Revival of the Postal Question.
Said the St. Leonards Gazette of September 15th “Having, as it were but just recovered from the mischievous effects of the old party feud revived a few years ago by certain of our East-end rulers, we had hoped that the spirit of antagonism and bitterness then called forth was allayed for ever, and that the united efforts for the benefit of both towns lately manifested in the Volunteer movements, the regatta, the bands, &c. would be a lasting guarantee of social goodwill. But a consummation so devoutly to be wished, it appears is not to be. The old wound has been opened by those who first inflicted it, and will, no fear, require more than the ordinary amount of skill in the healing art to restore it to its normal condition. Most of our readers are probably aware that at the last meeting of the Town Council a resolution was passed for a committee of that august body to wait upon the Postmaster General to confer with him for an alteration of the present postal arrangements. There are also many persons who remember how strenuously we opposed aforetime the sought for changes; how, by fair and unrefuted argument we showed the impropriety of the movement; and how the result, in all its phases, was exactly as we shadowed forth. We are very unwilling to be again dragged into the arena of conflicting interests, but as the battle has to be re-fought, we should be unworthy of the cause we then espoused did we now shrink from the advocacy of what we believe to be the claims of truth and justice. It is a sorrowful thing that men in a public capacity should assert and re-assert for party purposes or private ends that which they know – if they know anything – is not true. Such has been done by some of the Aldermen of our Council Board, and it behoves us, as journalists, to deal plainly with those mis-statements, whether they be made in ignorance or in malice. At the meeting referred to above Mr. Ald. Ginner is reported to have said that there was no town except Hastings that had two post-offices; that it was a disgrace to the place; that the number of mis-directed letters, three years ago, was between ten and twelve thousand, and had gone increasing to a fearful extent; that people were expecting letters in the morning and did not get them till the afternoon. Mr. Alderman Clement also said that he was, every week, getting letters delayed till Wednesday morning which should come to hand on Tuesday morning. Now, we tell Mr. Ginner (what he already knows) that Hastings and St. Leonards have one general post-office each; that they are sources of great convenience and no disgrace to the place; that the number of mis-directed letters is not between ten and twelve thousand a year; and that the actual number – now -
