The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-08 00:00:00

urpose. Add to this, that the vessels employed by the
Post-office generally perform their voyages sluggishly, so
that merchants who require expedition in the transmission
of their correspondence often prefer private conveyance to
the regular Government packets. No stronger proof of,
this fact can be adduced than that we often receive intel-
ligence from Mexico, the Colombian Main, and Jamaica
by way of New York,.: sooner than by direct Post-office
eonriunication. It well known also, that the Guernsey
and Jersey ships regularly beat the Brazil packets, and
that consequently persons-who have connexions in those
islands never dream of employing packet communication
while they obtain an advantage over those who do. Even
in our intercourse with Hamburgh, Rotterdam, and
Ostend, the steam-boats sailing between London and
these ports, regularly bring intelligence, often hours, and
'sometimes days, before the Government packets arrive.
Nor is this all. The agents of the Post-office and
Government packets are sometimes so pertinacious in
the execiltion of a senseless and inconvenient regn-
latiion, that they defeat the very object for which
they are appointed. A packet, for example, may
be despatched or, a double destination-4o Brazil
and Bue,nos-Ayres. In such cases they refuse to take
letters for the former port; and we have recently heard
of losses to the amount of .50,000/. arising from a refusal to
allow letters for Rio de Janeiro to be put on board such a
conveyance. It Would be superfluous to 'specify the e. 6
cuinstances under which this serious damage was incurred.
It may only be stated, that by this refusal the correspon-
dents of the London merchants at Rio were prevented
from hearing of the commercial crisis for six weeks after it
ought to have come to their knowledge, and consequently,
columned to draw on London, and to transmit goods, as
if nothing had occurred to alter the state of trade between
the two countries. Another grievance under this head
deserves consideration, and calls for redress. Sometimes
ships of war act as packets in conveying letters from dis-
tant ports. In such cases there could be no objection
to pay the usual rate of packet postage if the ship of war
observed packet regulations. But they often perform cir-
cuitous voyages, and yet charge for the letters as if the
communication had been by the direct route. I»-
deed, we are assured that nothing can be more vexa-
tions and annoying than the general mode of determining
the postage of letters received, not only by ships, of war,
but by the regular packets. Without any trouble of exa-
mination, or any appeal ton definite standard, the Post-
office charges double or triple the postage, and leaves the
merchant to his remedy of recovering the extra demand,
by a tedious and troublesome application to head-quarters.
In such applications we have reasons for believing that the
mercantile interest does not meet with that civility and
prompt redress which might be expected from an establish-
ment,'the primary object of which is not so much public
revenue, :as public convenience. We now come to the
subject which, though it may appear to have reference to
our own interests, is much more closely connected with
those of the empire. Though something was done last
year to facilitate the transmission of newspapers to the co-
lonies, still many improvements remain to be made both
respecting their conveyance to our neighbours on the con-
tinent and thei expeditious distribution over the remote
parts of this country. An thuive.minded Postmaster-Gene-
ral, devoting his entire faculties to the execution of his
duties, and not looking upon his place as a sinecure, might
do mere to reform abuses and to efect improvements than
a whole Cabinet bent on other objects, or a dozen of par-
amentary commissions, with limited experience and im-

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perfect information. When we consider. the amazing pro-
gress which has been made within the lust 40 years in fa-
cilitating the means of internal and external communication,
and when. we recollect that these improvements have been
rather forced upon the officers of the Post-office than sug-
gested by them, we do not . despair of seeing ultimately
carried into effect some of the-,beneficial alterations which
we have suggested, even in spite of any Post-Master-
General who may be. appointed ; but we are sensible how
much more- speedily they might be effected with his cor-
dial consent or active co.operation. The gentleman who,
during the incumbency. of the late noble sinew-twist, has
possessed all. the premien:l. power of the otllee, will be un-
able to withstand the plans of a Oda possessed of talent
and energy, who may add to his official authority, decision
of character, anti the habits of .business.--Ibid.