The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-21 00:00:00

DUNCOMRE FOR FINSBURY.
A numerous and highly respectable meeting of the
electors of Finsbury, took place on Friday evening, at
the Belvidere Tavern, Pentonville, for the purpose of
enrolling themselves as committeemen, and forming dis-
trict committees to co-operate throughout the borough in
the re-election of T. S. Duncombe, Esq.; W. Nicholson,
Esq ,in the chair. The names of a number of influential
inhabitants from the various parishes having been read
Over, they responded to the call, mid consented to be
placed on the committee, and so great was the number of
volunteers, that the list was speedily filled.
Mr. HEWITT then rose, and congratulated the meeting
on the efficient committee they had just formed, which
only required the selection of an appropriate and in-
fluential chairman to direct its energies with success. On
former occasions Mr. Duncombe and the electors of
Finsbury had been so fortunate as to secure the abbe and
zealous services of Mr. Armstrong, an independent Ma-
gistrate of the county of Middlesex, in 'that capacity, and
in the hope that gentleman would again preside over their
future meetings. he begged to propose him to the electors
of Finsbury as chairman of the Central Committee ; and
the propoLition being seconded, was carried by accla-
mation.
Mr. ARMSTRONG then addressed the electors, by say-
ing, that, arduous as were the duties of the office which
they had just invited him to fill, yet, in looking round
the room, he recognized so many coadjutors in his former
labours, and was surrounded by so considerable a portion
of the influential electors of this great metropolitan bo-
rough, that he would not shrink from it.—(Cheers.) It
was now beaten ground to many of them; as well as him-
self ; yet he had hoped that the faithful services dur-
ing the three. Reform Parliaments, of their talented re-
presentative—(Loud cheers)—would have protected
them from the necessity of traversing it again. His
consistent support of civil and religious liberty to its
fullest extent,—his untiring efforts in the cause of hu-
manity,—his munificent support of the charities of the
borough,—and his unwearied attention to its local inte-
rests, and even the individual wishes of his constituents,
and the confidence they had reposed in hivii,—had in-
duced him to hope that any mere pretender to their suf-
frages would have been deterred from a futile attempt
to disturb the harmony and confidence which prevailed
between the represented and their representative.—
(Loud cheers.) He was, however, sorry to -say such a
pretender was in the field—(Loud cries of " No Tooke")
—a pretender Without hope, unmasked by the zeal,
energy, and honest integrity of Mr. Duncombe—
(Hear, hear)—in an attempt to use the influence of one of
his many secretaryships and treasurerships to buy the
suffrages of the electors with, with a view, perhaps, at some
future time, to sell them, and now in consequence
deprived of the respect of the honourable
and high-minded, he hopes in a spirit of petty revenge
to annoy and put to expense a representative lie cannot
displace. If Mr. Tooke was a Reformer at heart, he
would not thus throw the apple of disc rd, with a view
to catch the falling fruit,' or by attempting to divide the
Liberal interest, connive at letting in an opponent.—
(Hear, hear.) Those cheers assure me you will grie-
vously disappoint him, and that if he appears on the
hustings at all, he will retire from it defeated, and
still more disgraced. Your honourable representative
has stood nine contested elections, and succeeded in
seven, and were you to examine his recorded votes
and speeches, though doubtless they are as well known
to you as to myself, you will find him the uniform sup-
porter of every enlightened measure having for its ob-
ject the political, civil, or religious civilization of man-
kind. I feel certain you will assure to this borough a
continuance of those services, and put the pretender to
flight, and, to effectually do so, will use your influence
in your respective parishes, and with your friends and
neighbours, to return your honourable representative,
for the fourth time, to Parliament for this borough.
Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR said he rose to propose a mo-
tion, to which he would give his hearty assent, viz.,
" That this meeting pledges itself to give its most
hearty, honest, mid zealous support to 'T. S. Duncombe,
Esq., at the forthcoming election," and took occasion
to remark he entirely coincided in the character given of
that Hon. Gentleman by his friend Mr. Armstrong, but
he thought his friend had placed that of Mr. Tooke in a
too favourable light ; surely Mr. Armstrong, as a former
inhabitant of St. Andrews Holborn, must remember Mr.
Tooke the most violent of' Tories, and so he remained,
until, by changing his politics, he was able to cajole the
constituency of Truro to elect him their representative..
Mr. Tooke was no Reformer. He was an impostor in po-
litics; if he professed himself one, it was to serve some
similar purpose; he felt certain the electors of Finsbury
would have nothing to do with him, and that they would
support the motion he now submitted.
Mr. BROWN, in a few words, seconded the motion,
which was, like the former, enthusiastically carried.
Mr. DUNcOMBE, on rising to return thanks for the
confidence reposed in him, and the promised support of
the meeting, was asked by an elector, if, in the event of
Sir R. Peel becoming Prime Minister, he (Mr. D.) would
support him, to which the Hon. Member replied by an
emphatic " No ;" but to that other question asked by
the same gentleman, Mr. Duncombe said-lie would more
fully reply before he sat down. The Hon. Member then-
proceeded to express his obligation to so large mid re-
spectable a body of his constituents for appearing there on
the present occasion, and congratulated them on having
secured the zealous and valuable assistance of his
friend Mr. Armstrong as their chairman they
were under no ordinary obligation to that gentle-
man ; on former occasions, and on the present, he
had left his family to • come among them to assist in
securing a victory, not to him, Mr. _Duncombe meraYL
but to the cause they all had at heart. He, Mr. D. re-
gretted the constituency should be put to this. trouble,
for he ventured to prophecy his adversary, Mr. Tooke,
dare not face the honourable and independent electors of
Finsbury, on Islington-green. The Hon. Gentleman then
denounced Mr. Tooke as the grossest impostor, both in
,politics and religion, that had ever appeared in public life.
—(Cries of " True, true.') It is true, said Mr. D., and he
was happy to find his character was so well known by the
large and respectable assemblage before him.—(Cheers.)
An honourable elector had asked him if he would sup-
port Sir Robert Peel ; was it likely he would support
one he had uniformly opposed for fifteen years, from the
commencement of Ins Parliamentary career ? not unless
Sir Robert Peel reversed his politics, and supported mea-
sures to which he had hitherto been an enemy.—(Cheers.)
The same elector also asked him whether he would
support the Ministerial measures respecting corn, sugar,
and timber?—Surely the Min. Elector had not watched
his Parliamentary conduct, nor scrutinized his recorded
votes and speeches on this important measure. He (Mr.
buncombe) had been always the • determined enemy of
monopoly in every form, and more, particularly against
any monopoly that interfered with the privileges of the
people, or the comforts of the poor.—(Loud cheers.)
The Hon. Member concluded his animated, satisfac-
tory, and eloquent address, amidst the enthusiastic cheers
of the whole meeting.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman, for his able and
impartial conduct in the chair, being unanimously car-.
vied, the meeting separated, giving three hearty cheers
for Duncombe, with one cheer more.

POST-OFFICE EXPENDITURE.
NEW SYSTEM.
The cost of management has increased from about
750,0001. in 1839, to about 850,0001. in 1840.* Here of
course the question arises whether this increase is attri-
butable to the increase in the number of letters. That
this is the case to some extent is undoubtedly the fact,
but as the whole difference is as much as 100,000/., it be-
comes an important question, what fraction of the in-
crease is attributable to that cause ? or in other words,
how much of this increased expense would have been in-
curred had the postage remained on its old footing ? The
most important item in the increase is in the transit of
the mails, the cost of which, for Great Britain alone,
was greater in 1839 by about 34,0001. than in 1838 ; and
has again advanced by about 33,0001. in .1840. The cause
of this increased expense of nearly 70,000/. in two years
is in some measure explained by a reference to the se-
cond column of the same return, where it appears that
the payment for railway conveyance has increased in that
period from about 10,000/. to 51,000/. ; while a reference
to the first column of the same Return shows that the ex-
pense of conveyance by mail-coaches, instead of diminish-
ing as the railway charge increased, actually increased
with it. The explanation of this apparent anomaly is to
he found, partly in establishment of the day mails, but
chiefly in the fact that the opening of the railways, by
diminishing competition on parallel lines, has produced
an augmentation in the charges for mail conveyance,
amounting, in some instances, even t 6 double the previous

cost. .
From these statements it will appear that the causes
which increased the expenditure of 1839 over 1838, were
in full operation, so far at least as one important de-
partment is concerned, for producing a similar increase
rn
,1840 over 1839. How far the increase in other depart-
ments had an independent tendency to continue, it is not
easy to determine ; but that some increase would have oc-
curred, may fairly be inferred from the actual increase in
1839. Indeed, I may observe, that the increase in the transit
postage paid to foreign countries (about 13,0001.) has no
relation to Penny Postage, and that the charge for con-
veying the letters of the office itself (about 10,0001.) is a
mere matter of account, and no real increase of expense ;
though of course it is needful to remember that both
these items have their effect on the gross receipts. De-
ducting, therefore, these two sums, together with the
33,0001. mentioned above, we have a remainderuf 44,0001.
which is probably about the amount of increased expen-
diture fairly chareable on Penny Postage. This in-
creased expenditurge is about six per cent. on the previous
amount.
It must here be observed, that of the whole increase of
70,0001. in the expense of transmitting the mails, no ap-
preciable part is referable to the reduced rate of postage ;
though of course so far as the increase in the number of
letters is concerned, the new day-mails, however few in
number, must have their just credit assigned them.
It is also important to remark here, that as the effect
of an increased rate of expenditure is not most manifest
in the year in which the increase begins, and as more-
over the number of railways is rapidly increasing, the
expense of transmitting the mails must be expected to
undergo further augmentation. Some idea of the pro-
bable future magnitude of this item may be derived
from the fact, that the present rate of payment from the
Post-office to the Birmingham and Grand Junction Rail-
ways alone, is as high as 47,000/. per annum.
[From Mr. Hill's paper. This shows that the public
pays a considerable sum for the increased celerity of
transmission by railways.]
1 The Return givrs 903,6771. as the cost. of management for
the United Kingdom, but under the head " Great Britain" it
! is shown that 45,000/. must be deducted from this amount.

CONTEST FOR EAST CUMBERLAND--At
length the Tories have screwed
.their courage to the
sticking place, and brought foin-ard an unfortunate gen:
tlernan to abide the pelting of the pitiless storm from
which, four years ago, Sir James Graham was obliged
to flee for shelter to Pembroke harbour.