TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE SPECTATOR'S SUPPLEMENT—PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON POSTAGE.

APART from its curious facts, and its valuable exposition of an ex- tensive department of public business, the Report on Postage, which we publish in a Supplement, is the most important and practical Parliamentary document of the time. Important, as next to the faculty of speech, the power of CORRESPONDENCE is the most valuable possession of individual mam—connecting itself with every thing which concerns his affections, his interests, his information, and his social connexions, or amusements : prac- tical, as it suggests a large reform of a very large evil, which comes directly home to the pocket of every one who receives, or who Nvishes to receive a letter. And it is the only reform which, in the present state of politics, the most sanguine man can expect to be rapidly carried : fbr it affects each man's interests without touching his party ; the Tories being as active and as hearty in its favour as the Liberals, and a great deal more so than the official Whigs.

In examining the Repot, one of the most astonishing things which will attract attention, is the loose and inaccurate manage- ment of the Post-office, even in accounts ; and the wedded ignorance of the leading officials. In two returns of the aminol receipts and expenditure laid before the Committee, each differed from the other ; and in so shnple an item as repayments for overcharges, &c. there was a difference of 11,328/. in a medium amount of about 116,000/. The Office cannot tell how many chargeable letter they manually circulate : but they sent in an estimate making them about 5.4,1

; they next sent in a second making them 6•8:1; the Committee directed an account to be kept for separate weeks at diffisrent in- tervals, and the result gave a conjectural average of 77 millions. Upon this, Colonel Mantatim, the Secretary, announced it as his " impfession," that the " real number of letters is about a mean be- tween the numbers taken in the first and second weeks in January —a number of 70 millions :" meet iii men of business examined before the Committee declared January " ordinarily a slack month in correspondence," aggravated in the year in question by the great. snow-storm. The Office gave in a return of the Twopenny-post letters at 101 millions; it turned out upwards of 12 minions. "in: the Penny-post," says Colonel ATABERLY, "we were wrong by one ' half ; the proportions we have assumed between the Penny-letters and the pence on General-post letters being totally erroneous," I —as any one might have inferred : who would dream of estimat- ' mg the local correspondence in any place, not by General-post letters, but by General-post letters subject to some peculiarity la the persons who send and receive them? On another ocemion, the Office was requested to furnish an estimate of a mail journey to Edinburgh : they lumped it at 51.; they then put it down at 4/. Sa. 7;id. ; when pressed close, they could not it lake it out more than a 19s.7d. It is but right to say, that the closer the head-quarters are approached, and the higher the rank of the officials, the more inefficient they appear. Lord LICHFIELD, the Ph:an:aster-General, SCCIIIS unable to discern correctly, filets v.thiell have been recorded, or to reason front them, otherwise than to C011 Ile attribute, the non-increase of the receipts to cer- tain trivial reductions in the rate ot' postage : settle of these reduc- tions produced an immediate increase ; and a change in the Two- penny-post in 1831, so far from a loss of 25,000/., gave in a few years a profit of 10,000/. From such data and means as they pos- sess, the Committee calculate the average cost of transmitting by mail, a letter, a frank, and a newspaper, and then the cost of the dis- tribution of each—the weight of letters and franks being in the pro- portion of go parts of 100, Mid newspapers of' 66 parts : yet, simple as these mat hem I at ical m ti t ions are, the Postmaster-General cannot or will lee understand t!ean, but persists in meintaining that ail the exppmes are incurred thr chargeable letters. Thus, whilst the Com- mittee estimate the aveseee cost of merely transmitting a charge- able letter at nearly 1-anth of a penny, amid the total cost of dis- tribution at "id., the Postessster-General will make them ;Id. and

rmlamtively. It was se:leaked by 'kitties, that men would deny demons/Pa/ion if their imerests were affected by mathemati- cal truths : and lo ! on the first opportunity, out comes a lord to verify the sagacity of the philosopher of Malmesbury.

The a stistics of the Report are curious and instructive. The nuni he af Parliametttary and official, is estimated at 7

; Imieg as near as may be one-eighth part of the whole cur- respoaaeoce passing throueli the General Post. The postage on franks, if ciao ged at the sena: rate as other letters, would amount to upwards of a mill:en a year; the number of' franks by :Members of Parliament are lice lie u inillieus a year, and would prod tan about aa,e00/. : the official franks are less thim half the number of the Parliamentary, but being very heavy, (official gentlemen are very thud of obliging their friends—see Dr. LA unmat's evidence, page 18, 100 their postage would be upwards of 600,000/. Not- withstancting the vast increase in wealth, population, and intelli- gence, the receipts of' the Post-office have been nearly stationary fur more than twenty years: if' they had augmented according to the population, they would have been half-a-million more than they art ; if the love of correspoudence had kept pace with the love of travelling, as displayed by the riso in the stage-coach duty, the postage receipts should hass: been enlarged by two minions. Besides which fitets, we may point attention to the present power of read

ing and writing, compared with that possessed .by the people five- and-twenty years ago; as well as to their mig, eaincOd in cheap publications, so numerous, that only those who, like us, have :the numbers presented continually to their eyes, would believe in their existence. The many facts and elaborate calculations in the Report, as to the proportions and weights of the respective items trans

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witted by post—the modes and cost of management—the expenses of transport and distribution, &c.—are too extensive to enter upon here. One point only we will allude to—the Uniform Penny Rate ; be- cause the superficial objection seems just, that a man ought to pay more for the conveyance of a letter five hundred miles than for five miles. It appears, however, that the great cost is in the col-

lection, distribution, and delivery, at the beginning and end. The difference of the actual cost of carriage between London and

Barnet, or London and Edinburgh, on a single letter, is so small that it is inappreciable in any coin. Nor, wore it otherwise, would the cost depend upon the distance to which letters are carried, but upon the number conveyed : a few letters would cost propor- tionately more to carry a few miles, than to send thousands a long distance.

The inefficient and evil workings of the present system are pointed out at length, and were admitted by every witness examined, except perhaps the Postmaster-General. The present high rate of postage is evaded in every way, legal and illegal. Newspapers are written in, or marked; or correspondence is carried on by varying the direction according to a sort of cipher agreed upon. Letters are sent by private persons ; in parcels for distribution, either by hand, post, or to be called for ; money is sent in large sums, to be paid in the same manner, instead of sending it to the recipients direct; notes of business are written in slips, and then cut off and distri- bute(' ; and in places between which a sufficient correspondence goes on to render it profitable, private carriers compete with the Go- vernment. But the evi/ is worse than the inefficiency. The enormous rates of postage, in many cases prevent correspondence even in the middling classes ; they destroy it amongst the poor, except in cases of the last necessity ; and a glimpse is given of the distress which must often ensue a:hen the poor have not means to pay for the letter which is offered to their sight. Various cases of' hardship are also given, which are instances of a generic class; and, without exaggeration, the present system may be denounced as creative of toixiety, destructive of afffiction, adducive to vice, and very often productive of pecuniary injury. Is there any reason against Mr. Ihrm's plan of a Uniform Penny Postage, by means ot' a stamp cover ? We see none; nor has any been offered, except the financial one of loss to the revenue. Even the Postnutster-General admits that payment in advance would be convenient, and greatly facilitate the delivery of letters. Sir Kuwaiti) Lims, the able and experienced Secretary to the Edin- burgh Post-office, thinks that under the stamped cover plan, he ceuld undertake threefold the present business, without any mate- rial increase of assistance. The majority of the witnesses are itt titvour of the penny, deeming that no loss would take place. Mr. COBDEN. since well known for his activity in the Corn-law agita- tion—who was deputed by the Manchester Chamber of Connnerce to attend the Committee—estimates that the transmission of in- voices, and other commercial papers, would alone exceed the whole of the present communications by post ; and that the letters of com- mercial travellers would aniutint to twenty millions, or one-third of the present chargeable letters. Mr. AUSTIN estituntes the increase front professional letters on legal business as thurffild ; and Lieu. tenant alas suggests the increased transmission of correspondence on parochial, county., and magisterial business, &c. besides franks, all which, from an inveice upwards, now evade the post-office charge. In addition to these items, there would be the new and various corre- spondence, both public and private, opened up, or diverted into the than cheaper channel of' the Post-office. Some finv of the witnesses, however. are in favour of a Twopenny postage after fifteen miles beyond London ; and the Committee, though leaning to Mr. ILaa's plan, feel fettered by their instructions not to " injure the revenue," and recommend it. We cannot say that we agree with them. There is a deep practical wisdom in Dr. lhaanaca's remark, " that allatever is to be had for a pcmiy, is very extensively employed, and very extensively produced." Where would the circulation of the Pean,y :11,,,trazine be at twopence ? If' a twopeuny rate drove all illicit letter-carraing fur hire out of the field, would it induce the transmissiou by post of many commercial documents, (as in- voices,) which it is convenient but not indispensable to receive speedily ? would it batak la, the present channels of trensmitting short orders or directions ? would it stimulate auctioneers, public compailies, &c. to distribute their catalogues, prospectuses, &c. by pest, iustead or by hand (n. parcels ? would it form a social habit of writing " a line ?" Price has a mysterious operation : it does not affect us acmgding to our means, or its actual momenta but to sonle occult prejudice or notion. " It's only it penny," would in- duce thousands to notify to friends or relations the most trivial occurrence, who would not be tempted beyond the penny. As for a gradual and modified reduction, (which we have SOCII thrown out, tis 0 (lwuper perhaps,) it would be utterly useless beyond the amount of tax remitted. It woeld leave most, if' not all the ex- isting evasions, untouched; as it would stimulate no increase of class correspondence, there would be a sure loss to the revenue?, though, doubtless, not to the extent of' the nominal remission ; but, worst of' all, it would not simplify, the business of' the Post-oftice. Instead of' three times the business being done with the present, means, every increase of letters would involve an increase of cost. Is justice in favour of the change ? Beyond a doubt. The oiiginal reason for imposing the tax was " the advanta.ge of

trade and commerce;" both of which it injures—and would injure much more, were it not for illegal evasions. The net receipt from letters is rather above 2t millions; the actual cost of the Post-

office, pensions included, is not 700,000/. ; the tax being upwards of 000 per cent.—saying nothing of the franks, by which system the poor and middling classes are taxed to free the 1awmakcs and their connexions.

What will be the grounds of opposition to the change ? The true cause will be the laziness and fears of official men; the alleged one, the state ofthe finances. So far as filets, opinion, and colla- teral evidence go—as may be seen in the Report—there is every prospect of an increase of revenue, instead of any eventual diminu- tion. But the finances are never pleaded, or thought of, except in opposition to some popular boon. When Parliament voted twenty millions to the Slave-owners, we heard nothing of the finances. In disregard of the finances, successive Governments for years past have spent some 400,000/. annually on naval squadrons to run after Slave-ships, with the effect, as even Mr. Bevrost now tells us, of iggravating the sufferings of the slaves. The Whig Ministers voted Queen V1CTORIA a larger nominal Civil List than Gaoane the Fourth-50 per cent. higher if regard be had to the value of money—without heeding the finances. Be their dilatoriness and ignorance they excited a war in Canada, thinking nothing of the finances. They have increased the Army, the Navy, and the inci- dental expenditure—we do not say without cause, but without regard to the finances. And as it is quite clear that somebody

must, very shortly, do something; with our finances, any temporary loss to the revenne may be provided for along with the much greater loss attending Canadian wars and increased armaments. What chance is there of effecting the wish of the Parliamentary Committee in establishing a Penny-postage, or even their recom- mendation of a Twopenny-rate ? There is none if the People are quiescent : the reform will be effected, to a e,?rtaintll and at once, if the People ogitate the question; and both history and experience demonstrate that nothing is ever granted by rulers without. This fitct, in England at least, is not to be charged against our legislators as a crime, but as a natural circumstance of their pesition. Cut off, in this aristocratical country, from all tiuniliar intercourse with the people, they know not what to originate lbr their good, till the public will is unequivocally declared; and, even WI:l211 die cry is loudest, they are at a loss to distinguish between the clamour of a faction and the determination of the people at large, till it come home to each Member in the still small voice of" You kall, or you shall lose your scat." We repeat, that this is not a matter of crimina- tion. but of fitet ; and is not a vice in them,but a law of nature. No one can thoroughly and heartily sympathize with another but from ex- perience of a similar state: the robust cannot enter into the varying sensations of the delicate in health; those who have never undergone temptation, cannot appreciate the struggles, or feel lbr the fall of those who have ; nor can any class tbel the wants of another of whose necessities they are ignorant. We may tell a mem- ber of wealthy Senates, that the postage costs an extensive merchant the rent of a house ; that with smaller traders it takes away the salary of a clerk—or their tailor's bill—or a son's clothing; or that, in the genteel tinnily, of refined feeling but nar- row means, it cuts of? parental, filial, and sisterly communication ; s:hilst it shuts out the poor from necessar:- 14nowledge ef their means of living, and of the 11th: and welfare zts1:e dearest. relations. The Senators listen,. they understand the representation as a !ogic;11 proposition ; but they do not enter into it—they do not fs,1 it. With tlicir means and their :nodes of spen.ling money, they could not do it if they paid for their letters; but Hwy do eat pay. The law is made to give the lawmakers immunity ; and we see by the Report that it is used to such an extent, that the quantity of correspolidence transmitted freely by franks would yield nearly half' of the whole receipts from the Post-office. The next and last question is, lion, to aghate ? At the end of the Supplement is a thrill of Petition, which cannot be too exten- sively tidlowed out : for petitions furnish an argument to Parlia- mentary advocates ; they are watched by those who call themselves statesmen : and they are held, in Senatorial conventionalism, to be the leTilimate test of public opini4m. Petition Parliament, theme- 1v ;al means: but let constituencies do something more, and " ion "—press' their Representatives. Let them call public meetim:;s and invite their Members to attend , and let them then and there instead them to support the subject when mooted. Nor let any one be absent or backward on account of his polities. Post- age Retbrm is not a question of polities, but or the pocket, the I ome, the heart: Tory, Whig, 11 mdical, umd even " Precursor," may unite tbr " a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altOgether." It is not a question Of " party or of faction," but one which atil.‘ets every subject of' the empire.