The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-28 00:00:00

Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE moved " That Returns Nos. 72
and 248, made by the General Post-office, be referred

to a Se Gni

inqu

into

the accuracy of those Returns ; rho into the present
mode of remunerating by fces and perquisites certain
officers of the General Post-office, and how fur the duties
of that establishment may be rendered more satisfactory
to the public and less unequal and oppressive to the
persons engaged therein"—in consequence of a motion
which he had made for the name of every person em-
ployed by the Post-office, the nature of his duties,
and the amount of h7s salary. He was not satiaficd
as to the accuracy of those returns, and therefore he
wished they should be referred to a Committee. The in-
accuracy in them be believed to have been intentional.
He objected to the system of paying the letter-carriers
by fees, as one calculated to lead to gross corruption,
and stigmatised the system pursued in the early deli-
very of letters as one of gross fraud. He objected
to what was called window-money, and contended that
the Post-office had no right to receive any money beyond
the amount of postage. The Hon. Gentleman then com-
plained of the manner in which the "Post- office Directory"
was conducted, and asked if it was a private speculation
or an official work. Having related several instances
in which the fee system had led to gross abuse, the
Hon. Gentleman proposed to abolish it altogether, and
to pay the letter-carriers proper salaries.
Captain PECHELL, in supporting the motion, com-
plained of the great abuses which prevailed in the
management of the Post-office with regard to the trans-
mission of mails to the Scilly Islands.
Mr. HUME thought a searching inquiry into the ma-
nagement of the Post-office was absolutely required.
_ _

Mr. CARDWELL denied the existence of the abuses
complained of, and defended the Post-office authorities.
As inquiry could lead to no good result, he should op-
pose the motion.

After a few words from Dr. Bowring, Mr. Williams,
Mr. F. Baring, Sir C. Lemon, and Mr. Curteis, the motion]
was rejected by a majority of 76, the numbers being—
for the motion 30, against 106.

Mr. WYSE then moved that an Address be presented
to her MAJESTY praying her to establish a museum of
national antiquities.
The motion, which was seconded by Mr. HAwEs, and
supported by Mr. BERNAL and Mr. EIVART, was nega •
tived without a division, and the House resolved itself into
Committee of Supply.
Several sums were voted for the Ordnance and other
departments of the public service, and the other business
of the day having been disposed of, the House adjourned
at half-past one o'clock.

If we may credit the accounts brought by the Great
Western from New York, and the authority of letters
published in that city, said to have been received from
Vera Cruz, the knotty question of Texas independence
would appear to be making good progress towards a per-
manent settlement, The Mexican Congress are repre-
sented as having intimated their consent to a law for re-
cognizing Texas as an independent State, on terms
honourable to Mexico, and advantageous to both the
contracting parties. This result is alleged to be
owing to the exertions and good management of the
English Minister accredited to Texas, who lost no time,
after being fully in possession of the views of the Texas
Government, in putting himself in communication with
the authorities of Mexico, and obtaining the acquiescence
of their Cabinet in the basis of such a treaty as was
finally negotiated. It was further understood that the
independence of Texas has the joint guarantee of Eng-
land and of France, on condition that she rejects all pro-
posals of annexation to the United States or any other
Power whatsoever.

The intelligence to this effect from Mexico appears to
derive confirmation by letters of a previous date from
Vera Cruz. If it be borne out by facts we shall con-
gratulate both the parties to the compact, and the
United States. The only way in which the mischievous
delusion of TYLER'S unprincipled " annexation" scheme
was to be dissipated, was, by putting the citizens of the
United States in the wrong ; for that is the only
chance of inducing them to reason dispassionately
on a proposition too well calculated to gratify
their national -vanity at the expense of their
characteristic shrewdness, so long as there appeared to
be no disposition in other Powers to resist their designs.
But Texas, by setting herself right, as she has now
done, has put the United States in the wrong. The ad-
vances they made to Texas to induce her to become a
member of the Federal Union, proceeded on the assump-
tion—openly avowed—that the Government of Textis
desired that incorporation with the States of the Union.
In vindicating her own independence and integrity,
Texas, instead of being absorbed as a component ele-
tnet:t into an unwieldly federation, secures her own in-
dividual position under the auspices of the two most
powerful nations of Europe. Perhaps, under the corn
plicated relations which the Texas question was fast
assuming, with regard both to the United States and to
this country, no course could be suggested so well calcu-
lated to obviate the probabilities of hostile frontier col-
lisions between Mexico and the United States, and
serious and heart-burnings between the United
States and this country at some not remote period, as
chat of which we are thus apprised, and which we trust
has been adopted.

Madrid journals of the 20th have been received, but they
bring no news. On that day the Three per Cents. closed at
31 13-16 for cash, and 32% at 60 days ; the Five per Cents.
at 21% for cash, and 21% for the 9th of August ; and the
Passives at 7, at 60 days.

The French Chambers have passed all the estimates for
the principal departments, and the business of the session is
therefore nearly concluded. The Ministers are preparing to
leave Paris for the vacation, and many of the Members of
the Chambers have already proceeded to the country. The
Minister of the Interior will set out for Ems next week,
where he will remain for a month; but M. GUIZOT will not
leave Paris for Normandy until his return. According to
the Gazette de France, passports were signed and forwarded,
on Wednesday, to Don CARLOS and his consort, who will
proceed without delay to Greouix, in the department of the
Gard. No passport has yet been granted to the son of
Don CAnLos. " New letters," says that Carlist journal, " Lave
been received from CABRERA, dated from Bourges. Their con.
tents are of a nature to remove all idea of civil war, which
have been attributed to him and other refugee Spaniards.
The Royalists of this country expect nothing except from
principles, conciliatory means, and public opinion."

The Constitutionnel states that the Seine corvette is to sail
shortly for Otaheite with two hundred soldiers on board.
Another body, already sent out, was to supply the losses oc••
casioned by the combat of Mahahena. The present body is
to be a supplementary force. After having left these men at
Otaheite, the Seine is to proceed to relieve the Rhin, em-
ployed in protecting the whale fishery in Akaroa Bay, in
New Zealand. It is supposed that the greater number of
French subjects will quit that colony, and the Seine is autho-
rised to bring them home.

The Three per Cents. closed on the Paris Bourse on
Thursday at 83f. 65c. ; the Five per Cents. at 121 f. 65c. ;
Orleans Railroad shares, 1,150 f. ; Rouen, 100 f. ; Vierzon,
700 f. ; Havre, 825 f. ; Avignon, 952 f. 50c.; Basle, 250 f. ;
Spanish Actives, 38*; Spanish Three per Cents., 41.
The following are the quotations for the new lines :

Orleans and Bordeaux, 150 f. premium ; Boulogne, 95f.
ditto ; Troyes and Mo\ltereau, 201.; Paris and Lyons
(Laffitte), 20f. ; ditto (Calon), 50c. ; ditto (Ganneron),
51. 50c.; Northern line (Laffitte), 32f. 50c.; ditto (Rosamel),
sf. ; Tours and Nantes (Mackenzie), lf. 50c. ; ditto
(Drouillard), par; ditto (O'Neill), 2f. 50c.; ditto (Jacques
Lefevre), par ; Lyons and Avignon ( Lecointe), 12f. 50c ; ditto
(Talabot), 27f. 50c. ; ditto (Compagnie Meridionale), 7f. 50c. ;
Bordeaux and Toulouse (Mackenzie), par; ditto and Cette
(Espeleta), 3f. 50c.; Creil and St. Quentin, lf. 50c. ; Paris
and Strasbourg (Ganneron), 7f. 25c. ; Dijon and Mul-
hausen, lf.

LYONS, JUNE 23.—Avignon and Marseilles, 995 E, end of
June; Paris and Orleans, 1,195 E, ditto; Paris and Rouen,
1.047 E, ditto; Orleans and Vierzon, 740 f., ditto; Orleans
and Bordeaux, 670 f, ditto; Montereau, 725 E, ditto.

POST-OFFICE DIRECTORY FOR TILE Six HOME COUNTIES.--
This is a work entirely of a new character, and furnishes,
among others, a remarkable instance of the vast changes
effected by the steam-engine. By means of steam the dis-
tance between London and the capitals of Scotland and Ire
land can be traversed in less time than was required not
many years ago to travel from London to Lincoln ; and, as
regards time, the metropolis, and all the principal towns in
the Home Counties, are as near as Hyde-park was in days of
yore to Whitechapel. A good Directory of these counties
has, therefore, become as necessary to the inhabitants of
London as one ofLondon itself. The connexion is so inti-
mate, and the communication so frequent, that a work of this
kind has become 'necessary, and indeed almost indispen-
able, to bankers, public companies, and wholesale merchants,
not to mention the tens of thousands who travel merely for
pleasure and health. To all these the present. publication
will be found both useful and instructive. It furnishes a
statistical account of every town and hamlet in the six dis-
tricts, entering often into minute details as to manufactures
and trades carried on in each. We refer, as a proof, to the
description of Colchester, with the villages of Lexden and
Mile-end. Messrs. Kelly and Co., indeed, appear to have
spared no expense or labour in getting up the work. Each
place had been visited by one or other of their travellers, and
every information collected on the spot. Maps of the six
counties, namely, Middlesex, Essex, Hertford, Kent, Surrey,
and Sussex, have been expressly prepared for the work, and
are well executed. The directories for each town appear to
be very complete ; and, iu addition to these there is a classifi-
cation of trades, entitled, " Trades' Directory," which will
be found very convenient, particularly to the wholesale
houses in London. As a book of reference for the Home Coun-
ties we regard it as the most complete work of the kind ever
published.

THE MEXICAN DEBT.---The correspondence which has
taken place relative to the payment of the dividends between
Messrs. John Schneider and Co. and Messrs. F. de Lizardi
and Co., has excited a good deal of interest among the bond-
holders. It appears that the Messrs. Schneider,having been
appointed by the Government of Mexico agents in place of
Messrs. Lizardi, had requested the latter, according to their
instructions, to deliver up the funds in their hands remitted
for the payment of the dividends, together with the docu-
ments relating to the agency. Messrs. Lizardi, in reply, say
they have no documents whatever, nor have they
any other books than those relating to the 1111112-

version of the debt, and the payment of the divi-
dends which, being required for daily reference, they
cannot consent to part with, and they add:— There
is still a considerable balance due unto us from the Blexica.ri,
Government, which we hope you are authorised to Pa 3 •
Air. G. IL Robinson, Chairman of the Committee of the
Spanish American Bondholders, also addressed a letter to the
late agents on the same subject, insisting, iu the name of the
Committee, that as they had declined tv pay over the funds
to Messrs. Schneider, they proceed at once to pay the same
to the bondholders as a part of the payment of the dividend
due on the Ist of October last, but this application had thu:
same result. " The.entire of the funds," they say, "remitte.d •
by the Mexican Goverment have been carried to its credit in
"
account and there is a considerable balance still due unto us.