The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-11 00:00:00

STAMPING LETTERS.

Lord CAMPBELL called the attention of the Post-
master-General to the importance of introducing some
improvement in the mode of stamping letters in the
post-nffice. At the present time the stamps upon letters
were generally illegible, and it was with the greatest
difficult.y that the dates were made out. In a trial
that took place recently at Edinburgh the evil was
felt very much, and it was of the utmost importance
to ascertain whether an improved mode could not be
adopted.

The Duke of ARGYLL said the subject was one
which had occasioned cicsiderable inquiry. The real
difficulty existed in the necessity of stamping the whole
of the letters by manual labour inasmuch as no machine
had yet been discovered to perform the operation effec-
tually. If the noble and learned lord ',mold visit the
post-office at 6 o'clock in the evening he would witness
the marvellous rapidity and accuracy with which
many thousands of letters were stamped in a very
short space of time. It wad absolutely neces-
sary to keep the box open to the latest moment for the
reception of letters, and great difficulty was then expe-
rienced in stamping and nsaking up the letters within
the very short time left for the operation. There had been
a great many suggestions offered, and he v. as happy to
say that there was every likelihood of the object the noble
and learned lord had in view would beobtained. There was
no doubt a great superiority in foreign stamps, but that
might be accounted for by the circumstance of the kind
of paper used abroad, and the smallness of the number
of letters compared with those of this country. It was
exceedingly difficoh to stamp letters legibly, especially
when glazed paper was used.
The Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland) Bill passed
through committee,
The Lunatics (Scotland) Bill also passed through com-
mittee after a few verbal amendments bad been agreed to.

The report of the amendments to the Militia Bill was
brought up and agreed to.
The County Court Judges Salaries Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The report of amendments on the Court' of Session
(Scotland) Bill was brought up and agreed to.
The Charitable Trusts Act Continuance Bill was read
a third time and passed.
The General Beard of flealtla Continuance Bill and
the Attorney and Solicitors (Colonial Courts) Bill passed
through committee.

The Municipal Corporations Bill also passed through
•ammittee.

The Superannuation Act Amendment Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The Illicit IY‘tilla.tion (Ireland) Bill, and the Loan
Societies, the Burial-ground (Scotland) Act (1855)
Amendment Bill, and the Valuation of Land (Scotland)
Ael Amendment Bill, the Summary Proceedings before
Justices of the Peace Bill, went through committee.
The Fraudulent Trustees Bill, and the Trustees Relief
Bill were read a third time and passed.
. _

The Jurisdiction in Siam Bill went through corn
rnittoe.

L ,rd MONTEAGLE called the attentien of their
lordships to a petition presented by the Earl of Carysfort
on the sth inst., praying for his recognition as a mem-
ber of that house. The noble lord explained the case of
the petitioner to be one in which an Irish representative
peer was prevented from the exercise of his rights by a
standing order of their lordships' house, and suggested
that the said order should be amended, so as to allow of
justice being done in the case of the noble earl to whoso
petition he had referred.

Lord REDESDALE deprecated any interference with
the Etinding order which prevented the recognition of the
petitioner, at that late period of the session, at.d with so
few of their lordships present. That resolution had been
adopted at a time when there was a full attendance of
Irish peers, and it would not be fair to interfere with it
now.

Lord CAMPBELL suppceed the proposition of the
noble lord behind him (Lord Monteagle).
The LORD CHANCELLOR was of opinion that the
case should be met by amending the standing order, and
that there was no necessity to wait for another session
of Parliament.

Lord MONTEAGLE postponed the motion, ana gave
notice of a motion for to-morrow, for araending the
standing order in question.
The'Bishop of OXFORD presented a petition from
the archdeaconry of Bath against the Divorce Bill.
Their lordships then a(T)urned at 20 minuted to 7
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAK En took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Lords' amendments to the following bills were
considered and agreed to :—British and Irish Grand
Junction ; Finsbury Park (No. 2) ; New Brunswick
and Canada Railway and Land Company ; Norfolk Es-
tuary Acts Amendment ; Sittingbourne and Sheerness
Rahway ; Tweed Fisheries ; and South Eastern Rail.
way (Greenwich Junction to Dartford, &c.)
THAMES CONSERVANCY BILL.
On the consideration of the Lords' amendments to
this bill,
General CODRINGTON, who objected to the prin-
ciple of the bill, took occasion to complain of a bill for a
puhfic object being passed through the house as a pri-
vate bill, which prevented its details from being properly
known by the public, who would be materially affected
by them. By this course many of the objectionable
clauses of the bill had been concealed from the public.
Sir J. SHELLEY concurred in the observations of
the gallant officer.

Mr. BRISCOE also addressed the House, and pro-
ceeded to remark on the principle of the bill, when
The SPEAKER called him to order, observing that
the principle of the bill could not then he discussed.
The question before the house was the Lords' amend-
ments to the bill.
The amendments were then agreed to.
ROYAL ASSENT.

The SPEAKER and several members of the house at-
tended the House of Lords to hear the Royal Assent
given by cominisAon to numerous bi:l4. (See Lords'
report.)