Star.
London, England, 1814-07-13 00:00:00

NEW POST OFFICE.

Mr. BARING brough t up a Petition from the
Merchants and Bankers of the City of London, pray-
ing that the House would take into consideration the
great inconvenience they would experience by the re-
moval of the l';:st Office, and further, that it might
not piss into a law.
?Ir. BANKES was of opinion that the subject of
the Petition was highly deserving of consideration.
The first object should be, to inquire what advantage
was likely to accrue to the public from removing tire
Post Oilice ; and the next was, whether the advan-
tage, it any, was wotth the immense expense that
must inevitably attend the measure, especially in the
present state of our finances ? In his opinion, it
ought to be very seriously and strictly inquired into;
before the House and the country should venture t.•
embark in an expenditure of such excessive extent.
He understood that the purchase of the scite :done
would cost the public R 300,000; for which, dutint
a certain time, they were to receive no interest at all,'
and after that period the Orphan's Fund was to be
mortgaged for the payment of the interest of a part
only of that sum. There would then be the expense
of budding, which might turn out very enormous.
The House should first inquire, and find out what
would be the expense: a Committee should be f.rii ly
appointed, to send for persons, papers, and records.
Let the merchants and others concerned, thew all the
inconveniences attending it, and let every circum-
stance be thoroughly investigated that could throw
liAht on so important a subject. lle therefore moved,
that this Petition, and all others that might be offered
relative to this Bill, be referred to a Convoii,tee.

'Fly: CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, it was usual to give notice of every motion of a
similar nature to the present which his Honourable
Fliend had now made. He, therefore, hoped his
Honourable Friend would wave his motion till to-
morrow, and that in the mean time all proceedings
on the Bill should be staid till that motion was dis-
posed of.

Mr. BARING said there were 3000 names to the
Petitioa, signed by merchants and bankers of the first
fortune and character in the country, who would not
have signed such a Petition if they bed not felt the
most senors inconveniencies must be the consequence
of this measure. As there was to be a Committee,
he would not at present take up the time of the House
by entering into further particulars. He would only
wi.h to mention, that there was a counter Petition,
originating, he believed, about Temple-bar ;at the
meeting cur which Mr. Twining was in the chair. It
seemed they had received all. their intoi matiial from
the Post-office, and it was not theiefore difficult to
foresee what sett of materials it would.be comp-sed
of. He hoped, however, that the business u oulei ~ow
be thoroughly investigarvd, and he saw nu reason
why it should not put fff till next Sessi,.n.
.....

Mr. BUTTE ItWOlt f I-1 presented a l'etitipn
several merchants of Londid,, in favour of ;tie remo-
ir!'d I the Post.cflice. The petitioners, he stated, were
interested in the delivery of letters, out the 11,..r..(.ffice
itseit had nothing to do with the petitioo. 'llv. pelt-
tiorers were men of great respectability and opulence,
and the. petition had been sigi,ed by horn v to 4000
person.. in the course of 24 hours. By the proposed
removal, the public would pin more time; and he
-had been informed by commercial Gentlemen, that
even halt an hour was of considerable importance
with respect to the time for putting letters into the
Post-office. Five out of seven letters were delivered
to the west of the present post-office, and all the great
dikes were at the Wesz-t•nd of the tos'n.

Mr. WROTTE6LEY thought that letters might
he delivered much earlier than they were at present.
It was well known that there were two deliveries, an
early and a late one. He himself paid for an early
delivery, and by so doing probably occasioned a late
delivery to others, the difference being not less than
an hour and a half betwixt the early and the late de-
livery. Dy a proper arrangement, all might have their
letters at the same hour as those who now paid for it.
Mr. ROSE had been at first adverse to a removal
of the Post-Office ; but had found upon enquiry that
the inconvenience he had feared might be avoided.
He was of opinion that enquiry ought to precede the
adoption of any measure upon the subject. Though
letters were at present delivered with much regularity,
still the present arrangement might be susceptible of
improvement ; and whether it were so or not, would
best appear after an investigation had been gone into.
Mr. BARING and Mr. BUTTERWORTH severally ex-
plained ; after which the petition was brought up,
and upon the motion of Mr. DANCES, was ordered to
be referred to a Committee.

A Petition from certain proprietors of houses in
Cheapside, together with all other petitions upon the
subject, were also referred to the same Committee.—
The Order of the Day for taking into consideration
the expenses of the New Post-Otfice WAS then post-
poLed to Tuesday next.