The Sun.
London, England, 1835-08-10 00:00:00

THE POST-OFFICE.

4P>
AIR. WALLACE, THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL,
AND THE PUBLIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir----As your columns have often advocated the cause of
the public in regard to Post-office Reforms, I beg leave to
submit a corres?)ondene I have had with his Majesty's Post-
master-Gener,d, apucars to be of a nature to interest
the inhabit: vas of this great ritv as well as the public at
at large.
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
ROBERT WALLACE.
413 rludyer- street, Westminster.
Aug. 10, 1535.

10, Fludver-street, Aug. 5, 1835.
th M Lerd—l think I have at last discovered one cause, if not
°le cause of the mistakes and confusion which occur in
thee 8y
1;e Thtepr :r.,tsiality and
delivery of letters, and most certainly the only reason for
, e
favouritism in this respect.
e fret is, I am very credibly informed, that a selection of
made during the operation of sorting at the General
rosP•office, which is winked at, if it be not openly sanctioned.
lehtt°erspay
7he practice I allude to is selecting the letters of those
privately for having, them early delivered, from the
Of those who nre kept in ignorance of the practice, or
who ,
wont submit to this system of Post.oflice imposi-
hoo. I designate it so because its existence has been denied
ill the house of Commons ; and, therefore, I conclude this
term is fairly applicable to it. The letters having undergone
e aforesaid selection, and consequently a double sorting, and
tL. general delivery having been retarded thereby, the letter-
Farriers of adjacent districts exchange with each other these
letters which can be delivered near the place at which they
'ZinmeTice, and in this way they not only travel out of, and
nd their walks, but it is a common practice, I am given to
and all over London, to have letters left by two se-
t:trate General Post office Runners, an hour, and even more
se-
than an hour earlier, at houses in the very same streets and
squares than at others.
If this practice is sanctioned by your Lordship it ought to he
made
abolished
public . If it is not, as I confidently believe will turn
'4
to b 0 the case, I hope to be excused for saying it should be
immediately. The mode to do so is simple. Were
°tut
err Ls ord ship to issue a public order prohibiting a selection of
e
within the Post-office, and their being delivered by
Say others than those regularly appointed to walks, and this
raost Pain of dismissal, there would be an end put to this
,obleetionable practice.
lion °('g leave to mention that I will consider this communica-
at with your alaltip's reply to be so far of a public nature
eatlZllj.vo, o
the right to give' publicity to them, if I shall see
I have the honour to be, &c.
T igned) ROBERT WALLACE.
the Right Hon. the Earl of
• Lichfield, &c. &c.

Sir St. James's-square, August 6, 1835.
—ln reference to the observations contained in your
:p
,etter of the sth inst., I beg to state that there is no confusion
Meyer in the delivery of letters, and that it is only a matter
a astonishment to those who have the means of knowing and
soesertaining the fact, that so few mistakes occur. I also beg
d.i;stinetly. to deny
.the allegation of either partiality or
unrit.sro being practized in any department of the Post-
office.

The practice of an early delivery is of very ancient date, and
i.vreattitseaatsheespdeltsviiatilya view to expedite the general delivery of
for the accommodation of the merchants,
euxateknetrs' ,&,c- irt the City, where it still exits
.to a considerable
genr '„llitr:ough, on account of the earlier dispatch of letters
wit-Lra'-q, it has almost ceased at the west end of the town.
S" regard to this practice the public has never been kept in
coranee of it ; it is as notorious as the existence of the Post.
;71 I itself, and I am sure any attempt to put a stop to it
Itru d create very great dissatisfaction, and give rise to very
t c'ng remonstrances from all the trading interests in the me-
ti°Pcllig• have also to add that it has not only been sane-
,-tetl by long custom, and the general approbation of the
rl'tio, but also by a direct letter from the Treasury, in reply
4e explaining the system of early delivery, and the Letter-
.narriers' Fund, arising from the produce of it. The conclud.
criers'
remark in that letter is the following,---“ I have it in corn-
pt4lld to acquaint your Lordship that my Lords entirely ap-
je of the said arrancrement."
prLave now only to add that it is the duty of the Postmaster
ompt that course which he may think most calculated to
te the convenience of the public; and it is my opinion,
eve no doubt it was that of my predecessors, that the
tisirsc, 111 question is the one best adapted to give general sa-
s. aclmo, and secure the most speedy and, as far as possible,
Iniultaneous delivery of letters.
1 b,eR in conclusion to observe that I have no objection, but
04
t"o contrary am most anxious, that the utmost publicity
Y be given to this communication.
I have the honour to be, &c.,
To Robert Wallace, Egg. LICHFIELD.

'TY Lord Fludyer-street, August 7, 1835.
esterdi I have had th ,—e honour to receive your letter of
a
a shall not enter here into a discussion of the
points noticed in my communication of the sth, and dissented
rota by
your Lords.hip. I must, however, repeat that the exist-
Zeir an early delivery of letters, which I characterised in
et" (4l
P-artialitof Commons, in the session of 1833, as a measure
dented,Y, favouritism, and injustice, was then strenuously
I reiterated these opinions more than once in the ses-
-.tin Of 1834, when the existence of an early delivery was also
tcha.nied, and alsmesa a late occasion. Your Lordship, however,
given
ta;oeertai
tont defending its propriety. This matter I may see it to be
as." duty to notice more at length elsewhere, and endeavour to
n whether the practice I complain of claims its origin
Post-ollice or Treasury diplomacy, or is one of the happy
these
of the undefined and incomprehensible alliance between
aepaei. departments.
t, 4" receipt of my letters at the earliest hour they are given
anY person is the point to which I shall first advert, and
•. t"thel.Frore I have to request of your Lordship to give proof of
an!,lnipartiality of the Post-office, by directing tke proper
i.4tnornties to cause my letters to be left here from this time
• aZward, at the earliest hour they have been delivered in this
iirlY street, during the present session of Parliament, to parties
ad Considered as being treated with favouritism, but from what
Your Lordship says I now conclude, owe to the weight of their
Curse the advantage' of their receiving their letters at least an
w°,ar before their less wealthy neighbours, right and left, to
'
s n ho i°lll it might be no small advantage to make their ioargains
edur before those around them have seen their -totters.
ify' understand your Lordship aright 2 allege the early
eba_s Y is made for the convenieness and advantage of mi er-
"t and bankers to the exelesnon. of all other classes, inc ud-
4ag_sthCrelll smaller capitaersts, dealers and tradesmen, as well
ittithie Members of bon !louses of Parliament. I have cu-
t: the Often before Heard of one law for the rich, and another
Itlne poor, t:ae meaning of which is—the law of might against
this t hu.- ! have to thank your Lordship for the affirmation of
aia, Prlnciple, which I had believed was in abeyance, if not repu-
qtrt bv all liberal public men. Be this as it mav, its decla.
'3llhY 'our Lordship on the part of the Post ()thee shall be
it,moinunicated to the public, which now knows how to protect
at
if., and happily Inns the means of doing so in our House of
atnent at any rate.
ftral°w me to express my thanks to your Lordship for the
areilleaS of Your communication, and to observe that it is in
The keeping with the by-east management of the Post Office.
doss PraetiCe of that department has, I believe, always been to
.ult
ivately a few individuals in London, and
else it
he
them as the public and the country. It is believed
as the Leviathans only have been applied to, whose into-
iil ewer has
ts enterprise been and must be to repress and keep down
and industry of their aspiring competitors.
these f course, it is understood, was followed successfully by
ew
it, to the-injury of the country at large, as to extend-
_ egi and liberalizing the Post communication with the Conti-
litical bankers and merchants of a certain grade and pc-
aabile bias in London were only consulted, it is believed,
in the no opportunity was afforded to the great body of traders
metropolis
in. Liverpool, oe in Manchester, or through-
ollaut the country, to express aeiy opinion, and the consequence
the adoptions of a
ocular, and the caoatio
Vine of conduct towards France in par-
disa ent in general,
which astonished and
s • busted tina well-informed and liberal-minded in these coun-
.ries, as . o
:t; n'("1. as in cur own—one part of which was, and it
„il' ',ontinues, the stoppage here of tine correspondence of
ik Europe for 48 hours in the week.
as
a ordshi This brings me to put the department over which your
p presides— to a farther proof of impartiality in con-
4unetion with the delivery of letters. If lam not greatly mis•ulyorrned, I stated correctly in my place in the House of Com-
pusthe on the nth of Jule, thet the whole correspondence
ernpirc is brought to the General Post-office on Su s
n:
is in', orrongs, and is there sorted, and a selection of
letter
-aCte for a certain pertion of this community, which letters
sent round by Pest-office runners, and delivered according to
annreetion. I enumerated a considerable portion of the depositors
111 these letters, and am now enabled, whether rightly informed or
„Qt, to add some of a mareprivate description, who receivethe ad-
qntage of twenty-four hours' infermation before their less for-
tlinMe compe.titojs. I believe my information is correct, but to
:net the point at rest, and that of favouritism or partiality in the
matter, I shell see it to be my duty to move for a return of the
irrdes of all parties whatever, who receive their letters from
tte General Post-cffice in London on Sundays. In the mean-
' hone ,be • -eessd for requesting of your Lordship to
4,1,ex
)I'4 top name to the list of those who do receive them. This
se has only a brick wall between it and those where letters
ttre delivered regularly on Sunday. It, therefore, will be but
mall additional trouble to allow mine to be left, and I can
attre your Lordship it would be a great convenience to be
!liabled to dispose of these on the morning of' Mondays, before
°
hose of that day arrive, which your Lordship will be pleased
`k remember are withheld from the public at least an hour later
-"an on other days, rather than disturb the slumbers of the
Clerks and sorters in the Post office.
a Your Lordship has in strong terms approved of the system
tof a partial, early delivery. On 'my part, I designate the
raetice as impolitic, unjustifizsble, and unfair—sanctioned onl3
Y the antiquated notions of Sir Francis Freeling. No similar
Practice is tolerated in any other public establishment what-
the Post-office here excepted. The practice is unknown
!ti every other Post-office threughout the three kingdoms, and
Is tolerated only in London, as I do fairly believe,, because the
linblic have been kept in ignorance of it, and is one which as-
sllredlY would not be tolerated for one moment in any other
Part of the King's dominions.
• The practice '
C 1 you eanctiou of selecting the letters of
INIII
• the rich for early delivery, as you say, chiefly in the city, ap-
- P;ars the more monstrously absurd, because St. Martin's-le-
•--
1"t rand stands in the centre thereof, and is most conveniently
..lataal for ac early a delivery as can be made on fair term:-•,
-141 Without sclevtion ; but the practice hi one, as I