The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-03 00:00:00

I,l,gisArto 0,4
ttiO

UNDAY LABOUR IN THE. POST-

-
OFFICE.—(THIS DAY.)
A meeting of merchants, bankers, and traders of
the City was held this day in the Hall of Commerce,
Threadneedle-street, fur the purpose of taking into
eonsideration the proposed increase of Sunday labour
in the Post-office.
Sir James Duke, the Lord Mayor, took the chair
at 12 o'clock, amidst loud cheers.
The attendance was very numerous. On the plat-
form we observed Mr. Masterman, M.P., Sir E. N.
Buxton, M.P., Al Lerman Sidney, M.P., Mr. Robartes,
M.P., Mr. D. W. Wire, the Rev. Dr. Croly, and a
number of other well-known gentlemen in the City.
The CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting as follows :
—Having the honour to be the chief magistrate
of the city of London, I consider it always my sacred
duty to give my warn co-operation and assistance in
any measure which may affect the citizens of London.
—(Cheers) I have refused to take the chair on
m tiny occasions when I have been invited to preside
at meetings, because I thought the questions which
were to be discussed involved considerations of
a pllitical nature, of which I considered it
the duty of my office to steer clear.—(Cheers.)
But, gentlemen, tbia question is purely and entirely
one of a domestic character, affecting the citizens of
London, and therefore I am not only happy to come
forward to preside at such an important meeting as
this, but I give my assatrance that I will co-operate
with you to the utmost in my power in giving effect '
to the resolutlbns which may be arrived at to day.—
(Loud cheers.) It is necessary I should state to you
that when I first heard of the intention to open the
Post office on Sundays I wrote officially to Lord
John Russell on the subject.—(Hear, hear.) I be-
lieve the Noble Lord was not in any way informed
upon the subject.—(Cheers.) I have since received
a letter, dated on Monday last, from the Noble Lord
while at Woburn Abbey, which I feel it my duty to
read to this meeting.—(Hear, hear.)
" Woburn Abbey, Oct. 1,1849.
" My Lord,—ln reply to your Lordship's letter of the
29th, respecting tte rumoured intention to open the
Post-office on Sundays,' I can state that there is no such
intention.

" The change actually proposed by tbo Post-office
authorities has been announced in the newspapers, and
your Lordship will be enabled by that announcement to
jud4e of its probable bearing and effect.—l have the
houur to be your Lordship's most obedient servant,
" J. RUSSELL.

"The Lord Mayor."
(Partial hissing, and evident marks of disapproba-
tion.) lam sure, gentlemen, that if you had known
the Noble Lord as long as, I am happy to say, I have
had the honour of knowing him, no one here, what-
ever parties in this city may differ from his public
life or his political views, I think would deny that
my Lord John Russell and his amiable Lady are
patterns of exemplary piety and strict:observers of
the Christian Sabbath. Therefore, lam satisfied in
my own mind that Lord John Russell will never lend
himself to any measure tending to desecrate the
Sabbath.—(Loud cheers.) I felt it my duty, gen-
tlemee, this morning, before coming hare, to go to the
Post- office authorities, and to ascertain, as far as I
could, what really was the measure which they had in
contemplation.—(Heer, hear.) I had the honour of
seeeing the Secretary and Mr. Rowland Hill, and I
obtained official copies of the notice which has been
issued, and which perhaps it is not necessary to read,
unless some individual here has not seen it. Though
this notice, from appearances, would rather seem to
be intended for the purpose of relieving the country
districts, there is a lurking suspicion in my mind
that, ultimately, if this measure be carried, we shall
have the Post office in this city open on Sundays.—
(Loud cheers.) Mr. Rowland Hill assured me that
this measure was only meant to carry through Lon-
don those letters which arrive from abroad, or from
a distance, in ordt r not to delay them here twenty-
four hours, and that it would only give additional
employment to twenty five men—(Hisses)—while
at the same time it would relieve upwards of two
thousand men now employed in the country districts.
He further assured me that these 2,5 additional men
will only be required at ten o'clock on Sunday morn-
ing and in the evening after five o'clock, so that the
new arrangement will not interfere with the perform-
ance of their religious duties.—(Hisses.) That,
gentlemen, is the explanation which I have had from
the Post-office authorities, and now I will state what
I consider this propssed alteration will lead to.—
(Cheers.) The notice to which I have alluded states
" that to facilitate the above arrangements, and at the
same time to promote the public convenience, letters
posted at provincial offices on the blank post day for
towns beyond London, shall, if stamped and paving full
letter-rates, be forwarded as on other day s, seas to be
delivered , except in remote plac_•es,on Monday morning."
I wi.t tell you what I think that will lead to. It is
impossible, in th s great commercial country, that any
towns could oh•aia an advantage by having their
letters forwarded through the London Post-office on
a Sunday, without the comma-Ed community of
London receiving some injury.— (Cheers.) It is
quite apparent to me that this great community will
cuffsr a ivwere injustice if these Sunday arrange-
irentv ere persevered in ; and though I believe it
remain under that injustice rather than
[pi ly to tSe Government or the Post-office authori-
ties for an extension of the arrangements to Londen,
yet there a-e some in the City who look only after
their own interests, and who would gladly go to the
Government and =ay, "As you have given other towns
the kenefit of a &livery of letters on a Sunday, why
not extend the same advantage to us? "—(Hear,
hear.) Ido trust, as this measure does not appear
to have been called for by any representation
made in London or elsewhere, that it will not be car-
ried into effect. There has been no excuse for
getting in what I fear will act as a " wedge''—
(Cheers)—and as I remember a similar proposal was
successfully opposed ten years ago, I hope the same
spirit that then succe,sfully defeated it will be
brought to bear against the proposition now.—
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I do not think it necessary
to deta;ri you by nicking any further observations. I
r-gret not being able to remain here to the close of
tile proceedings, because there is a Common Council
meeting at one o'clock, which I cannot possibly !Hit
off attending, as there is some very important busi-
ness before it. Allow me to say, gentlemen, before
I leave :he hall, that I shall be happy to take charge
of any memorial or petition to any party whatever,
either to the Prime Minister or to the Postmaster-
Gensral, and to do anything else which you may
think necessary to give effect to the resolutions passed
this meetir g.—(Lou I cheers.)
Mr. Miz:TERINIAN, M.P., having been called upon
to move the first resolution, said, he had been invited
to take part is the proceedings of this day, and
be did so with the greatest pleasure and satis-
fiction, considering that they met to solicit the
interference of Government to prevent the carry-
ieg out of regulations at the Post-office
that may lead to great desecration of the
Sabbath.—(llea7, hear.) Several respectable indi-
viduals had applied to him on this subject before to-
day, and be had felt it to be his duty to communicate
with the Post-office authorities before he took any
steps in the matter.—(Hear, hear.) He had accord-
ingly received the following replies to his communi-
cations. The first was lien' the Postmaster General,
and it was this :

"Portumna, Irehnd, Oct. 1, 1849.

" Dear Sir,---There is not the slightest truth in any
manner of our intention to establish a delivery of letters
on Sunday in London.

" The consequence of the measure lately adopted will,
I trust, be to very much diminish Sunday labour in the
post-offices throughout the United Kingdom, and like-
wise to put a stop to much letter-writing on Sunday in
private establishments.—Sincerely yours,

CLANRICARDE."

The next reply was to this effect :
" General Post office, Sept. 28, 1849.
day,
addressed Sir,—ln reply to your communication of this
addresied to CGlonel Moberly, who is now absent froma-
y
London, I beg leave to acquaint you, that the measure
to which you alluded will not cause any change whatever
as regards the arrival or dispatch of London letters on
Sundays; there will be no delivery of letters in London
on that day, and the Post-office will not be open for the
rec,l pt of letters.
" I
in beg leave to add that the main object of the mea-
surequestion is to afford relief on the Sunday at the
provincial offices.

" 1 have The honour to be, Sir,
" Your most obedient bumble servant, ,
" J. TILLEY, Assistant Secretary.'
It might not be the intention of the Government
immediately to establish Sunday deliveries in the me-
tropolis, but the arrangement would lead to that re-
sult; and he most decidedly objected to any measure
for the relief of the provincial offices that
would throw more weight on the main es-
tablishment in London.—(llear, hear.) If
the Post-office authorities really desired to relieve ths
provincial offices from some of their Sunday duties,
he could suggest to them a better and an easier plan
to accomplish that object than the proposed arrange-
ment.—(Hear, hear.) It was to abolish the delivery
of litters on Sundays all over England. As time was
viluahle, he was not sorry that it was unnecessary
for him to say more than that he perfectly agreed
wi,h what had fallen from the Right Hon. Gentle-
man in the chair, and would at once conclude with
moving the following resolution :
.• That this meeting has observed, with regret and
alarm, the proposed new regulations in the General
Post office, by which a large amount of Sunday labour
will be required in that establishment; and it is unable
to perceive any reason why the slight relief offered to
the country offices should be bound up with the com-
mencement of so great an evil in London."— (Cheers.)
Mr. 110BARTES, who had the misfortune to be la-
bouring under indisposition, contented himself with
simply seconding the reeolution, and expressing his
concurrence in all that had fallen from the two pre-
ceding speakers.--(Hem, hear.)

THE

The resolution was then put- and carried unani-
mously.
Mr. LABOUCHERE moved the second resolution as
follows :

" That this meeting feels persuaded that any plan
which brings the mails into London on the Sunday
morning, and requires the attendance of the clerks and
letter-sorters to receive, assort, and transmit them, must
ultimately lead to a delivery of letters on that day in
London also."
The statement from the Chair had been so clear and
conclusive, that it required little from him to induce
the meeting to cordially acquiesce in the resolution.—
(Hear, hear.) He thought, however, that it was most
desirable that they should clearly ascertain what the
Post office proposed to do. At the present moment
he understood that thirty bags, containing mails
from abroad, came into London early in the morn-
ing, and these were opened for the purpose of taking
out letters addressed to the Government, a practice
established at the time of the war. This duty required
the services of five persons.—(Hear.) It was now
proposed, however, that the whole 620 bags coming in
on a Sunday should be opened ; and though it WB3
said by the Post-office authorities that this duty would
only require the services of twenty-five persons, he
was quite sure that it was apparent to every one in
the meeting that that number would be perfectly
insufficient to perform the duty.—(Chc era.)
There was at present a second—an afternoon arrival.
Twelve bags came in at two o'clock on Sunday af-
ternoons, containing foreign letters, and the same
number of persons who performed the duty in the
morning made the selection of Government dispatches
in the evening. Now, was this proposed change called
for?—(Cries of " No.") It certainly was not.
It was attempted, but successfully defeated in
1838, and he was confident that the bankers who
opposed it then would do so now.—(Hear, hear.)
It had been ascertained that during five years
upwards of 300,0001. were extracted from letters
passing through the Post-office, but if a system were
adopted in the Post office establishment that
would have the effict of demoralising its
servants, was it not more than probable
that Post-office robberies would be greatly
increased ?—(Loud cheers.) It was, then, for the
pecuniary as well as the moral interest of the mer-
chants, bankers, and traders of the city of London,
to oppose this proposed change in the Post-office.--
(Cheers.) Let them take all the large towns—
Liverpool, Manchester, York, Bath, and Bristol—
and they would find that they had all sent memorials,
signed by clergymen, magistrates, bankers, and others,
against the desecration of the Sabbath. The feeling
of :London was against such a change, and he
rejoiced at it, because we should be the more
likely to enjoy the blersing of God. The word of
God said, " Those that honour me I will honour ; but
those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
He rejoiced that the public press had taken up the
subject, and that the Times had satisfactorily
shown that the advantages of the proposed
change were as nothing when contrasted with the
disadvantages that would ensue.—(Hear, hear.) It
was said that the change would relieve the country
offices from a great portion of their present burden.
This was altogether a fallacy, for those who
resided in the country knew well that at present
the country post-offices were closed during a
portion of the Sabbath, and if this change
took place the same regulations would
prevail, so that he could not see that increased facili-
ties would be afforded for the persons engaged in
them attending public worship. Bat whether this
would be so or not, they had a principle to establish.
—(Loud cheers.) Do not let them countenance any-
thing which could by any possibility deprive the poor
man of the greatest blessing he enjoyed—the rest of
the Sabbath ; and let them bear in mind that just in
proportion as they respected the law of God could
they expect his blessing.—(Cheers.)
Mr. R. lIITCHINS wished to say, on the part of
the Stock Exchange, and of those who transacted
business in it, that they did not desire any change in
the present system pursued by the Post-office.—
(Cheers) They were satisfied with the six days
which God had given them for labour, and did not
want to infringe upon that day which God had given
to both man and beast for rest.—(Hear, hear.)
Resisting minor evils at the commencement,' was the
proper way to prevent greater ones, and hence he was
there to oppose the commencement of a system which
would ultimately extend itself. When God appointed
the Sabbath for the rest of his chosen people, the Jews,
be fenced round any infraction of his command-
ment with respect to it the most tremendous penal-
ties, telling them that though the Sabbath was
made for the rest of man, it was at the
same time appointed for his honour. He agreed with
Mr. Labouchere, that if letters were conveyed to
towns distant from London and delivered, that the
merchants might find it necessary, in consequence of
their pecuniary interests being in danger, to be at
their offices on Sunday, and to require also the at-
tendance of their clerks. He trusted no Christian
man would advocate the change.—(Chesrs.)
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Sir E. N. BuxToN, M.P., said, it gave him the
mo-t cordial satisfaction to be present at so magni-
ficent a meeting, which, considering the state of the
weather, and the hour of the day, might be said to be
unparalleled in the city of London for number and
influence —(Hear, hear.) He entertained the most
profound respect for Lord John Russell, and con-
sidered if they had had the honour of his company—
(Laughter)—he could not entertain any mistake as
to the views of his constituents upon this matter.—
(Hear, hear.) He believed if he saw the opposition
of the merchants and traders of the city of London
to this attempt to increase the work in
the Post-office en Sundays by reducing it in the
week—(Laughter)—that he would not consent to
any alteration.—(Rear, hear.) The proposed evil
was a small one compared with the many evils that
must unquestionably result from it. Many of the
gentlemen entrusted with the management of the
Post office merely observed the Sabbath out of re-
spect to public opinion, and would not hesitate to go
further, and open the Post-office on the Sunday, if a
step like the one proposed was not denounced.
If the merchants and traders of London wished to
have the Sabbath to themselves they must prevent
the driving in of this wedge.—(Hear.) He agreed
with one of the gentlemen who had spoken, that it
would be well if Sunday labour could be entirely
done away , with throughout the whole country.—
(Hear, hear.) The moral and social advantages of
a proper observance of the Sabbath were con-
ceded on all hands —by merchants as well
as agriculturists; but the proposed change should be
viewed in another light. 'I he Post-office clerks were
obliged to be at their posts early in the morning, and
had quite enough of work to do for the money they
received—(Hear, hear)—without having to give
another day's labour. He was sure he but expressed
the general feeling of the meeting when he said that
those in the service of the country should have the
Sabbath to themselves.—(Loud cheers.) The Right
Hon. Baronet concluded by proposing the succeeding
resolution, embodying the memorial
That on these grounds it appears expedient to ad-
dress to the Lords of the Treasury the following me-
morial, and that the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor and
John Mesterrnan, Eq., be requested to present the same,
"TO THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS Cr HER MAJESTY'S
TREASURY.

" The Memorial of the undersigned Merchants,
Bankers, Traders, and others, of the City of
London, humbly showeth—
" That your memorialists have heard with the deepest
regret that it is intended by the authorities at the
General Post-office to commence, very shortly, the re-
ceipt of mails from the country at large, and the trans-
mission of mails into the country, on the Sunday, as on
other days of tho wt ek.
" That y our memorialists feel convinced that such a
measure will inevitably lead to a Sunday delivery and
transmission of letters in the metropolis.
"That your memorialists, therefore, appeal most
earnestly to your Lordships to prevent the adoption of
a measure so repugnant to the feelings of the community
at large ; and which has been desired by no class,
while it is deprecated by all.
" And your memorialists shall ever pray."
Mr. J. D. PoWLES next addressed the meeting.
He said they were not there to denounce any act of
wickedness on the part of any portion of the people,
but to denounce an intention on the part of the Go-
vernment to subvert the ancient law, that the
Sabbath should be kept holy.—(Hear, hear.)
In 1838 he was one of the deputation
that waited on the Government to oppose their
intention to deliver letters on Sunday. pin twenty-
four hours afterwards the intention was abandoned;
and what had occurred in the eleven Sears which had
since elapsed to justify re: irrence to such a course ?
Now, when the electrle telegraph extended over the
whole of the country, and when, indeed, the
means of inter-communication were much improved,
he was at a loss to understand why Sunday work in
the Post-office was indispensable ; it
for was a farce to
say that the labour of men within the Post-office was
not equivalent to the opening of the Post. office. Let
them f ear in mind the extraordinary number of Post.
office prosecutions, and let them tell him whether this
new system would not promote them.— (Hear, hear.)
they placed men at the criminal bar whom they
had taught not to respect the Sabbath.—(Hear,
hear.) The language the Post-office in respect to
the p:opo se .1 desecrationof
of the Sabbath was most
irreligious and hypocritieai
the advantage contended forw : (as altogetherl ear
letter arrived
and extraordinary. If, for
instance,
from Hamburgh directed to him on the Saturdaynight,a
or Sunday morning, it would not be delivered until
until
Monday, and he did not wish it—(Hear, hear.)—
but if he were a hundred miles away it would.) be
delivered on the Sabbath.—(Hear, hear.) Thus he
was at a loss to understand how the country offices
were to be relieved by this new system of any por-
tion of their labour. Ile then se2onded the resolu-
tion, which was carried unanimously.
Mr. J. WILSON proposed—
be ginn to " That the cordial thanks of this meeting

SUN, LONDON:-

the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, M.P., for his kindness
in presiding over this meeting on this occasion, and for
his able conduct in the chair, and for pledging himself to
assist in carrying into effect the resolutions which have
been now passed; and likewise to John Masterman,
Erg., M.P., for his kindness in taking the chair and his
able conduct therein afterwards when necessarily vacated
by his Lordship."
The Rev. Dr. CROLY seconded the motion, saying
that the observation of the Sabbath was the primi-
tive law of men ; and in an eloquent speech, which
was much cheered, denounced the proposed change.
Religion and virtue was, thank Heaven, much on
the increase, and now that vice was declining,
it would be a most ungrateful return for the
blessings of God, if after recovering from
the late fearful epidemic we commenced a desecration
of the Sabbath.

Mr. HINTON said he was a Dissenting minister of
the City of London, and he was there to say that
his bretheren would go heart and hand with them
in the object of this meeting.
Mr. EVENESS, an accountant, also supported the
resolution, and denounced the proposed change as an
innovation upon Christianity.
The resolution was then put and carried unani-
mously.
The CHAIRMAN briefly acknowledged the compli-
ment, and the meeting broke up.