Autograph Letter Signed ‘Henry Warburton’, to “My dear Sir” [Benjamin Hawes], postponing a meeting of the Commission, probably the Commission for postal reform set up by Parliament de WARBURTON, Henry

H of C [House of Commons], 12 February 1840. 1 page 7 x 4½ inches, in good condition, integral blank leaf. Henry Warburton (1784-1858), philosophical radical politician, active in the Anti-Cornlaw League, second to Rowland Hill alone in his support of penny postage in the House of Commons select committee. “The Committee on Hansards’ case being appointed to meet tomorrow, I am obliged to postpone the meeting of the Commission, until Saturday at one o’clock.” This letter was found among the correspondence of Sir Benjamin Hawes (1797-1862), Whig politician, the brother-in-law of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Hawes was an advocate of the repeal of the Corn Laws, and also worked on behalf of the penny postage system.