The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, ' LONDON, MONDAY EVENING APRIL 16, 1860,

misaa...men, , .- ••,‘ '• • • .....a..--- _
the grants from such a fund afford, it is found prac-
tically that subscriptions languish, and there are
districts so poor and neglected and with so little
claim, except from their poverty, upon any of the
rich, that little can be hoped from them unless such
a society as ours undertakes the whole direction of
the schemes intended to benefit them. The present
state of the society's funds entirely precludes the
possibility of its undertaking any extensive works
of this description on its own responsibility. The
whole aggregate of what is done falls very short of
what ought to be- done, and I am justified in urging
all seriously to consider before God what are their
duties in this matter.
" Since I came to the see of London I have con-
secrated 29 new churches, whereby a new parochial
organisation has been supplied capable of reaching
the wants of at most 90,000 persons ; but, accord-
ing to the Registrar-General's calculation, the popu-
lation of the diocess has meanwhile increased by
140,000. Allowing, for argument's sake, that the
Dissenters and Roman Catholics have been as active
in this matter as ourselves, and that we should be
justified in considering their efforts, it will be found
that we have but kept pace with the increase of
population, without applying any remedy for the
fearful aggregate of neglect accumulated during
past years.
" Lastly, it is often urged that churches will do
little good without faithful men to minister in them.
This is most true; but, as good parochial arrange-
nlents are at best powerless instruments without the
right men, the best men must be powerless without
proper parochial arrangements. The difficulty of
finding an adequate supply of fit men, whose hearts
arc touched and guided by the Holy Spirit of God,
can be no reason for hesitating to contribute out of
our abundance to strengthen their hands when they
are found, or prepare the way for their ministra-
tions. It only reminds us that we ought to add to
our charity our hearty prayers that, while we are
using all secondary means, God will be graciously
pleased to supply the primary means, and Himself
prepare and send forth fit labourers to give life and
spiritual energy to the outward machinery by which
we seek to advance His kingdom.
" Commending this important society to your
special Christian consideration,
" I am, Dear Brethren,
" Your faithful servant in the Lord,
" A. C. LONDON."

country, is sufficient to pay for the transit through
Egypt also. In consequence, however, of a subse-
quent offer on behalf of the Australian colonies to
pay the cost of transit in a single sum, instead of a
higher postage being demanded, newspapers to
Australia are again forwarded via Southampton and
Alexandria at the former rate of one penny. One

evil attending all special privileges is the difficulty
of drawing a line of distinction. A few years ago
even a high legal officer declared his inability to
define a newspaper ; and how can it be expected
that a power which was wanting in him can be
possessed by the crowd of persons, many of them
having but little education, engaged in the business
of the Post-office ? Yet unless a broad line of de-
marcation be drawn, not only the department but
the public have difficulty in recognising it.
The Postmaster-General comments at some length
on what he considers the evils resulting from special

privileges with regard to newspapers, and expresses
his belief that the true policy seems to consist in
establishing rates of postage as low as, by good and
economical arrangements, they can be made, and
then to admit of no exceptions.
When a postage stamp has been substituted for
the present newspaper stamp, newspapers will, like
books, be liable to detention when the mails are
heavy, but even as respects books the power of de-
tention is rarely used, while with regard to news-
papers it has never been employed, and there is no
intention of exercising it, The new arrangement,
moreover, will net give rise to any necessity for using
labels as distinguished from impressed stamps; for
although there will no longer be any peculiar im-
pressed stamp for newspapers, it will be open to all
publishers of newspapers and news-agents, as it is
to the public generally, to send to Somerset-house
newspaper covers to receive an ordinary postage
impressed stamp ; the only difference being that in-
stead of having to send a great mass of paper a
comparatively small quantity will suffice. Agents
who send many newspapers abroad have long taken
advantage of this privilege ; the peculiar news-
paper stamp not having for several years been
of any avail except as regards inland postage.
Nor will the circumstance that more obliteration
will be necessary to give rise to any delay in for-
warding newspapers, or to any abridgment of the
time for posting them, since the difficulty will be
surmounted, when requisite, by additional force.
Reverting to the charge of a transit rate of ld. on
newspapers passing through Egypt, the predictions
that this additional penny would greatly reduce the
number of newspapers thus forwarded have not
borne the test of experience. As already stated,
the additional charge in the case of newspapers
sent to, Australia has been withdrawn ; but on
newspapers to India it has since the beginning of
the year been regularly levied ; and the result shows
that no material diminution has taken place in the
number. In the last quarter of 1859 the news-
papers sent to India were, in round numbers,
276,000 ; and in the first quarter of 1860, 258,000 ;
the first number yielded a postage of £1,150, and
the second a postage of £2,150, or nearly double.
It has now been formally announced to the West
Indian Colonial Governments that on the Ist May
next (with a proviso that in Jamaica the period
may, if desired, be postponed to the Ist June) this
department will cease to charge itself with the
management of the West Indian posts, and that from
that day the Colonial Governments must themselves
undertake their control. A similar announcement
has been made in the case of Hong Kong. After
the Ist May therefore, or at latest the Ist June,
the British Post-office will no longer have the direc-
tion of any colonial post-offices except those at the
military stations of Gibraltar and Malta.
The means of complete registration from the
place of posting to that of delivery have been ex-
tendedand
it
seotedosnmhtNt
000
rpse
ttwra
co
ptfiiiamiZealand.tighdehe
to letters addressed to Victoria (Australia)
e corcorol
m;
onpni
compulsory
charge;si
sol
theire
yt t
ae
apnr
rsrdre
impiv
taauylsi
prepayment,
will bee
eb
tdeeo i
tts hhtu
hbea
ert-
jibneec
extent of one rate, will in this class of letters,
be made genera]. Arrangements have been made
with the Postmaster-General of the United States
for forwarding the British correspondence for
San Francisco, Vancouver's Island, and British
Columbia by the overland mail on all occasions
when its. 'arrival would thereby be expe-
dited. This arrangement, however, is limited to
letters, owing to the necessity of keeping down the
weight upon this line of conveyance.
Arrangements are making for forwarding addi-
tional mails to Bermuda by way of the United
States. A contract has been made with the Penin-
sular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company to
run a steamer twice a month between Malta and
Corfu.
The arrangement for sorting letters on board
ship have been extended to the mails forwarded by
the Cunard mail packets, and to those sent by
the packets maintained by the Canadian Govern-
ment, which latter contain most of the Canadian
correspondence, and part of that with the United
States ; though of the last-mentioned correspon-
dence much still arrives in this country unsorted.
In cases' Where--the. sorting has' been effected on
board ship't lie London correspOndence is frequently,
-in the Uncle of the letter-carriers' Within half .an
boir of its..iirriVal, and 'Wahl -satnetiinc; fre
bags for the large provincial towns arc on their way
to the railway stations.
By the Act just passed the duty of entering
into contracts for the mail packet service, and of
superintending the execution of these contracts,
will shortly be transferred from the Admiralty to
the Post-office.
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

The gross revenu3 properly appertaining to the
year 1859, adjusted with reference to the balances
due to and from the colonies and foreign countries,
was £3,299,825; being an increase of £198,886
on the adjusted gross revenue of 1858. This in-
crease is equal to nearly 64 per cent. as compared
with an increase of 21- per cent. in the previous
year, and with an average of about 41 per cent. in
thy ast four years. Thegreat increase in the busi-
ness of the department during the year which has
produced this large increase of revenue is no doubt
mainly attributable to the activity which has pre-
vailed in all branches of trade and commerce, but
also in a certain degree to the general election last
spring, which alone produced an amount of corre-
spondence estimated in postage at £20,000.
The actual expenditure for 1859 was £1,926,903,
and the expenditure properly appertaining to the
year (partly estimated) was £1,853,953. The in-
crease of expenditure properly appertaining to the
year was £83,399, being rather more than 41 per
cent., as compared with three per cent. in 1858, and
with rather more than four percent., the average of
the last four years. The increase of £54,000 in
salaries, pensions, &co is partly for an increased
force-of 430 officers, partly for poundage on money
stampspartly (which increases with
orde rs
increasingand
for annual increments
of salaries and wages, and is partly owing to the
fact that the account for 1859 comprises 53 weeks.
business), postageness ),
The increase under the head " Miscellaneous" is
attributable to the increase in the official postage
of the department—an increase which is common
also to the revenue. The cost of conveyance, weight
for weight, at the present rates paid by the Post-
office—chic fly to railway companies—is now more
than fourfold what it was when penny postage was
first established, and when most of the letters were
carried by mail coaches. It had been shown at that
time by Mr. Rowland Hill that the average cost of
conveying an inland letter did not exceed 1-36 d.,
and that of a newspaper 1-Gd. But now, calculat-
ing on the same principle, the average cost of con-
veying a letter is id., and that of a newspaper (of
the present average weight of 21 oz.), 11d. To the
revenue accounted for by the Post-office, and proper
to the year 1859, is to be added the produce of the
impressed stamp on newspapers, £148,249; and
to the expenditure the cost of stationery (which
is defrayed by the Stationery-office), £28,642 ; and
such portion of the cost of the packets (hitherto
defrayed by the Admiralty, and partly incurred
for other than postal purposes), £444,519; which
may fairly be placed to the debit of the Post-office ;
there is also to he deducted from the expendi-
ture part of the annual payment to the Holy-head
Railway Company, £1,838,953—a payment agreed
upon chiefly to assist in the construction of the
line, and to promote passenger communication be-
tween England and Ireland. The net revenue, viz.,
the difference between the gross revenue properly
appertaining to the year and the expenditure,
was £1,135,960. About a million of the net
revenue—that is, nearly the whole of it, is derived
from inland letters, each of which on an average
yields a profit of about id., while the average
postage is about 11d. It is believed that newspapers
and books yield no profit, even if they do not en-
tail a considerable loss ; for while the average
charge, taking newspapers and books together, is
less than for letters, the expense is greater, since
from their larger bulk and weight newspapers and
books give more trouble in sorting, are heavier in
conveyance, and are a greater burden to the letter-
carriers. Again, it is thought that the great mag-
nitude of some of the mails (chiefly caused by news-
papers and books), and the idea (although his lord-
ship considers such idea erroneous) that the book
post deprive railway companies of traffic in parcels,
have a material effect in augmenting the sums
awarded by
.arbitrators far railway service. As
regards communication with distant places, expe-
rience proves that, within moderate limits, the
number of letters is not much affected by the rate
of postage ; frequency, regularity, and speed of com-
munication, appearing, to have a far greater in-
fluence.

CRYSTAL PALAR,—HaIf-erown Day, Saturday,
April 14.—Admissions on payment, 1,537 ; ditto by Felon
tickets, 2,753. Total visitors, 4,310,

DISCOUNT 110 USES,

The allegation cl;rrent on Friday regarding the
discount houses seems to have been Confirmed. A

correspondent observes " The report is of a eharac-

ter so extremely silly that every one is wondering
how it could find•its way into the columns of The
Tizzies." Nevertheless, there is now no doubt as to

its correctness. That credence should have been

refused to it is natural, because anything more ridi-
culous or more censurable could hardly be found in
commercial records. The firms in question feel ag
grieved that the Bank of England—an establish-
ment in the same way of business with themselves,
only on a very superior scale—will not supply them
with means whenever they have gone beyond their

own resources. The matter being precisely as if a
butcher with inadequate capital were to undertake
contracts for provisioning the army, and on finding

himself unable to complete them should insist that

the regular contractors, with whom in his vanity
he had attempted to compete, should then accept his
liabilities and allow him a profit for the privilege.
Whatever might be thought of such a claim, it was
open to them to urge it by all recognised modes.
They could appeal to the law courts if they con-
sidered they had legal rights, or to public opinion if
they rested their case solely on its moral merits. All
parties were ready for the discussion, and a judg-
ment could soon have been arrived at, because,
apart from the question whether bankers are to be
allowed the freedom conceded to all other traders,
or are to be compelled against their judgment to
discount for customers whom they would rather
avoid, a short recapitulation of the events of 1857,
and especially of the circumstances connected with
the §uspension of the Bank Charter Act, as well as
of the revelations in the subsequent winding up of
failed houses, would rapidly have enabled the
public to decide whether the title of the existing
discount establishments to favour is so strong and
exceptional that it should be allowed to override
every ordinary commercial principle. But it appears
that to appeal either to law or reason—the only
course usually considered open in England—was
not deemed desirable. For some time past, when-
ever, from political or other causes, there has been
any little inconvenience in the money market such
as the majority of respectable men would endeavour
by all legitimate means to smooth or mitigate, a
certain set have occupied themselves in pretending
that same dreadful pressure was coming on, and
that all that was taking place, and all that was to
be dreaded, could be traced to the determination of
the Bank to discount for the public instead of for
the bill brokers. These matters, however, although
they have repeatedly led to temporary perplexity,
have been too small to be worthy of much notice. It
became necessary to attempt something on a grander
scale, and the results of the effort were yesterday
brought to public cognisance. The discount houses
by realisations in one form or another, are affirmed
to have scraped together a certain amount of
bank-notes some people say £2,000,000 or
£3,ooo,ooo—and to have locked them up. This
is usually thought to be about the worst use to
which bank-notes can be put, but they had an ob-
ject, and that object must have been to produce
inconvenience either to the Bank or the com-
mercial community, or both, or the more amiable
one of giving a turn to other capitalists by
temporarily withdrawing from competition from
them, and enabling them, for a little while at least,
to get 5 per cent., or perhaps more. Which is the
true interpretation ? The first harmonizes with
previous demonstrations, but is morally disagree-
able ; the second has a philanthropic character, but
is not flattering as regards financial sagacity. Per-
haps, supposing a design to produce embarrassment
to be admitted, it will be urged that the end was
beneficent, since it was to enable the discount
houses to resume a sway they may consider essen7
tial to the mercantile stability of Great Britain.
But there is no greater evil in commerce than the
liability to sudden and needless disturbances ; and
are we to hold that the end justifies the means, and
that we may do evil that good may conic ? The
people who have been frightened, and who have
had to pay 5 per cent., instead of 3, will hardly for
the moment appreciate that plea. Moreover, the
opinions and customs of society are against such
proceedings, and, where they have assumed an ex-
treme form, they have even come under judicial re-
probation. About two years back there was a case
in New York State of a man who collected a great
number of notes of a particular bank with the view
of presenting them all at once, so as to bring ethe
concern into difficulty. lle had been assisted by
others, and had incautiously mentioned that fact.
The directors thereupon prosecuted him for conspi-
racy, and he was found guilty and sentenced. This
shows the sensitiveness of public feeling on such
points, and, without assuming that in the present,
case there has been any combination or any pur-
pose of specific injury, the warning may be ac-
cepted that it is dangerous to begin a contest with
_establishments of public credit with any weapons
other than those of law and argument. It is to be
acknowledged that ,anY indiVichial firm has a', 'right
-1O exercise supreme command over its own property,
even though others may be ruined by sudden caprices
in connection with it, and it must be inferred that
in what has just been witnessed there has been no
reprehensible concert. If Messrs. A or B, for in-
stance, like at any time to lock up a million or two
of notes, when notes are worth 5 per cent., or even
to burn them, no one, unless it be a relative, can
have a right to interfere. All that can be hoped is
that the next individual house that may feel dis-
posed to measure its resources against those of the
Bank of England will bide its time, and lay its
plans so as to do the work effectually. The world at
the present juncture cannot afford to be constantly
excited by fear from some inscrutable operations,
only to find at last that there is no mischief any-
where, and that nothing has taken place beyond
the fact of an eminent discount firm having placed
its notes to fructify in its iron safe, It is true that
the moment when the community were likely to be
inconvenienced by an unprecedented pressure from
the quarterly revenue payments, was not altogether
inopportune for commencing the struggle, but the
failure has been not the less complete, and it is evi-
dent that the final effort must be deferred until the
occurrence of actual war, or some other calamity
when the Government and the country, rather than
sec the Bank of England and every commercial in-
terest crushed, may, perhaps, insist that each dis-
count house shall be first served upon its own terms,
and that the regular bankers and the public shall
then come in at the mai ket rate.—Times' City Ar-
ticle.