imnmend
themselves to the protection of the Missionaries by
the nominal espousal of Christianity. We are told
00 to i 37.; YV e to the ?reaching of the Gospel, in
49 •

some districts funds are placed at the disposal of the
missionaries to enable them to dole out charity to the
indigent. The instant this is ascertained the preachers
do not want for flocks. Thousands crowd around
them to test their benevolence, and while the money
lasts all goes on swimmingly. But the Hindoos, like
the late Lord FARNHAM'S Irish blanket-and-beef
converts, desert the preacher the instant they find that
the only batik left them to draw upon is the Gospel.
Even so lately as January last, Captain WESTMA-
COTT reminds us of an announcement in the Calcutta
Journals of twenty-four Purgunnahs who not only ab-
jured Christianity, but even took forcible possession of
the Christian Chapel of the district, and con-
verted it into a Hindoo Temple, in which
they set up the idol Kartic for the worship of them-
selves and their families. A great variety of causes
contribute to the slow spread of Christianity in the
East, among which we may rank as foremost in mag-
nitude the imprudent zeal and the self-indulging habits
of the missionaries. As a proof of the indiscietion of
these gentlemen, Captain WEstrm Acorr tells us that
when he was at the Hurdwar fair in 1831, his atten-
tion was directed to the sight of a number of tracts and
translations of the Scriptures in the shops of the sel-
lers of sweetmeats. On inquiry he found that the
devotees had been so obliging as to permit a Christian
missionary to establish himself in a building over the
steps, whence the pilgrims descended for immersion in
the Ganges, where the Rev. Gentleman occupied
himself in railing against idolatry, and in distribut-
ing tracts. The demand for the latter was
immense, as all had some purpose or other to
which to devote the paper. They talked with
great glee of his still having a cart-load to distri-
bute, though he had then furnished a sufficient supply
for the use of all the pastry-cooks at the fair. In this
anecdote is comprised the history of hundreds of
Asiatic missions. No wonder that Christianity is not
diffused over the Indies, when mere power of lungs, a
bigot zeal, and readiness at tract-distribution, are the
requisites principally sought after in all candidates for
the mission. Instead of conforming themselves to the
habits of the Hindoos in indifferent things, such as by
a total abstinence from animal food, spirituous liquors,
and the killing of inferior animals, the English mis-
sionaries disgust, by their manner of living, those ido-
lators whom they do not corrupt by the secular
advantages which they hold out to all who
choose to embrace Christianity. Thus it happens
that the labours of the missionaries, instead of tending
to establish the dominion of Great Britain in India,
really undermine it ; whereas, if proper steps were
,
taken to convert the Hindoos—if men of ex-
tensive information and approved prudence and piety,
were sent out as missionaries—and if they were to
begin with the establishment of schools, and the era-
dication of error, by the gradual culture and develop-
ment of the mind, as most assuredly such men would
do, our benevolent exertions would be crowned with the
most complete success. Let us but substitute—or at
least try to substitute—reason for rant, both at home
and abroad, and we shall soon witness with delight the
spread of the Gospel. But the truth is, that some of
our foreign Biblical missions are become, in a great
measure, jobs, by which a certain clique of mock-pious
booksellers and sleek Divines contrive to fare daintily
on the mistaken zeal of a simple-minded, religious
people. Translations of the Bible ale made into
languages that never had all alphabet, to enrich book-
sellers, and supply cooks on the banks of the Ganges
with pastry-bags. Monstrous as this fact may appear,
we give it upon good authority. Surely we have had
experience enough of the arrant quackery of the Tract
system at home, to denounce all recourse to it in the
infancy of Christianity in Central Asia.

There is very little news of any interest in the
French Papers of Wednesday. The little there is
will be found in another part of The Sun.

CHANCERY COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR heard original causes to-
day, in several of which the parties were not ready, and
those heard were not of the slightest importance.
The LORD CHANCELLOR observed with respect to those
cases in which the parties were not prepared to go on,
that it was the duty of Solicitors to instruct Counsel
in sufficient time to enable them to proceed with the
case when it was called on, and he begged it to
be understood by the profession that it was his determina-
tion in future to strike out all causes in which the parties
were not ready, in consequence of Counsel not being in-
structed. As to the last cause on the paper being privi-
leged, his Lordship considered that the Court had never
adopted a more absurd practice, and acting upon that opi-
nion, he had never followed it, and never would.
His LORDSHIP rose at half-past twelve o'clock, having
nothing to proceed with.