The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-12 00:00:00

The memorial expressed the same feeling that was
conveyed in those presented by the Lord Mayor.
Mr. J. H. SHEARS said the meeting at which the
memorial had been agreed to in the borough of
Southwark was fully attended, and he never saw so
much unanimity of feeling as had been evinced on
that occasion. There was but one person found at
that meeting to speak in favour of the Government
measure, and upon inquiry it turned out that he did
not belong to the district. There was but one com-
mon feeling of regret that his Lordship should have
sanctioned such a measure, and the general opinion
of the meeting was that when he (Lord J. Russell)
found the public voice was so unanimous, he would
withdraw it. He had, as a manufacturer, been con-
nected with the city of London upwards of forty
years; he had taken an opportunity of consulting
many persons connected with its trade on the subject,
and had found the general feeling to be that the
present Post-office arrangements, with its numerous
deliveries, was, to the very fullest extent, as much as
was required for the convenience of the manufacturers
and the public service. The last delivery in London
was rather a nuisance than a benefit. Many persons
received the letters by such delivery at the close of
their hours of business, and scarcely knew to which
day the letter belonged.
Mr. WILSON thought that looking at the terrible
visitation at which the country had been afflicted, and
under which it was still suffering, the Government
could not make a more acceptable offering to God, or
one that would be more gratifying to the religious
feelings of the nation, than by directing all Sunday
labour to cease at all the provincial post-offices, as
well as at the General Post-office in London.

One of the deputation, who represented the parish
of Islington, said he had a petition which had in the
course of a few days been signed by 2,000 inhabitants
of that parish. There was but one feeling in that
locality—a hope that his Lordship would be pleased
to withdraw the contemplated measure.
Lord J. RussELL—l wish to say, in the first in-
stance, my Lord Mayor and gentlemen, that I think
from what I have seen reported of the proceedings at
public meetings on this question (and what has passed
here to day has confirmed me in the opinion), that
the objections which are made—most conscientious
objections to be sure, and very much to be respected
—have been made against a supposed measure, being
very often made by the fears and apprehensions of
the persona objecting, and very often derived from
mere rumours, and not against the measure that is
proposed by the Post-office authorities. I have
received various letters and other statements
containing these objections. Here (producing
several papers) are some of them. A person whom
we all respect writes to me and says, "It is intended
to open the Post-office upon Sundays." I have an-
other letter here which says, "It is intended to com-
mence Sunday labour in the Post-office." A third
says, " The clerks in the Post-office have been ordered
to attend on Sundays the same as on other days." A
fourth allegation to me was that " London letters
would be all received and sorted, and hence would
arise a demand for a Sunday delivery." A fifth,
" that the number of letters to be read and sorted on
Sundays would be 200,000." Now, I quite own to
you that there has been a very general feeling—yen
may call it unanimous—against this measure ; but it
has been founded entirely upon allegations of the
nature that I have just stated. With regard to open-
ing the Post.office upon Sundays, the meaning of
which is that it is intended to collect and deliver let-
ters the same as upon other days—
The Bishop of LONDON—No such statement, I as-
sure your Lordship, has been made at any meeting
which I have attended, so far as I am aware.

The LORD MAYOR—At the time I had the honour
of writing to your Lordship it was so supposed ; but
in order to put myself right at the meeting over
which I presided, I called upon Mr. Hill in reference
to it, and I explained to the meeting the exact nature
of the proposition.
Lord J. RUSSELL—Very well. Then, in the first
place, it was agreed there was no such proposition ?
Mr. MASTERMAN—No proposition that the Post-
office should be bound to deliver.

The Bishop of LONDON—It is agreed, my Lord,
there is no such intention ; but it is equally agreed
that the proposition must inevitably lead to it.
Lord J. Russzur—Tbat is quite another question.
Mr. MASTERMAN—We are all agreed as to that
being the effect, my Lord.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—That is ex-
plained by what Mr. Masterman, I think, has been
made to say elsewhere—that if there is a distribution
of letters in the country on the Sunday, London must
have one SISO.

Lord J. RusslLL—The next allegation is, that "It
is intended to commence Sunday labour in the Post-
office," it being supposed to be the case that there is
no Sunday labour there already.
Mr. MASTERMAN—We do not say, my Lord, that
Sunday labour will be " commenced, but "in-
creased."
Lord J. RUSSELL—Yes, but I am only saying that
these are the allegations in letters sent to me, asking
me to put a stop to this measure of the Post-office
authorities. This allegation, then, is not so, because
there is Sunday labour at the Post-office already, of
one sort or another, and clerks have always been em-
ployed there. The third allegation is, that the clerks
in the Post-office have been ordered to attend on
Sundays, the same as upon other days. But here is
an allegation made at the meeting over which your
Lordship-presided which is very important, because
it shows the misapprehensions that have prevailed. It
is that London letters would be all received and
sorted, and hence would arise a demand for a Sunday
delivery in consequence of the 200,000 letters re-