The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-08 00:00:00

EVEN ENG EDITION!.

s attar outrage having been committed. The utmost that had
ever been done before had been to suspend the trade.—(Hear, '
hear.) The memorandum of the Duke of Wellington had been
referred to. There was much in it to confirm the high character
of the illustrious Duke, and to exhibit his great foresight and saga- 1
city.—(Cheers from the Opposition.) But what were Isis orders to
Lord Napier ? Why, that he should pay the utmost attention to ,
the instructions he had already received from the Noble Lord.—
(Cheers from the Ministerial Benches)—therefore, so far the illus-
trious Duke confirmed the orders of the Noble Lord.—(Continued
cheering.) A great deal had been said about the want of powers to
Captain Elliot. It was rather singular that at page 283 of the
papers before the House, Captain Elliot entered into a particular
discussion as to whether it was expedient formally to require all
British subjects engaged in the opium trade to quit the coasts of
China. Th.s order was issued in 1 539, and had it been issued
seven months before, andbeen obeyed, the immediate cause of the
present rupture would have been avoided.—(Oppositioncl. eers.) Capt.
Elliot, in the passage referred to, gave five reasons why he could
not then give those orders, but want of power was not one of them ;
therefore, if power had been given by the Government at home,
' still he would have kept to his own view of the subject. He was
sorry to see ni a pamphlet which was circulated yesterday,that he
I was riported as pressing hard upon the conduct of Captain El-
liot ; this was not the case, and having exercised the functions
in China which he (Sir G. Staunton) had exercised, he felt it
impossible not to feel the utmost sympathy for the difficult and
embarrassing position in which that gentleman was placed—he
, had exhibited great gallantry and great anxiety to do his best for
his country—(Cheers)—and what appeared to be vacillation he
verily believed was only extreme anxiety to meet the various exi-
gencies of the case.—(Cneers.) The pamphlet then went on to
i ask what he (Sir G. Staunton) would have done if lie had been
subjected to the edict of Commissioner Lin, and been
) told to tremble?—(A laugh.) The only answer he would
give would be to state what he actually had done
under circumstances somewhat similar. When he accompanied
Lord Amherst to Pekin, similar threats had been held out to him ;
he was told that his life would be forfeited if he did not advise the
Ambassador to perform the ceremony of the Ko-tow ; he did not
r tremble at the order ; he did not advise the Ambassador to per-
firm the ceremony. The ceremony was not performed, and the
embassy was dismissed in safety, and on its returning from Pekin,
received even greater honours than had been accorded to the pre..
ceding embassy of Lord Macartney. He did not say this in dis-
paragement of Captain Eiliot--he believed he had been actuated
by a sincere.desireto benefit his country, and that he had exhi-
bited a total disregard to his personal safety in the execution of his
duty.— (Cheers.) Still entertaining as strong an opinion on
the opium trade as he had ever done, and hoping that the
Government would give the fullest consideration to that part of the
subject—having considered the orders the Government had issued,
lie could see no ground for fixing on those orders the present un-
happy state of affairs, and he therefore felt bound to give a decided
negative to the motion of the Right Hon. Baronet.—(Cheery.)
Mr SYDNEY HERBERT wished to make a few observations
to the House on the subject under discussion, which he would coin-
' Liss as much as possible. He would first state, with regard to the
, :peeeh of the Right Hon Baronet who hail just sat down, that
though the House had listened to him with the attention which his
position and authority deserved, it was impossible precisely to collect
his opinion on the subject before the House.—(Hear, hear.)
Looking at the speech of the Right Honourable Baronet, he
should say that he had given his (Mr. Herbert's) side of the
House the moral weight of his opinions, while he had seemed to
promise his vote to the other.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member
for Edinburgh had said that the resolution was a retrospective one.
'But he wished to know how it could be otherwise.--(Hear, hear.)
}lon. Members had no means of deciding on the future policy of
i Ministers, while that policy remained unknown. The fact was that
Hon. Members on his side did not wish to harass the Government
—(Hear, hear, on the Ministerial benches)—they did not like to
harass diem on questions on which disclosures might affect the in-
terests of the country. We were about to engage in a war of
doubtful justice—we were going to an expense of six millions of
money to recover two. 'We were throwing good money
atter bad—bad in more senses than one; we were in
a situation in which we could neither retreat with ho-
nour,
to: advance without risk ; the complaint was, in
a word, not that an armament was to be sent, but that an arma-
ment was rendered necessary--(Cheers)—that measures had been
allowed, which had tarnished and dishonoured our national flag.

Mr. HUME rose, and on the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON,
the debate waa adjourned.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the
Route adjourned at Ten Minutes past Twelve o'Ciock.

THE DUBLIN LETTER-CARRIERS:

The Memorial of this very bard-worked and, in our
opinion, very ill-pail body of men, to the Right Honour-
able the Postmaster-General, was presented lately by
a highly respectable deputation, amongst whom were
Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Hutton, the Members for the
City of Dublin, Mr. Sergeant Curry, M.P., Mr. Evans,
M.P. fur the County of Dublin, and others, accom-
panied by Mr. Watt the Queen's Proctor for Ireland,
Mr. Kilt. of Dublin, &c., &c. The case of the memo-
rialists and the grievances they complained of were
stated by Mr. Sergeant Curry, and Mr. O'Connell all
terwards replied to some observations made by Colone-
Maberly, the Secretary of the Post-office, with refer-
ence to the comparative salaries and duties of the Lon-
don and Edinburgh Letter-Carriers, and to the same
class of men in Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Derry, &c.
41r. Watt stated that a general feeling pervaded all
classes and parties in Dublin, as to the merits of the
Memorialists, their laborious and increasing duties,
and the very inadequate compensation they
received as compared with persons holding si-
milar situations, with infinitely less dut;es, and not a
twentieth part of the responsibility, in other public de-
partments. He also mentioned the highly honourable
testimonials borne to their characters by the noblemen,
gentlemen, bankers, merchants, and professional men,
on the presentation of a memorial in their favour to
Mr. Godby, the Secretary at Dublin, in December last.
Colonel Maberly would not hold out to the Deputation
any certainty of the prayer of the memorial being
granted, but he promised to convey to Mr. Watt, with
whom the Postmaster-General bad been in communi-
cation, his Lordship's reply on the subject. The Depu-
tation then withdrew, after expressing their sense of the
very great courtesy shown by the authorities of the
Post-office on the occasion.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF
LICHFIELD, POSTMASTER-GENERAL, &c.

THE MEMORIAL OF THE LETTER-CARRIERS OF THE CITY
OF DUBLIN.

Humbly Shoveth,

.
That the many and recent alterations in the Post-office,
more particularly the last oae of the General Per.ny-postage,
have deprived memorialists of emoluments.
.... _ . . .

That their duties have been threefold increased, and that the
salary they receive is not sufficient to support them and their
families in Dublin, where rent and provisions are always so high.
That these emoluments arose from keeping weekly accounts
with the public, and collecting letters by ringing bells through
;he city ; the former was worth from 301. to 50/. and in some
instances 60/. per annum, and the latter from 401. to 6 1. and
in some eases 701. per annum. The adoption of the Penny-
postage, the establishing receiving-houses through various
parts of the city, and extendinrr the time of keeping them
open for the accommodation of the public, has deprived memo-
rtahsts of both these sources of revenue which, with their
salary, enabled memorialists to support their families respectably.
That the thirty general carriers formerly bad to attend at
tie office at 6 30 a.m. to do the morning or general de-
itvery, which was completed by 10 a.m. ; the remainder
of the day they had to themsAves. rhat now they attend at
6 a.m., and from the increased number of letters, although
assisted by the second class, comprising sixteen men, the morn-
ing delivery is not completed before 10 30 a.m., and more fre-
quently 1l a.m. _

That they have bo attend at twelve o'clock every day and if
any of the English or other mars are due, wait and deliver
them ; they are also required to attend every evening at half-
past six o'clock, Sabbath not excepted, to sort the newspapers,
and forward the mails. That before these alterations took
place tor this newspaper duty, a duty not one third so severe as
ziow, a class of clerks received a salary ;and 241. per annum was
allowed to a portion of Memorialists, as well as 8/. per annum
for brii ging receiving-house bags, which was paid out of the re-
venue; sitar the duties of the other classes are equally as 'every,
anti have become more so since establishing the second London
and Liverpool mail, which keeps them on duty until eleven and
half-past eleven at night, and for this severe duty the small
pi•ssnce of from 17s. to 19s. 6d. per week is only received.
T sat the Commissioners of Post-office Revenue Inquiry in
the: 19th Report, recommended a reduction of men, a conse-
quent increase of duty, and an increase of pay, but that while
the red action in the number of men and increase of duty took
} lace the ;nerea.e Of pay ha.. no to the present time, been
thou h e scale of salary recommended to other
d partmenta of toe Yost-orrice has been granted.
The Scale of Salary recommended for the Letter Car:iets
was as follows:

PROPOSE?) SCALE.
Yrs. X. Alen.
Up to 5 50 51) 2.51►0 Ist, or Senior class

JO 60 20 1,•00 2d ditto.
15 70 20 1,400 3(1 ditto.
Above Jo 80 21 1,680 4th ditto,

Total 111 6,7?-0

PRESENT scALE.
s. (1. 5.
7 Men, at 39 6 per week 1,363 18
29 ...... IS 6 ... 1,394 18
29
26 ......... 17 0
Total 111 Total £5,232 10
Amount of salary as proposed by Commissioners ,+.:6,780 0
Present amount ......... • ................. 5,•.'.`5'3 10

--
Difference of expense 1,547 10 or an average of 141. per man, too small a remuneration for the
losses sustained by Memorialists, and the fatiguing extra duty
they have to do.
That it being a recognized principle in every departmente of i
the public service, that long and fail hful servitude
ad-
ditional remuneration, it cannot be considered that servied s
pser
week is sellicient for servitude of from twenty to tiXiea
a.A it is a fact that some of the memorialists have been tot that
length of time in the situation, and do not receive the
a lditional 14. 611., owing to their being paid in classes,
as may be sewn above, and by length of servitude ; for
it is nit until one man dies, or is dismissed, that
another rises. In other departments of the Po,t.office men
are raid by length of service, and liberally rewarded for
their labour, for instance the messengers anti stampers enter
at 501., and by length of servitude rise to 801., and by promo-
tion to 1001. per annum. Also the mail guards enter at 70/. per
ann., after three years 100/. ; after ten years, 115/. ; and after
fifteen years, 130/. per annum ; but how different is the case
with Memorialists; they enter at 45/., and they may ')e in the
sitiedion upwards of twenty 02 E. before they wart to 50/.
tur 2nrinlll.

' •• rn - shown That It,';"-
.1,
ti s#, th.• r.tabli,haterit by :1),
t duty, their emoluments cut oil', and whey
have
i,
Other t
of support, buttheir small and inadequate salary, considern hto
a_n.s
responsible and arduous duties they perform, humbly entreat br plat ed upon the same scale of salary as the Mail Guardsmen
of their 0550 rank, and who3e situation is neither more respon-
sible nor more laborious.
That Memorialists further beg to state that the. superannu-
ated allowance of from 6s. to 9s. per week, for servitude of
from 16 to 20 and 30 years, is too small for men who have
passed their youth and strength in the arduous and responsible
ditties of their situation, and, from the smallness of their pay,
being nable to lay by anything for old age, and therefore
hope your Lordship will take this into your consieeration, and
alow them what the Act of Parliament f • lowances :nperannuated al-
pecifies7

(Here follow the signatures of the whole body, with their
periods of 3erviee, varying from 30 years dlvrtiward..)

COURT OF;COMMON COUNCIL.- Yesterday a
m )tion for a petition to Pariament to allow a free trade i
Corn, and other articles of food, was brought forward by Mr.
Stacy. An amendment was moved to substitute the words—
" a moderate fixed duty" for " a free trade," which, after con-
siderable discussion, was carried by a large majority.