marked that in such case they ought to consider it as anonymous. The Clerk said the memorial had been formally acknowledged in a letter addressed to Alexander Payne, Esq., Wellington place. This announcement evoked a shout of derision. Mr. Langham declared that the getting-up of the said memorial was one of the most extraordinary things he had ever heard of. He admitted that as the town increased it should have every postal accommodation possible, but that there was no reason why the eastern part should suffer. At the present time the East and West wards each possessed a general post office, and was that not better than having only one post-office at some spot where both East and West would have long distances to go? He understood the memorialists wanted it in the parish of Holy Trinity, where, as a comparison, there were 44 electors and in the other western parishes, 390, making a total of 434 on the western side of the present post-office, as against 443 on the eastern side. Could anything be more fair than the present arrangement?
Was it right that these East Ward electors should go all the way down to Holy Trinity? He did not know the exact spot [Oh, Paine’s! and laughter]. The present Hastings post-office was near the Town Hall and Market, and adjacent to the fishery; and he might further remark that the whole of the legal profession had their offices eastward of the post-office. Mr. Langham concluded by moving a resolution “That the agitation for closing the post-office in George street was not justified by any public want.” A. Burton, Esq., seconded the motion, characterising the present arrangement as very effective, and deprecating the removal of any of the offices. He further remarked that a counter-memorial had already gone up from St. Leonards, the same being far more numerously signed than the Priory memorial [Cheers.] Mr. Hawkins said he did not want the office close to himself, but at present he could not post letters at the branch office in Castle street after 8 o’clock. Mr. Morley reminded Mr. Hawkins that he had the same facility as the eastern inhabitants would have were they to go all the way down to Robertson street. The Mayor explained that he signed the memorial because he thought it was his duty, it having been signed by 130 respectable persons. Mr. Burfield thought that if the chief office of the borough held it to be his duty to sign a memorial because it was signed by 130 persons, he would also hold it to be his duty to sign a contra memorial, with 260 signatures. [Cheers and laughter]. Mr. Langham said there would have been no occasion for him to reply had it not been for the extraordinary conduct of the Mayor in addressing them on the motion, which was very unusual. As to Hastings and St. Leonards – two towns in one borough – having two general post--
