The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-23 00:00:00

POST-OFFICE DELAYS.

Mr. HUME said, he had to present a petition
from Mr. John ' Creed, the proprietor of the Sove-
reign public-house, complaining of abuses in the
business in the post-office. He lived within a few
doors of George-street, Portman-square, and Con-
naught-terrace,--in fact close upon the regular line
of the delivery of letters. He complains that there
is no twopenny post-office in his neighbourhood, and
that a few days ago a charge was made upon him for
a letter from Warwick, although it was franked.
He does not get his letters sometimes till three or
four o'clock, and in that inconvenience he was not
singular, for it happened in a great variety of other
places where the General Post-office had to deliver
letters. The fact was, that letters were delivered
35 and 40 miles distant in the country sooner than
they were given in pits of this metropolis. He
feared that the Lords of the Treasury had been very
inattentive to the complaints of these abuses, and
thought that so perfect was the present post-office
system, that it was not susceptible of further im-
provement. Another abuse was the charge for
early delivery, which he (Mr. Hume) thought
was unsanctioned by law ; in fact, he had up to
the present year resisted the payment of it, but was
at length obliged to yield, for his letters were not
brought until between twelve and one o'clock, so
that when he was in attendance upon Committees
he had net the opportunity of seeing them frequently
before his return to his house. He saw no reason
why at one house this early delivery should be made
for payment at ten o'clock in the morning, while at
the next door letters were not to be had before
twelve or one o'clock. It was quite an enigma to
him to hear that this partial early delivery facili-
tated the subsequent general delivery, for in his
opinion the effect must be quite the contrary. Be-
sides, why charge some trifle in particular cases upon
franked letters; if the frank did not send the letter
free, of what use was it ?
Mr. HERRIES said, that he could not agree in
either of the two broad positions laid down by the
Hon. Member. On the contrary, he must protest
against them ; for so far from the Lords of the Trea-
sury having manifested any indifference to the ma-
nagement of the Post-office, or being of opinion that
it was so perfect as not to require improvement, they
had appointed Commissioners to make a full and la-
borious inquiry into all its details, who had reported
at some length their opinion to the House, and the
view of the Commissioners was now under the con-
sideration of the Gcrreriunent. He would not on
this occasion go into any details, but he hoped he
had vindicated the Lords of the Treasury from any
inattention to the subject.
In answer to a question from Mr. H. GRATTAN,
Mr. G. DXWSON said, that the Dublin post-
office would also receive the attention of the
Treasury.
Mr. TRANT said that the complaints were not
confined to the business of the General Post-office,
but extended to many of the offices in country places.
Mr. GORDON said the Hon. Member (Mr.
Herries) had said nothing about the money required
for the early delivery.
Mr. HUME contended that some interference on
the part of the Government with the Post-office
was necessary. It was a matter of serious moment
to many individuals to have their letters delivered
early; and he himself for one was still obliged to pay
two guineas a year for that purpose, though he had
contested the point for the last five years with the
Post-office.—The petition was ordered to be printed.