The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-06 00:00:00

FORE EGN LETTERS.

The use of postage stamps of a higher denomination for
foreign letters appears to be so generally advocated that,
notwithstanding the objections made to their introduction,
which seem to be chiefly of official origin, there are fair
grounds for hoping that they will ultimately be made to give
way to public convenience. These objections are—the very
complicated and varying tariffs of charges for foreign letters,
which few persons could understand, and consequent liability
to employ a wrong stamp—the accounts kept with foreign
countries under different postal treaties, leading to constant
fractions, and scarcely to be represented by any variety of
stamps—;-and, lastly, the great danger of forgery. We do
not see much force in any of these objections. The employ-
ment of stamps will always be optional and chiefly for the
convenience of men in business, who must be conversant with
the charges made; and as all postage is now regulated by
weight, they would seldom expose themselves to the risk of
having a letter kept back by the use of a stamp too
low in value. The second objection, resolving itself
into a mere matter of account, must surely be susceptible
of an easy remedy, if persons are in earnest about it ; and
though the risk of forgery must he allowed to be a formidable
one, it would be an affront to those who have to manage the
business to pretend that it cannot be surmounted. To have
an idea of the inconvenience produced under the present
system, one must be a spectator in Lombard-street, or at the
chief office in St. Martin's• le-Grand, during the last half-
hour in which foreign letters are receivable. It is generally
a scene of violent confusion and uproar; each striving to be
first at the wicket, and many fearing to be too late, for one
merchant's clerk who has a large number may occupy the
receiver for some minutes in settling the amount he will
have to pay. It is not unusual to have coats torn and hats
lost in the struggle, and a more odious and harassing service
to the mercantile " subs" who have to undergo it can hardly
be conceived. The severest nights are Tuesdays and
Fridays, as well as those on which is dispatched the
Indian mail ; and something of the kind must un-
doubtedly occur in the large provincial towns, as well as
in London. All the arguments so happily used for the in-
troduction of Rowland Hill's system, of preventing frauds,
and robberies, and losses, apply still more strongly to
the case of the foreign letters. Stamps are already used,
in fact, for newspapers sent abroad, which seldom bear
a higher rate than 3d., and a similar stamp, but of a dis-
tinct colour, would do for the sixpences and shillings. It
would show a want of deference to the general wish of com-
mercial men not at least to make this experiment. Like all
things of the kind, it would take time to come into general
use. The clerks of the Post-office have almost an equal in-
terest with those of the merchants and tradersin the improve-
ment of the present system, and their principals will, there-
fore, it is to be assumed, readily lend themselves to the de-
sired reform. An old correspondent, " Qui Hi," writing on
the subject, justly ridicules the notion, stamps being once in-
troduced for letters, of confining ourselves to those for Id.
and 2d., which he compares to that of having only one or
two money coins in connexion wiih a metallic circulation.
India and other foreign letters might have (he suggests)
stamps of distinct colours to assist the clerks in sorting. Let
the Post-office once manifest the disposition to adopt this re-
form, and grapple fairly with its difficulties, there would be
no want of suggestions to assist them. To the trading inte-
rest, who want it most, it would be an immediate relief ; and
whether the resttheir otfraithhe
would combmeuonfitnYo
momentfollowed whatever.—
Times.
Times.