The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-14 00:00:00

PENNY POSTAGE AND CHEAP BREAD.

[We found the following in our letter-box. We presume
that it has been forwarded for insertion on account of the
home-truths which it contains.]
New Broad-street, London.
DEAR W

* *

I am sorry to be obliged to differ from you on the
penny postage question, especially as I was at one time
myself a very ardent supporter of the scheme ; but ex-
perience proves the folly of expecting that people will write
more because they can send letters at a cheap rate. On the
contrary, what we think we can do every day is often put off
and eventually not done at all. In regard to myself, the
new plan has not made one iota of difference : I have not
under its operation written or received more letters than
formerly, perhaps even not so many. Mr. Hill's golden
dreams about the revenue not suffering, must fast vanish
away, and I calculate a loss of one million sterling for the
first year, will be the result. The question then arises, how
will the deficiency be made up ? for you know the exchequer
of England is not now overflowing. A government disburs-
ing more than it receives, and heavily in debt, can ill afford
to relinquish one million per annum. Well, how is the
amount to be made up? why, says the new Chancellor of
the Exchequer, by increasing the rate of taxation five per
cent. England, than which no country under Heaven is
more severely taxed, is now to be burdened with an increase
of rive per cent., in addition to the 38s. per head already
paid, and for what ? To benefit the large manufacturing
houses, the merchants and opulent traders, who could well
afford to pay the postage of letters, which generally was
returned by a handsome profit. Long ago did I state that
government would lay some tax which would fall heavily on
the poor, to make up their loss, and now my words are rea-
lised. The necessaries of life are to be taxed five per cent.
extra, to make up the loss on the superfluities of life ! To
the working classes, the labour of letter-writing is immense,
and even if they were paid for it, it would be irksome :
besides, be it remembered that not above one-seventh of the
population of Great Britain can read or write at all—six-
sevenths could not indite five words if their lives depended
on it! The Duke of Wellington proved to us that soldiers who
have had a penny postage, have always been indifferent to let -
tar-writing. It is altogether an affair well worthy the deeds of
the present incapables in office, whose foresight and judgment
are about equal to their honesty ! I am sorry to hear such a
bad account of trade with you, but I trust this spring will
revive us all. On the subject of cheap bread (as you
northerns emphatically call it), I must again differ with you,
and fain would I devote a lengthy paper to the discussion of
the subject, did time permit; but all the assertions in the
world can never prove that wages will maintain their stand
while bread falls—the two must go together, for better for
worse. And surely, when the great manufacturers them-
selves candidly confess that they do not want cheap bread,
but cheap labour, philanthropic beingi like yourself will

rightly appreciate this class of repealers! Perhaps you con-
sider that the landed interest ought not to have the repre-
sentation of the people. To this I would answer, that the
property which cannot be carried away is always most va-
luable. The landowners cannot put their land in their
pockets and leave England, hut the manufacturers can shut
up shop, and remove their skill to any other country. It
is wise, therefore, that those who have the greatest interest
at stake in this land should have the management of its
affairs ; and so long as Parliament is composed of a majority
of gentlemen having large estates, the attempt to upset the
Corn-laws will and must end in smoke, as it always has
done. Nothing appears more unjust than to endeavour to
injure the landed interest, and leave the funded interest
alone. Were you one of the former instead of the latter,
your property having been bought subject to the Corn-laws,
you would view the repeal in all its native hideousness and
deformity. I cannot find space for further arguments, but
I consider that no battery of the repeaters will ever stand
the fire of the lovers of the good old times, when democracy
was kept in its proper place, and radicalism was unheard of.

Yours truly,
A. W. P.

THE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB

The report of this excellent institution for the year 1839,
(being the 13th), has just been printed, and is, we rejoice to
say, of a very gratifying character. The committee, indeed,
commence by stating that at no former period had they such
strong grounds for congratulating its friends on the state and
prospects of the school as at the present time. Subsequently
to the munificent grants from the town-council in 1838, the
appeal has been so responded to by a generous public, that
they now announce, that the new building, of which the
foundation stone was laid on the 24th of October last, is
rapidly progressing towards completion, and will probably
be ready for occupation before the close of the year. We
have recently visited the building, and were much pleased with
the neatness of the design, and the workmanship, which is of
the best description. The committee are also in expectation
of advantageously disposing of the present buildings in Wood-
street and Fleet-street. The donations receivedz up to this
time amount to £2800., which, with the sum hoped to be
procured by the sale in question, will defray the expense of
the erection of the new buildings ; but as considerable out-
lay will be required for furniture, &c., the committee still
hope to receive further donations.
The income hitherto received in annual subscriptions has
not been equal to the expenditure; but a gratifying increase
is taking place, the receipts of the past year having exceeded
the previous one by about £l3O. They have also to acknow-
ledge several additional subscriptions.
The committee highly complimented Mr. Rhind's ability,
as evidenced in the-great improvement of the pupils, and
the admirable management of the institution.
The number of visitors during the year has been about 750,
—an increase on former years, and all have been impressed
with a deep sense of the advantages of the institution. " In-
deed," to use the language of the report, " it is a charity, the
impot tance and usefulness of which cannot be duly appreci-
ated without witnessing the method of teaching in the school,
and the consequent effect of the expansion of mind in the
manners and characters of the children. A child bereft of
the organs of hearing and speech, whose mind must neces-
sarily be almost a blank, first enters the school almost in a
state of idiotism ; but as the mind receives impressions, symp-
toms of thought become observable, and in time, the intellec-
tual smile betokening the reasoning creature, animates the
child, and amply repays the toil and care of the preceptor."
The committee, in conclusion, tender their thanks to the
ladies' committee; to the medical gentleman who has at-
tended the children gratuitously ; and especially to the Rev.
Rector Campbell, their late chairman, on his retirement
through indisposition, for his valuable services for many
years ; and finally to the donors who have contributed to the
extension of the charity. The following are some particulars
derived from the addenda to the report
Number of children in the school at the 152
close of last year, 1838
Admitted during 1839
Left in 1839 ll

Total at present under tuition 5l
The total number admitted since the establishment of the
school is 135 ; of whom 80, having participated in its instruc-
tion, are now usefully employed in various occupations. Of
the whole present number, 45 being children of poor parents,
are educated gratuitously—the others are boarders. Children
are taken into the school from all parts of the kingdom.
The balance in the hands of the treasurer, Mr. Dawson, on
the 31st December last, was £521 9s 11d. The annual sub-
scriptions amounted to £4BB 14s 6d, and the donations to
1:71 8s lid.