The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-21 00:00:00

also) most expressive parlance—taken in and done
for ! In the most flagrant of all these meanly fla-
grant and deplorable instances Austria was the
accomplice of the Russian and Prussian Govern-
ments. Yet, heinous though the guilt of both those
pillaging Governments unquestionably was in the
perpetration of the great crime of the
Partition of Poland, it was immeasurably
surpassed in the depth of its atrocity
by the monstrous ingratitude with which the Aus-
trians thus repayed the very land whose heroic sons
had, under JOHN SOBIESKI, been the Saviours of
Vienna from the Turkish barbarians ! The ingra-
titude thus evidenced in truth involves as by a
logical necessity—no matter how tardily—inevi-
tably, inexorably, an overwhelming retribution.
And not only is that retributive day of reckoning
fast approaching now for the Polish nationality,
but for other despised, but in secret dauntless and
unforgetting nationalities—for the Venetians, for
the Croatians, for the Bohemians, for the Tyrolese,
for the Hungarians. One of the most fertile and
beautiful among all the many stolen provinces of
Austria has but within the brief compass of a very
few months past been forcibly torn from the grasp
of the Viennese Government. That is the beginning
of the end of this unnatural power formed out of
the incongruous blending of so many deceived and
alien nationalities. The emancipation from that
prolonged and dire thraldom but recently achieved
for Lombardy by the Franco-Sardinian armies will
be the signal (we may be assured of this) for the
timely rising of the long-expectant Venetians,
and Croatians, and Hungarians. As an additional
and conclusive augury of the same approaching
rupture of the Austrian Empire, we regard the af-
fected willingness of its Government to make poli-
tical concessions, to plan here an Utopia, there an
Arcadia—to build up, in fact, in Hungary and else-
where all kinds of bran-new Constitutions.

before 12 o'clock, when those addressed to us by the
same mail, did not reach us till nearly three, just
as we were going to press. Our correspondents in
the suburbs feel the inconvenience. They can hardly
post anything after 7 a.m., even some who live, like
us, within, the three mile circle, which shall reach
us in time for insertion the same day.
Yet one little matter more. One of our regular
subscribers complained to us a few days ago that
letter-boxes were not either made universal, or not
required at all. He has had one for some time.
He thinks them very reasonable requirements ; he
confesses that the saving of time to the postman,
and the expediting the delivery to all, is obvious.
But he says that not half the neighbours in his
street, a quiet one, have boxes. That he has seen
the postman losing much time at others' doors,
through which he receives his letters later, and he
suggests that all houses, not cottages, ought to be
made to pay something extra if they will not put
up boxes when their neighbours do. Let there be,
in other words, an efficient penalty, or none at all.

None can wish less than we do to depreciate our
Postal service, There is probably not another in
the world which can compare with it. It has
pointed out the way to other countries, who have
all followed more or less the example set them, and,
so far as we at the moment remember, are better or
worse in proportion as they assimilate their manage-
ment to that of the institution which Mr. ROWLAND
HILL has created. We say Mr. HILL, because he
is the creator of the modern Post-office. The insti-
tution is as different now from what it was before
the days of penny postage as is travelling by rail-
way from travelling by coach. Not only in virtue
of the powers of the locomotive and the rail, do
letters reach our breakfast-table, which used to
arrive late in the afternoon, or even next day, but
the Post-office is now the institution of the mil-
lion. The increase of letters is indeed only mea-
sured by millions. Nineteen millions more last
year, for instance, than in the year preceding !
And since the institution of the Penny Postage
in 1840, an increase of 447 millions ; making the
number of letters delivered last year nearly seven
times as many as in the year 1839, when the old
rates were in force. Setting aside, therefore, nume-
rous and valuable improvements and additions—
the Money-order system, and the Book Post espe-
cially—the main grand result is one for which
Englishmen all over the world owe to Mr. ROW-
LAND HILL a debt of gratitude which they cannot
forget.
It is not, therefore, in the spirit of captious
complaint that we advert to one or two small prac-
tical matters which are sometimes very annoying in
their working. We will mention only what we
have met with in the last week in connection
with our own office. They must be instances of
what must be daily teasing to others, as well as to
us; and we hope he will give them his kind and
patient consideration.
But a few days ago we received from a friendly
local journal of large circulation a number of slips,
evidently posted at the eleventh hour, containing
a full report of what our brother journalist thought
was in great part matter of national interest. Had
it come by book-post, it would have come for one
penny, for it barely exceeded the ounce weight ; so
slightly, indeed, that probably putting on the
stamps afterwards turned the scale. Probably, in
the haste of the last minute, the book-post was
not thought of, or possibly the knowledge that it
might as a book parcel be detained for examination
led oar correspondent to prefer the envelope. Yet
for this anyhow obviously accidental error we had
to pay FOURPENCE extra. Why fourpence ?
Everyone familiar with the Post-office knows,
firstly, that the penalty for accident as well as fraud
(and we admit that in this business the penalty
must be the same) is double the deficient postage ;
and, secondly, that, like Sir ROBERT PEEL'S jump-
ing scale, the payment scale for letters, after two
preparatory steps of one penny for each half-ounce,
sets off in twopenny jumps. Whether you want
an ounce or not, you must pay for an ounce. If
the putting on of the postage-stamp but causes the
scale to vibrate when you have put on the two,
you must put on two more to satisfy the demand
of the jumping scale. A similar principle is adopted
in the book-post.
Now, is this a fair penalty ? Suppose that some
harsh drill like this were needful to make people
careful at first (which we do not believe), it is
totally unnecessary now. There is no disposition
to cheat the Post-office. We all willingly pay the
fairsharge for a letter. We do not, however, wil-
lingly 'iv this charge. The accident is never the
fault of the receiver, who must always bear the pe-
nalty. Were the amount more important, he would
not like to inform the sender of his mistake, it being
generally caused by a haste to accommodate the
receiver. How often, as in the instance
we refer to, does " immediate " show
the urgency under which it was sent. Fraud in
these under-stamped letters is, we repeat, the rare
exception, and the punishment ought therefore to
be as light as possible. Our definitive, and we
think fair suggestion to Mr. HILL is-Ist, that his
scale of charges should give up jumping, and pro-
ceed at the regular pace of one penny for every half
ounce additional. 2dly, that one penny in excess
of the extra postage, in every case, is a sufficient
penalty to inflict on the receiver for his friend's
oversight—or, if Mr. HILL prefers, to pay for the
trouble of charging the letter, and keeping the ac-
count with the letter carrier. At present every
person who has to pay, as we often have done, four-
pence for a friend's sending us, accidentally, with a
twopenny stamp, the two-hundredth part of an
ounce too much, feels very much as he does when a
cabman demands of him double fair. " Anything
fair," " anything even a little generous," but "no
imposition, not even a penny."

FRANCE.

1 per Cents. .... 95 50
Do. end month ..

3 per Cents 69 901
Do. end month 69 85
Bank Shares 2900

Credit Mobilier 772 50
Do. Account

RAILWAYS.

This is our chief grievance. Another is local.
Our office is in one of the busiest thoroughfares of
the metropolis—but we have not the felicity of
living East of Temple Bar, and under the benign
rule of the Mayor and Corporation of London City.
We find that, in consequence of this, the country
letters, which come by the mails arriving in the
middle hours of the clay, are not delivered to us till
from three to four hours later than they are to those
who live within the artificial London. To a news-
paper this is, of course, of the greatest consequence.
We have, we think, a right to complain, when we
have found letters reaching the Stock Exchange ,

THE SUN, LONDON MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 21, 1859.

LATEST E WS.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, Nov. 21.

The Constitutionnel of to-day, in an article signed
by its chief editor, M. Grandguillot, says that the
declaration of the Cabinet of Turin on the subject
of the regency of M. Buoncompagni are of a nature
to make those arrangements possible which have
generally been considered as very difficult of exe-
cution.

It is understood that if M. Buoncompagni exer-
cises the regency it is only for the maintenance of
order in Central Italy.
Italian interests are in harmony with European
interests, in order to reserve for the Congress the
definitive regulation of the situation of the Italian
Peninsula.

TURIN, Nov- 19

Baron Ricasoli, President of the National
Assembly of Tuscany, has protested against the
appointment of M. Buoncompagni as Regent of
Central Italy.

TURIN, Nov. 20.

M. Buoncompagni has left to-day for Parma and
Modena, where he will stay several days. The
question of the acceptance of his Regency of Central
Italy by Tuscany is in the way of settlement.

A Cabinet courier, bearer of the Treaty of Peace,
is expected to arrive 1146 to-day from Zurich. The
exchange of the ratifications will, in all probability,
take place to-morrow.
General Garibaldi announces, in a proclamation
addressed to the Italians, that he has withdrawn
from the military service, and he adds :—" On the
day when Victor Emmanuel shall call his soldiers
to arms I will take my place again among my
fellow-combatants."

GENOA, Nov. 18.

A deputation from Tuscany, consisting of Signor
Egallcotti, Signor Coppi, and Signor Febrizzi, sent
by the Baron Ricasoli, President of the National
Assembly, to protest against the Regency of M.
Buoncompagni, has arrived in Turin.
The deputation has not been received by the
King, but Prince de Carignan will receive them in
a private audience.

MUNICH, Nov. 20.

It is stated that, on the invivitation of Bavaria,
a conference of the Ministers of the States of second
rank, and also the minor States of Germany, is
about to take place on the 23d inst. at Wurzburg,
in order to come to some agreement about the
pending questions of German policy.

PARIS, SUNDAY.

It is stated that the official convocation of the
Congress will take place to-morrow. A certain ob-
jection made by Russia causes a delay.
It appears that Baron de Malaret is to replace
the Prince Latour d'Auvergne as Ambassador at
Turin, in case the latter should be appointed Am-
bassador at Berlin.

The Constitutionnel of Saturday confirms the
statement which appeared in the Patrie, namely,
that the Anal de la Religion would be prosecuted for
publishing the letter alleged to be from the King
of Sardinia to the Emperor of the French, relative
to the regency of the Prince de Carignan.
No formal invitation to take part in the Congress
which is to be held on the 15th of December next
has yet been addressed by France to England, but
Count Persigny has been instructed to arrange the
preliminary conditions with Lord John Russell.

The formal and official invitation will be sent to
London from the Cabinets of Vienna and Paris
simultaneously. The notes containing the invita-
tion will not be identical, as it has been stated; Aus-
tria will propose that the Congress shall assemble
in Paris, while France will abstain from indicating
any place.
It is certain that A ustria, through the medium of
Prince de Metternich, has protested here against
the nomination of a Regent by Piedmont, as such
A regency would be contrary to the conditions of
the treaties of peace signed at Zurich.
Baron de Talleyrand will replace the Marquis
de Moustier as Ambassador at Berlin, The Mar-
quis Bonneville will be appointed Ambassador at
Athens.

The departure of the Spanish troops to Morocco
has been delayed, as Marshal O'Donnell will not
consent to their leaving before the collection of the
war material has been completed, which will be
very shortly.

No invitation to take part in the approaching
Congress has yet been sent to any Power ; the
lettres de creance will be sent to the Plenipoten-
tiaries on Sunday or Monday next.

THE BOURSE, Nov. 19.—The market has been
flat, and prices have slightly declined. Threes, after
having been done at 69f. 95e., receded to 69f. 85c.
Nlobilier varied from 777 f. 50c. to 772 f.; Austrian,
546 f. 25e.; Lombard, 546 f, 25e.; Orleans, 1,365 f. ;
Lyons, 885 f. The following were the last quota-
tions:—

Credit Fonder G 95
Belgian 4/ —
Piedmontese (5)
Roman —

Austrian
Spanish Threes
Home Debt 43

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern . 950 950
New ditto. B3O .. 832 50
Lyons and Mediterranean BB3 75 .. 885
Geneva 527 50 ..
Southern
Western 565
Eastern
Sardiniaa.
Austrian
Lombard
Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 12c. ; money,
25f. 10c. ; three months, paper, 24f. 971 c. ; money, 24f. 95c.

GREECE.
The sixth Legislative session of the Greek cham-
bers was opened on the 10th inst. by King Otho.
After stating that Greece was at peace with all
foreign Powers, his Majesty said :
" Gentlemen, Deputies and Senators,—You are
aware that my Government, always anxious to
fulfil its engagements towards the Powers who
guaranteed the loan, has proposed to them to make
a final settlement of the affair according to the re-
sources of the state. They have claimed, for the
present, an annual payment of 900,000 f., convinced
that the payment of that sum will not create any
embarrassment to the public service. My Govern-
ment will ask from youthe grants necessary to cover
this sum, and will follow up the negotiations rela-
tive to the final settlement of this question—a set-
tlement which is indispensable to the consolidation
of public credit and a healthy system of our finances.
I entertain the hope that the kindness always
shown to Greece by the protesting Powers will
facilitate the result of this negotiation."
After mentioning various local measures, the
Royal Speech formally announces the opening of
the sixth Legislative session.

The Euryalus, with Prince Alfred on board, ar-
rived at the Piraeus on the 10th inst.

THE WRECK OF TIIE ROYAL CHARTER.—The
body of the unfortunate Capt. 'Withers was washed ashore
at Bull-bay at 3 p.m. on Thursday last. All his clothes
were on except his coat. On his person were found a gold
watch and chain, two gold seals, £36 in gold, and a silver
snuff-box, bearing the inscription—" Presented by the pas-
congers of the ship Glocester to Capt. Withers, November
7, 1838." The watch had stopped at half-past seven. The
body was much disfigured about the face and hands.
On Saturday last Dr. Watts, Mr. Richard Moore,
and Mr. C. D. Collet, the Executive Committee of the As-
sociation for Promoting the Repeal of the Taxes on Know-
ledge, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer at his official residence in Downing-street, in the
caurse
of which they presented an address on the subject of
reducing the taxes on F aper. The deputation was accom-
panied by Mr. Robert Chambers, of Edinburgh, and intro-
duced by Mr, Ayrton, M.P.