The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-03 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-FR/DAY.

The royal assent was given by corrunission to several public
and pritrate bills.
Again, many petitions were presented by different noble lords,
the Bishop of London, ace.
• "' The Marquis of Sr.fGo, in presenting some, stated that he
had received a letter from a firm owning extensive estates in
the West Indies, declaring it to be their intention to put an end
to the apprenticeship system on their estates in August next.
Ilia lordship aided, in some reply to some insinuation that hp
= had been in a hurry to decide on terminating the apprenticeships
on his estates, the contrary was the fact. Ile had long and very
anxiously reflected on the subject, previously to coining to a
d,ecision.
• The Earl of ABER/JP:R-7ST moved fair various • Alums regarding
the church of Scotland, the expenses of the commission of in-
quiry, &c.; and this motion was made the occasion of again
urging on the government the necessity of making some public
grants for the extension of church accommodation in Scotland.
Lord iNlv.r.aourrNE again said that he could be no party to
providing means out of the public purse for the extension of such
itceoininodation, especially so long as the church of Scotland
Ind property of its own wherewith to supply such means, Were
they repaired.
Lord H A lIDINGTnIi also urged the necessity that eitisted for
increased church accommodation in Scotland, and the impos-
sibility t.f effeeting it without public aid.

Lord MINTO denied that there was such want of accomtno.

dations as haft been alleged, maintaining that evidence proved
one-third and upwards of the room in the Churches in many
cities and large places was now unused.

Other noble- iiirds took part in the distassion, which occupied
till a late hour; but there was no opposition regarding the pa-
pers.—Adjourned

HOUSE OF' COMMONS.-FrupAY.

In the Commons a new writ was ordered for Haddington-
shire, in the room of Lord Rainsay, now Earl of Dalhousie, in
consequence of the death of his-father.
Many petitions were presented fur the abolition of the negro
appretieeship system.
Mr. Oamsay GORE gave notice that after the recess he would
Move for an account of the expenses by bills fur renewing,
altering, extending, &c., turnpike acts since 1820,
Mr. SANDFORD presented a report from the committee on
pensions.
Sri G. GREY intimated, in answer. to • inquiry from AIN
Chalmers, that he had no objections to produce accounts of the
whole expenses of Lord Gosford's mission, &c.
The adjourned debate on Sir. G. Strickland's resolution for
abolition of the negro-apprenticeship system was then resumed
by Mr. JAMES.
The debate occupied the remainder of the sitting, Sir E.
SUGDEN, Mr. O'CONNELL, Mr. PLUMPTRE, Dr. LustilsoToN,
Mr. GLADSTONE, &c., took part in it.
On the division the numbers were—
For the original motion 205

For the amendment
Majority for the amendment . -I
The house then adjourned.

THE POST OFFICE.

(For the Liverpool Standard.)

}leaven first taught letters for some wretch's aid.—Pots.

As the subject of the Postoffiee is now engaging the atten-
tion of almost all classes of. the community., perhaps a slight
notice of its drigin will prove acceptable. '[he original estab-
lishment of the Postoffice is buried in obscurity. During the
early, part of the reign of Edward I. there is no doubt that
there was a species of post, but of what nature, it is now impos-
sible to ascertain. In Camden's Annals, under the date of 1581,
We finittheearliest mention of a.chiefpostmaster ; but it does not
nopear clearly what his office was, or ho* it was conducted.
From the limited correspondence that then took place it was
doubtless of little consequence. The first Postoffice for the
'conveyance of letters to and from foreign parts, was erected by
Jimes L, and was placed under the control of Matthew de
Quester or De rEquester. Lord Stanhope claimed this office,
bat in 1632 it was confirmed .and continued to Wm. Prize! and
Thomas \Vitherings, by Charles Ist. Previous to this time it
seen is private persons were accustomed to convey letters abroad,
although sorb inter.ferenc•e with the Post master's office was
strictly forbidden. In ]635 all private inland posts were prohi-
bited under the usurpation; there seems to have been but little
4 real attention paid to this branch of the government;-the posts
until that period- being confined to a few of the principal roads.
The more regular and extended plan was conceived and
adopted by Mr. Edmond Prideaux. the Attorney-General to the
commonwealth, who was appointed Postmaster-General by an
ordinance of both houses of parliament. Ile first established a
.regular weekly conveyance of letters to all parts of the nation.
In 1651 this revenue was farmed for £lO,OOO. which produced
a profit of seven thousand pounds to the public annually. At
this time the Common Council of London attempted to set up a
Postoffice in opposition to Prideaux; but a stop was put to their
proceedings by a resolution of the House of Commons, declaring
the. office of Postmaster to be in the sole power and disposal of
parliament.
In 1656 a new and regular postoffice was erected by the autho-
rity of the Protector and his parliament; the plan is almost
similar to that'pursued at present. By an act of parliament,
passed soon after the restoration in 1660, the regulations -.of
1656 were re-established, with some improvements. -and so con-
tinued, with but little change, until 1784, when a mode of con-
veyn;.,, the mails was carried into execution, originally suggested
-bv Mr. John Palmer of Bath, in 1782. Before this plan was
paepted- letters were carried in carts, or by boys on horseback,
.without protection from robbers, and liable to delays. Mr.
Palmer's proposal was to contract with the owners of diligerices
and stage coaches, which were then established in every town
of note in the kingdom, to carry the mail, with guards for their
protection. A very strong opposition was manifested to this
Measure•. but experience has shown that this combination of
interests has been beneficial alike to the correspondent, pas-
senger, and coachmaster.

The twopenny post was projected by Mr. David Murray, an
upholder, in Paternoster-row, in the sear 1683 He communi-
cated his sehetne to a Mr. Dnckwra, who carried it on with
great success for some time. until government laid claim to it
as connected and interfering with the General Poooffice, and
Dockwra received a pension of two hundred pounds a year for
life as cornpens

LACGHABT.F. ANECDOTE.—At a rneeflnst in bankruplev,
held the other day, the Commissioner. ad,!rPssing the bank-
rupt stated, that the proceee.inf.rs must be adjourned this die,
,`Sine die," said a creditor present to Mr. Carr: " what can
111 e roam
rainioner mean? Of the bankrupt's dying I see no
sigp. • •