The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-14 00:00:00

THE LETTER-SORTERS.

TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF LOSS-
DALE, HER MAJESTY'S POST-NIASTEIZ

GENERAL.
The petition of the undersigned sub-sorters in the

General Post-office,

Humbly showeth—That your petitioners are desirour:
of availing themselves of your Lordship's kind permis-
sion to express their grievances, with unfeigned deference
to the constituted authorities of the office.

That your petitioners would humbly call your Lor,l-
- attention to the inequality of their present scale
of salary, and to its inadequacy as a remune►•ation for
their services.

That your petitioners were promoted to their present
office from that of the letter carriers for their good
conduct and aptness at performing the duty which has
now become both onerous and responsible, and they
refer your Lordship With becoming pride to the fact that
they have never, in any one instsnce, forfeited that good
character, inasmuch as a criminal prosecution has never
been instituted against any one of their b,frely.
That your petitioners would cautiously avoid making
an invidious comparison with other officers of the esta-
blishment, but they cannot refrain from pointing out to
3 our Lordship's notice the similarity of some of their
duties to those of the clerks, and the arduousness of
other duties in connexion with the letter-carriers.

That when the present scale of salary was made in the
year 1836 by your Lordship's predecessor, and the then
secretary, Sir Francis Freeling, it was an arrangement
which met with their sanction that there should be foul
classes, at 801., 901.,1001., andllol. per annum, and that any
subsequent increase in the sub-sorters should be equally
divided on each class. Thus all had a prospect of
ultimately rising to the senior class. But in con-
sequence of the number being increased from forty
to one hundred and nineteen, thirty of whom arc on
the three higher classes, seventy-four on the 80/. class,
and fifteen who act as b.tter-carriers on the lowest class.
So that as there is little disparity in the ages of our
humble petitioners, they are precluded front ever rising
above their present class after passing many years of t ery
active service.

Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your Lord-
ship to place them On a scale of salary according to their
servitude ; so that each one may have the prospect of
rising to a senior class every five years.
That your petitioners' duties have increased two-fold
since 1836, and that the physical labours which now
devolve upon them are much heavier on account of the
increased facilities given to the public, and the vast ex-
tent of the London newspaper press ; the arduous duty
of sorting which falls principally on your petitioners.
That your petitioners humbly but earnestly sal:
amelioration of their excessive toil, of the injurious
nature of which your Lordship may be best apptised
by the fact that many of your humble petitioners are
labouring under serious bodily injury which they have
received in the performance of their duty, which can
never be pecuniarily compensated, but which your
Lordship may alleviate. As a painful proof that ill
effects arise from their labours, they beg to refer your
Lordship to the bills of mortality for the last two years,
and to the present sanitary state of the office.
That your petitioners humbly wish your Lordship to
notice, that when they are disabled by sickness or other
casualties, a considerable portion of the salary is de-
ducted. This your Lordship will please t 9 c- nsider
often retards their recovery and embarrasses th( m in
their circumstances ; they, therefore, pray your Lord-
ship to place them in the same position as other officers
under the Crown, and that your petitioners may have
the privilege of fourteen days in the year, without de-
ductions, of which your Lordship will please to deem
them not unworthy, after twelve months of hard service
in a confined and destructive atmosphere.
That your petitioners respectfully affirm that it is im-
possible to escape such evils under a continuation of such
circumstances, they therefore humbly pray your Lord-
ship to grant them—first, an adequate salary equal to
their years of servitude, responsibility, and trust; se-
condly, a modification of their duties, which at present
exceeds their energies, and destroys both body and
mind; and lastly, that all extra duties performed by
your humble petitioners be remunerated on the same
principle as that allowed to other officers of the estab-
lishment.

That your petitioners do most earnestly implore your
Lordship to take such steps as in your Lordship's wis-
dom may seem fit to meliorate their condition—to give
happiness and contentment to their homes, and enable
your petitioners to maintain their families in comfort
and respectability.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound,
August 5, 1845. will ever pray, &c.

NEW CLAI i►S otiADE BY FREE-
TRADERS IN SOUTH LANCASHIRE.
We understand that no fewer than 2,659 new claims
have been made by the free-traders to be placed on the
register of county voters, for the southern division of
this county —claims which will be investigated at the re-
vising barristers' courts, to be held next month. In a
recent number we stated the amount of new claims to be
about 2,500, but that was only an estimate, and the fol-
lowing table will show, with tolerable accuracy, the real
numbers in each of the polling districts within the divi-
sion. It is believed that these new claims are wholly
independent and irrespective of the claims because of a
tnisdescription, a removal, or a change of qualification,
which are now termed reclaims, and a list of which is
also added. But these make little or no difference to the
register, while the establishment of 2,000 new claims
would give that additional strength to the free-trade
party in the division, and would doubtless enable them
to secure the return of both its members :

Free-Trade
Polling Places. New Claims. Re-Claims.
Ashton-under-Lyne.... 158 lO
Bolton B7 62
Bury
Liverpool
Manchester 1,064 591
Newton
Oldham
Ormskirk
Rochdale 176 ...... no account.
St. Helen's 4l 95
Southport
Wigan 65 2l

Totals 2,659 ....1,884
What is the total number of new claims made by mo-
nopolists we have not heard ; but we believe it is alto-
gether insignificant in point of numbers ; and there can
be no doubt that, both as to objections and claims, the
free traders will have another prodigious gain on the
approaching registration—one that will ensure to South
Lancashire a free trade representation.—ManchesLr
Guardian.

A letter from Pesth, of the 28th ult., gives an ac-
count of a frightful inundation of several rivers on the
north of Hungary. The great commercial town of Mtskoez,
which has a population of 20,000, was submerged, the
current being sufficiently strong to carry away several
houses and other buildings. As the torrent came on in the
night, several persons were taken by surprise, and lost their
lives. All communication between Pesth and Kasehan was
prevented for several days. This calamity happened on the
19th of July, precisely the second anniversary, day for day,
of
the conflagration from which Miskoez suffered so severely
in 1843.

BOULOGNE.— A young sailor of this town, named
Fournier, left as cabin-boy some four years back. He
was found on the quay of Liverpool with his tongue cut
out, and his arms twisted out of their sockets, and in this
condition was sent home to his family. It is said that
he witnessed a murder of board, and was thus served in
consequence. Neither being able to write nor speak, it
is difficult to extract the truth from him.- Annotu:
Boulogne.