reference to the memorial of certain inhabitants of St. Leonards, which was forwarded in your letter of the 25th of January last, relative to the question of establishing one central post-office, for that place, and the town of Hastings, instead of the two separate offices as at present maintained there. I am commanded by the Post Master General to inform you that he has caused full enquiry to be made into the circumstances of the case, and having duly estimated the advantages and disadvantags dependent on the measure he has determined that it would not be expedient to adopt the proposed change. His Lordship, however, has been pleased to sanction an arrangement by which a daily interchange of correspondence between Hastings and St. Leonards will be afforded, and letters misdirected to either place will be transferred and properly delivered on the day of their arrival, instead of being delayed until the following day as is at present the case. I am directed to add that his Lordship has not yet been able to arrive at a decision on the question of establishing a second day-mail between London and Hastings and St. Leonards, but the matter will continue to receive his best consideration.
I am, sir,
your obedient humble servant.
J. Tilley"
The reading of the letter was received with cheers, after wish, Mr. Burton said even if two offices caused a little additional expense that would be no sufficient reason for taking away so great a benefit. He would give them the opinion of a Hastings tradesman, with regard to the advantages to be derived from a post-office. This tradesman had lived near the old post-office in Hastings, and he said the removal of the office had been to him a loss of several hundreds, and he hoped they at St. Leonards would not meet with a similar misfortune. This tradesman further said that he did not at all approve of the proceedings of his representatives in the Council. He (Mr. Burton) thought the Council had taken a false step, and he hoped they would retrace it; for then the storm would be quelled, but if not, he feared they would be living in hot water.
Mr. Putland said he had wanted to sit still, but he had been called upon to second this resolution, perhaps as a compliment to him for taking an interest in the subject in the Town Council; not that he felt more than the other representatives of the West Ward, but perhaps he was a little more talkative. He was glad to see so many present. He then referred to the post-office question as "the tub which should stand on its own bottom!" He hoped they would never live to see the day when the post-office was taken away. He felt a great interest in St. Leonards, and friends at a distance wrote to -
