The Sun.
London, England, 1802-04-21 00:00:00

x.Evircs., Arßu.. 19.

TO THE EDITOR 01 f-TFIE

SIR,

Tr the Innkeepers and Posting-Masters have not
come forward to convoke publk Meetings, in order
to take into consideration the subjetts to which
their attention has been of late so lOudly called. by
the Grand Juries of.seVeral Counties, it is not from
a want of respeit for the. Gentlemen who 'constitute
those bodies, but because they are of opinion that
those Gentlemen, not haViriglieard.both sides of the
question, are_ incompetent to decide so absolutely
and positively on their case.
The 'price of posting was, I Isfplicsie, 9d. per mile
More than ap years.agoehut as I wish to build upon
premises. known co myself; ,I 'shall say, that so
years ago posting.was 911: per mile. At that time
'it was a subject of notoriety, that Innkeepers did
not consider posting as a profitable,. 'but as a neces-
sary and unavoidable part of their establishment for
the public accommodation.. Since that time what
has been the condition of the Innkeeper and Posting-
Master ? Although his expences continued to in-
crease, andlatterly in a most alarming degree, the
price of Posting was not raised until Nov. 17-99,
and then only to i id. per mile ; soon after which
it advanced to red.—Let it however be granted.,
that it years ago 9th per mile was a competent
charge for Posting, and that at the present moment.
Oats arid Bay may be bought as cheap as at that
time, it does not folloW that 9d., per mile is a suf-
ficient price flaws,. The eXpensiveness of the Inn:
keeper's establishMent is increased in a prodigious
degree,
_as I shall prove presently, and if he does
not lay his increased expences: on the articles in
which he deals, n-
as other tradesmedo, the conse-
quence is clearly to he seen—his increased expences
must absorb his capital, and. he must sink into in-
digence,and contempt.
The temptation held out by Gentlemen to Inn.
keepers and Posting-masters who will lower their
prices, is, if the imposition of the trade were clear-
ly proved,. perhaps not a very unfair proceeding;
but unless this be the case, it can , only operate on
the desperate or unprincipled Innkeeper or Posting.
master ; Ear where 'is the fair dealer to be found
who will sell an article for less tbarrit cost him, or
charge. less. than he can afford .hfs labour at, with a
view of obtaining the business and. conedlions of
another is The fad is, that competition in trade is
the sure and only mean 'to proieerthe Public from
impos'ition ;, and as soon as it can fairly be affords
ed, that spirit will operate to the benefit 'of the
Public in reducing, effectually 'the price of posting,
as well,as the charges for bait and livery.hcoses.—
It must be clear to every man of she least observa-
tion, that Inns are very expensive establishments at
all times, and that very great additional expenceS
have fallen upon them within the last ten yearS,
which still remain, and are likely to do so for some
time 'to come. In consequence of the increased
taxation to which all classes have been subjeft dur;
ing the War, Landlords have increased the rent of
houses, and-our rent is at least one fourth higher;
the poor-rates are increased in a treble proportion,.
the window and house taxesras well as the tax on
horses and carriages, have been much augmented';
additions have been made to our iiceuses, the
amount of our annual coach-maker's, harness.
maker's, sadler's, farrier's, and shoeing-smith's
bills, inconsequence of the additional taxation and
increased price of every article of their consump.
Lion, have been very- much enlarged ; ,the price of
limes is more than double what 'it was ten years
ago, and, above .ill, the present price of bread and
meat is twice ?s much as it was:- ten years ago;
meat was then at from ad. to pet lb. and now
it is 9d. ; bread was then at from sad. to 6d.
and now it is Sid. the quartern loaf.
The Same maybe. said of almost all articles of the'
first necessity, for instance,_ cheese, flour, soap,
Candles, &c: 4ec, Ike. In short, since it is evident
our expences have enormously increased within the
last to years,' it is equally clear that the same pro-
fits will nest support us now, which we're necessary
to us at that time ; and if the- erice of posting and
the charge far night and bait horses is to be reduced,
as ;sane propose, to its former state, it is Most
earnestly requested that those persons will conde-
scend to point out to us the source from whence we
are to draw- our highly increased, and, at present, ne.
cessary and unavo;dable expences. There are many
other increased expences which might be' pointed
out, such as quartering of soldiers, price of labour,
education of children, tee. for' which funds omit be
provided ; but it is conceived what has been said
will be allowed sufficient, to satisfy an enlightened
public, whose servants we are, that our present
charges are moderate, and
,as low as,' under all the
circumstances well coniidered, they ought to be.
Upon the whale, lain of opinion,- that the Nobi-
lity, Gentry, and the Public of this part of the
United Kingdom, never were so well, or sacheaply
furnished brlnnkeepers 4Pcsting-masters with ac-
commodations of every kind, as at this time'; andol
affirm, as an honest than, that there does not appear
to me any romn.to lessen the charges now made by
them; on the contrary, any reduCtinn would tend to
injure the Innkeepers and Posting masters, and to
render their condition irksome and ruinous. Otir
employers and masters, the British Public, have top
much liberality to oppress us", and We trust this
statement and declaration will for the present render
them satisfied with our condult.

AN INNKEEPER AND POStING4IASTZR.