The Sun.
London, England, 1833-07-01 00:00:00

and accountable beingsokr ought to have
some time, besides what is necessary for recre-
ation, to attend to moral and religious instruc-
tion? Can they plead ignorance to an indict-
ment under our criminal laws ? Again we say,
let the friends of humanity be on their guard.

—Morning Herald.
There are few things, probably, to which the
British character is less prepared to submit than
to a system of espionage, whether it come
through the Police or the Post-office. There
seems to be a not altogether groundless appre-
hension afloat that there is a danger of some
such encroachment taking place in both these
quarters. For the present, we mean to allude
only to the latter. In a commercial country
especially, but indeed in any community laying
claim to the possession of free institutions, con-
fidence is every thing. And where is that con-
fidence of so much importance as in the sealed
communications which pass between man and
man ? With regard to opening letters, the
lawful authority to do so, by the Post-office, or
even by the higher authorities, is very circum-
scribed. We have heard that, by the dexterous
use of a strong light, the contents of a letter can
be ascertained without its being opened ; but
this we trust is either a fabrication, or is never
done. That the present complaint is not only
that of opening letters, but of first opening the
parcels in which they are contained--a viola-
tion of property, which, so far from being
sanctioned by any colour of right, seems to
our mind to convey something very like a
felonious taking in the first instance. For how
do the parcels from which these letters are
abstracted come into the hands of the Post-office
authorities? Because they happen to be sent
by the mail-coaches. Now the mail-coaches
are not the property of the Post-office, but are
provided by contractors, as the horsing is also,
for the purpose of conveying the mail ; only the
guard, and not the coachman, is the servant of
the Post-office, and for the parcels carried by
mail-coaches the charge for carriage and por-
terage belongs not to the Post-office, but to the
contractors and booking-office keepers, in the
same manner as parcels conveyed by any other
coaches. Anti if such be, as we believe it to
be, the case, what right upon earth has any
person connected with the Post-office, to touch,
take possession of, or still less to break open,
any such parcel ? If, in common with the
public, we labour under any mistake as to the
right, we wish the Post-office authorities would
condescend to enlighten us upon the subject.
On the contrary, there is a dogged silence on
their parts upon the subject, which is by no
means respectful towards those whose servants
they are. We say, tell us why you have done
this, and by what right ? If by none, then how
can you justify thus shaking the public confi-
dence in a department the inviolability of which
has hitherto been held so sacred ?...MOrnin'T
Herald.

The recent conduct of the Post-office, re-
specting the transmission of newspaper parcels,
and ship letters, continues to excite sensation in
the city, and is loudly complained of by the
mercantile interest. Meetings have been already
held in all the great commercial cities and towns
in the northern part of the island, to remonstrate
against it ; and we have some reason to believe,
that in addition to the private meetings which
have been already held here upon the subject,
one of a more public and general nature will be
speedily ealleA for the same purpose. We
would-rain- nr*e, hdwever, that the new regu-
lation- alluded to, may have emanated from
subaltern authority, and that it will be rescinded
as soon as the real merits of the case are
known. It cannot be the interest of the Post-
office, either to abridge the amount of its own
revenue or to throw obstructions in the way of
trade ; both which objects would inevitably be
accomplished by the regulations lately promul-
gated.—Morning Advertiser.