The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-09 00:00:00

lhand, however, reciprocity of candour requiresl
the admission that it was not carried by sur-
prise. The secret of its unexpected success was theS
ttimidity and cowardice of those who, out of fear of 4
Ithe " meeting-house," stayed away, but who now
affect that their absence was owing to the early hour '
at which the division took place. Now, though the
country has a right,, we think, to complain of Mi-
,nisters at once, and without inquiry or lengthened
notice, adopting and acting on such an address, it is
certainly with a very ill grace that those Members
whose absence led to its affirmation censure Go-

vernment for not displaying a courage which they
themselves did not choose to, exercise on that
occasion. Sir Charles 'Wood at the time man-,
(fully opposed the motion, warned the House of the;
consequences of its being carried, and, with his'
colleagues, voted in the minority against it. Lord
John Russell, too, has subsequently spoken out
plainly and decisively on the question, and has,
'distinctly intimated that the Government will only
be too happy, on the invitation of the House, to,
retrace its step. It is, therefore, entirely for those.
who formerly absented themselves now to come for-
ward, and by their support to Mr. Locke's motion to
undo the mischief which they by their former'
cowardice caused. They have the power, and Mr.
Locke will afford them the opportunity, of putting:
the matter right. The 'absurdity of sending letters
and papers on Saturday evenings, to remain in po=t-
offices, subject to the prying of their inmates, all the
Sunday, is so ridiculous, and the inconveniences of
the total cessation of delivery and collection on that
day are so obvious, as to require very little dis-
cussion. The real point for .dehate and inquiry is
'that
so happily hit by Mr. Locke—how can Sun•
day labour in post-offices b© diminished, and the
delivery and collection of letters be at the same time
maintained ? No doubt, it is hard on individuals in
any service to be kept at work on the first, as well as

throughout the other, six days of the week; and it
well behoves the Government to set private people an
example on such a point. But this was exactly what
the Post-office authorities were doing when the House
of Commons so improperly and injuriously interfered
with the details of an executive department of the
state. They had given relief during five of the best
hours of the Sunday to nearly five thousand persons
engaged in their service in the provinces ; and hail
reduced the number of hands (at all times insignificant)
employed during that day at St. Martin's-le-Grand.
Nor would this have been all, had Parliament let
them alone; they were prepared, and making prepa-
rations to go further. The only obstruction to their
views was expe'nse ; for, to give complete relief to
those worked six days in our Post-office on the '
seventh day, one of two courses must be adopted.
Either there must be a cessation of delivery and col-
lection on Sundays, as Lord Ashley has proposed,
and, unfortunately, carried ; or Parliament must be
prepared to allow the Post-office to enlarge its esta-
blishment. For years complaints have been almost
universal of the inadequacy of the remuneration given
to post-masters and all other Post-office employes. Hard
work and bad pay was, and is, the tenure of Post-
office service. Novy, unluckily for the heads of the
department, these complaints were not sufficiently
attended to. In their anxiety to make the Post-
office the source of a handsome revenue to the coun-

try, the treasury of the Postmaster-General, and their
advisers, screwed down salaries, remuneration, and
wages, to point intolerably low, and the consequence,
i., that on the part of their officers and servants,l
there is now an organisation against them as univer•

,a 1 as their formerdisregarded-complaints were. Thisl
organisation has lent all its influence, and supplied 8111
its information to Lord Ashley and his friends ; and
has of late been celebrating its triumph by osten-
tatious attendance at church. And that triumph is.
in point,of fact, a retribution for Post-office niggard-
liness and Treasury economy. To restore Sunday
delivery and collection, the Post-office and the
Treasury must, then, be prepared to deal liberally
with those in their service, and to give to every
one engaged in that department the pecuniary
means and the opportunity of enjoying one
day's complete rest during the week. Unless, indeed,
they are ready to do this, it may be doubted whether
a restoration to the old practice ought in justice to
the Post-office employis to be made. For it is quite
intolerable that a public department alone in this
country should, on the paltry ground of economy
deny its servants one day's relaxation, rest, or amu-e•
ment during each week. And how, and at what cost
that can be done, will be one of the points fur inquiry,
should Mr. Locke's motion be carried. So far us the
question has been made what it really is not, a reli-
gious one, that is almost entirely owing to Scotland
and its sectarian squabbles and animosities. Since
the disruption of the kirk of that ancient kingdom,
!there has been in Scotland a struggle and a competi-

tion between the rival sects v and churches for
(power and supremacy.' One has been outbidding
the other in what we, on the south of the Tweed.
!c3ll Puritanism, until at last their race ended

in an organization against Sunday travelling and
Post-office work, which has gradually, but not verb
successfully, been extended into England; whilst t,
il
Ireland it has hardly gained admittance. It Li, there-1
Itfore, a question whether the prejudices entertained on
,this question by a large proportion of the population
!of Scotland shall be forced, against their inclination
;and reason, on the inhabitants of England and Ire-
land? And this, too, Mr. Locke, will, if he have the-

lopportunity, put to the test to-night in the house of
Commons. We conclude, however, as we commence,
in entreating attendance. Members owe it to thei,

town characters, as well as to their constituents, to be

present. Fur, if on such a subject the representa-
tives of the people are afraid of expressing in the
House of Commons the opinions they are loud in
giving vent to out, they are most unworthy member,
of the popular branch of the British Parliament.