The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-09 00:00:00

SUND 4,Y LABOUR AND THE
GENERAL POST OFFICE.—(THIS DAY.)
A public meeting of the inhabitants of Southwark,
con-rened by the High Bailiff, in compliance with a
nurnerou•ay-signed requisition, was held this afternoon
in the Town-hall of the Borough. for the purpose of
memorialising the Lords of the Treasury against the
proposed c anmeneement of Sunday labour in the
General Post-office. The chair was taken by Mr.
William Pritchard, the High Bailiff, at one o'clock, at
which hour the hall was but partially filled.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, observed
that in the exercise of his official functions he had had
great pleasure in calling this meeting. Englishmen
were always tenacious of any encroachment upon their
civil and religious liberties. They knew and felt that
much of the wordly happiness they enjoyed was attri-
butable to the homage they had always paid to the
Almighty, and they were therefore peculiarly jealous of
anything that was likely to detract from the
sanctity of that day which Divine Providence
had set apart for the rest of man from his earthly toils.
The proposed change in the management of the General
Post-offiee it was feared would lead to greater desecra-
tion of the Sabbath than the necessities and wants of the
public absolutely required, and it was for the meet•
ing to determine whether the alteration ought to take
place or not. For his part he would express no
further opinion upon the question than this,
that no public duties ought to be tolerated that were
incompatible with a due observance of the Sabbath; and
if the speakers who should follow him succeeded in
demonstrating that the proposed change was of that
nature, he for one hoped it would be denounced in the
strongest possible terms.
Mr. A. FILCHER moved the first resolution, to the
effect—" That the meeting had observed with
regret and alarm the proposed regulations at the
General Post-office, by which a large amount
of Sanday labour would be immediately
required, and must ultimately lead to a general delivery
in London on that day." It was urged in favour of
the change (the speaker observed) that it would greatly
rerluee the labour of • provincial offices, but he did not
think so, nor did the public; on the contrary, it was
generally believed that it woud increase the labours of
the 12,000 persons engaged in the provincial offices.
If the Government really wished:to relieve the provin-
cial officers, let them abandon this plan, and entirely
abolish Sunday deliveries, providing for the convenience
of those who required their letters on that day, that they
might obtain them by sending for them before eight
o'clock in the morning, and after seven o'clock in the
evening.
Mr. CHARLES POTT seconded the resolution, which
was put and carried unanimously.
Mr. CownEnoe• moved the adoption of the following
memorial :—" To the Lords Commissioners of her Ma-
jesty's TreasUry :—The memorial of the undersigned in-
habitants of the Borough of Southwark, humbly sheweth,
that your memorialists have heard with the deepest re-
gret that it is intended by the authorities at the General
Post-office to commence, very shortly, the receipt of
mails from the country at large, and the transmission of
mails into the country, on the Sunday, as on other days.
That your memorialists feel convinced that such a measure
will inevitably lead to a Sunday delivery 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 de-
precated by all. And your memorialists shall ever pray."
Ee insisted that the change was not only uncalled for, but
unjust. Humanity could not bear seven days' labour, and,
therefore, in a physical as well as a moral point of view,
the proposed change, establishing, as it would, Sunday
labour, was highly objectionable. He, however, resisted
this measure more upon the ground that it held out to
the world, that the highest authority in the State sanc-
tioned labour on the Sabbath. It was dangerous to
tamper with great principles, and when Government
attempted to put in force a system that must shake the
morality and religious feeling of the people, it was high
time for all good men to raise their voices against it.
It was nonsense to tell him that it was not intended to
open the doors of the Post office, when the work would
still be carried on inside, while it was notorious that the
metropolitan receiving houses had been sounded upon
their feeling for or against Sunday deliveries.
Mr. SIMPSON bad much pleasure in seconding the re-
solution.
Captain ACXERLEY—Before the resolution was put,
informed the meeting, amidst some confusion, that he
Was favourable to the proposed change.
The resolution was then agreed to.
Thanks were then voted to the High Bailiff, and the
meeting broke up.

ATHLETIC GAMES at WOOLWICH
Major-General Sir Hew D. Ross, K C.B , Deputy-
Adjutant- General of Artillery, Major- General
Parker, C. 8., Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal
Military Academy, and a large number of the officers
and gentry of the garrison and neighbourhood,
assembled in the grounds of the Academy on Satur-
day last to witness numerous games of an athletic
character. Each of the Gentlemen Cadets was dressed
in a jacket of a distinguishing colours and the games
were commenced with the greatest spirit at half-past
three o'clock P.M., the first being a foot-race of one
mile, gained by Gentleman Cadet Holmes obtaining
the first, and Gentleman Cadet Strange the second
prize. The second foot-race was amongst the
Gentlemen Cadets who had not been so long at the
Academy as those contesting the first race, the dis-
tance being half a mile, and Gentleman Cadet
Edwardes obtained the first, and Gentleman Cadet
Lukin the second prize. A third foot-race of half a
mile distance was contested by the Gentlemen Cadets
who had last joined, and the first prize was gained by
Gentleman Cadet Heekes, and the second by Gentle-
man Cadet Jackson. Twenty Gentlemen Cadets
started for the next race of 100 yards, and it was
remarkably well contested by every one engaged in it,
Gentleman Cadet Ravenhill winning the first, and
Gentleman Cadet Temple the second prize.
The next, a hopping race of eighty yards,
was gained by Gentleman Cadet Boothby,
the first, and Gentleman Cadet Temple the second
prize; seven started for the next race of half a
mile, with six jumps, which was contested with the
greatest spirit, three of the Gentlemen Cadets jumping
the last of the six hurdles, when Gentleman Cadet
Strange was declared winner of the first, and Gentle-
man Cadet Markham winner of the second prize. The
next half-mile race was gained, the first prize by
Gentleman Cadet Wylie, and the second by Gentle-
man Cadet Teesdale. The Gentlemen Cadets then
exhibited their skill and strength by cutting through
with the sword suspended triangular bars of lead,
which they completely cut through, Gentleman Cadet
Brackenbury obtaining the first, and Gentleman Cadet
Holmes the second prize. Putting a 24-pounder shot
was gained, the first prize by Gentleman Cadet
Brackenbury, and the second by Gentleman Cadet
T. Cary. The high leap, standing, was gained, the
first prize by Gentleman Cadet Ravenhill, and the
second by Gentleman Cadet Langley. The high leap
running was gained, the first prize by Gentleman
Cadet Ten-Tie, and the second by Gentleman Cadet
Brackenbury. The wide leap standing was gained,
the first prize by Gentleman Cadet Clarke, and the
second by Gentleman Cadet Ravenhill. The wide
leap running by Gentleman Cadet Temple the first,
and the second by Gentleman Cadet Maude. The
high leap with a pole by Gentleman Cadet Newbold.
The first prize of hop, step, and jump, by Gentleman
Cadet C. Stirling, and the second by Gentleman
Cadet Maude. The whole of the jumping was most
interesting, and the activity displayed by Gentleman Cadets Temple, Ravenhill, and Brackenbury elicited
universal admiration.

DEATH OF ONE OF THE BOSJESMANS, OR Buss
PEOPLE.—On Sunday morning last, a funeral took place
at Hyde which attracted a very large concourse of per-
sons. For some days past there has been exhibiting in
the locality a number of Bush people, and it appears that
during their ckl,tiy at Hyde one of their number, a child,
named Fanny Bush, bas died of consumption. rThe
funeral was most respectably conducted. A stone has
been placed over the grave, on which is the following in-
scription, which is concluded by two verses:—" Sacred
to the memory of Fanny Bush, the beloved child of
Simon and Gaikin, Bush people, born on the 9th day of
August, 1646, on board the brig Fancy, of Liverpool,
Caytain Wheeler, on their voyage to England. She
died of consumption, at Hyde, on the 29th day of Sep-
tember, 1849." For several evenings during the week
the churchyard at Hyde has been crowded, owing to the
band belonging to the exhibition attending to play various
tunes at the grave.—Manchester Courier.
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.— On Friday morning
last, John Thompson, Robert Thompson (father and
son), Matthew Mitcalf, John Mitcalf, Robert Young, and
Edward Cooper, six pilots belonging to Monkwear-
mouth Shore, put off to sea in a coble from the beach at
Whitburn Bay. They had not been many 'minutes at
sea when their coble was upset by a reef of seas which
was seen by the Whitburn fishermen, who immediately
pushed off to their assistance, and succeeded in rescuing
John Mitcalf, Robert Young, and Edward Cooper from
their perilous situation, John Thompson, and Matthew
Mitcalf were unfortunately drowned. Robert Thompson
has left a wife and two children • his body was washed
ashore upon the beach near Whitburn on Saturday
morning, wrapped in the sail of the coble; the body of
John Thompson, his father, and Matthew Mitcalf, have
also been found; they were all buried in Monkwearmouth
Churchyard on the afternoon of Monday last, at the
same hour.—Durham Advertiser.
EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE AT WINDSOR.—
On Friday evening a sentinel (Hillier), on duty at
Windsor Castle, one of the battalion of Grenadier
Guards, under the influence of intoxicating liquor, and
affected by temporary insanity, presented a loaded car-
bine at Mr. John Roberts, Inspector of Palaces, as he
was leaving the Home-park, and threatened to shoot him.
The military maniac subsequently discharged his piece
at a comrade sentry, the ball passing through a gas
lamp, smasking it to pieces, fortunately without doing
further injury. The insane proceeding was repeated
twice. Sergeant Spiers, with two men, by the direction
of the officer on guard, captured Hillier, and he was
placed in coufinement in the black-hole, where he will
be kept until he be tried by court. martial.
A HALE OLD MAN.—Mr. Joseph Peart, farmer, of
Fine House, near Shotley-bridge, cut and set up six
stooks of wheat in half a day. Ho is eighty-nine years
of age.—Newcastle Journal.

A cottager living at Stickney, Lincolnshire, pos-
sesses a sow which in three years has farrowed ninety-
two pigs.
TORBAY, OCT. Se—Wind N.E.—Sld. James Lumaden,
Calcutta.