The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-10 00:00:00

THE SUN,

office from the Edinburgh Post• office, because the peti-
tioner and his fellow-clerks had refused to withdraw
that memorial. In signing that petition Mr. Measor
was not conscious that he had done any wrong, and he
had explained as much in a letter to the Noble Marquis.
All that the signers of the memorial bad done was to
ask for an increase of salary. He felt that it was in
consequence of the adoption of his advice that this poor
man had been ruined; he had known Mr. Measor for
some time, and (as we underatcod) had procured him his
place in the Post-office, and had advised Mr. Measor to
adopt the course which be bad adopted.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE would have had no
objection to a motion for the appointment of a Committee
to investigate the wholelof the working of the money-or-
der department of the Post-office, but he must object to
the appointment of a Committee to investigate a parti-
cular case. He had never entertained any feeling against
the clerks for signing and presenting the memorial, but
his complaint was, that instead of contenting himself
with presenting the memorial, he printed it and pub-
lished it, and endeavoured to bring a pressure from with-
out to bear on his superior officers. Now, if such a
principle were once admitted it would be impossible
that the business of any public department could be
carried on.—(Hear, hear.) But this statement was,
moreover, a great misrepresentotion. Gross misstate-
ments had been made to this and the other House of
Parliament on the subject. It had been stated that
Mr. Hill had declared that no clerk should be
absent from his duties more than three days. That
statement was absolutely incorrect. The case was, that
a clerk had been absent for a great length of time from
illne !rand that Mr. Hill, in order to prevent his dismissal,
had suggested that he might be able to have a substitute
this clerk had been absent 37 days, while my hard
working clerks had not been absent for one day. In
consequence of this Mr. Hill had devised such a system
as should afford to every clerk one month's
leave of absence in the year, and that all ab-
sences above that amount should be paid for by
the absent clerks finding substitutes. If a clerk
were ill, he might agree with his fellow clerks to do his
work, and there was one who had been absent for eleven
months in two years under that system. The petitioner
had been removed from his office for insubordination,
misrepresentations, and attacks upon his superior offi-
cers. Ho had himself often dismissed persons for com-
municating matters touching the business of the office,
to the public, and of this Mr. Mason had been well
aware. If the Noble Earl would extend his motion
to a general inquiry into the manner in which
the business of the Money Order-office was
conducted he would not object to the motion. By the
adoption of Mr. Hill's plan in the Money Order-
office there had been the saving of the salary of 170
clerks. There never had been in any department
of the state a more economical measure adopted then
the appointment of Mr. Hill. There was no slur upon
the character of the petitioner as an efficient
person. He had been guilty of a great
error, and if the Noble Earl would extend the inquiry
he would have no objection to go into it; but he could
not consent to the present motion, as by so doing, he
would be encouraging insubordination.
The Earl ST. GERMANS thought the case was one
entitled to the consideration of the Noble Marquis. He
could not think that the publication of the petition of
his memorial to the Noble Marquis would
be considered a breach of official confidence.
The petitioner had, by his advice, acknowledged to the
Noble Marquis that he was the author of the
memorial, and in his (the Earl of St. Germain's) opinion,
the Noble Marquis had punished the petitioner too
severely.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'clock.

NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Mr. FORBES MACKENZIE, a
new writ for North Staffordshire was issued in the place
of Lord Brackley, who has accepted the Chiltern
Hundreds.