The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-29 00:00:00

HAMB URGH MAIL.

FROM THE DANUBE,JUNE 12.—Letters from the Prin-
cipalities on the Danube say, that extraordinary sensa-
tion has been created in the higher circles there by the
intelligence said to have been received from St. Peters-
burg, that endeavours are making on the part of Russia
to unite Servia, Wallachia, Moldavia, with- the adjacent
Turkish provinces into a kingdom, under the supremacy
of Turkey, and the protection of Russia. The report
adds that the Duke of Leuchtenberg is destined to be
the sovereign of this new kingdom, whereas, according
to other accounts, Russia would leave the choice entirely
to the Porte, and the great European powers. Some
steps are said to have been already taken at Constanti-
nople to bring about this project, which is consideredfas
the only means of relieving the Porte from the difficul-
ties with which it is surrounded on every side. It seems
that some intimations have been made at Vienna, at least
this is thought to explain the reports in circulation re-
specting the object of the Emperor of Russia's visit to
the British capital.
CUXHAVEN, JUNE 22.-250 bundles of twist, part of
the cargo of the Manchester, have been brought on shore
here, probably more will be saved. The sale by auction
is fixed for the 26th.

BUSUM, JUNE 24.—" The following goods from the
Manchester have been brought ashore here by some
shippers, and landed: under my directions, and taken
charge of by the bailiff
"364 parkets of twist,ll2 pieces of velvet, 55 pieces of
calico, 10 packets of tull, 199 packets of twist, 59 packets
of calico.

" An almost equally large quantity will be' landed to-
morrow. There are also some ladies' clothes, linen
dresses, collars, and stockings, the latter marked M.H.S.
—(From a letter from Mr. Dutton, at Cuxhaven, to Mr.
R. H. Sloman, at Hamburgh.)
" With this letter, I received, likewise, the information
that a dead body had been found in the neighbourhood.
"R. M. SLOMAN."

CUXHAVEN, JUNE 23.—At Hedewigenkoog, Busum,
&c., a quantity of manufactured goods, and 2,000 bundles
of twist, from the wreck of the Manchester, have been
saved. _ _

PRAGUE, JUNE 10.—For some days past, several
thousand workmen, in the cotton manufactories belong-
ing to the Jews in this city, who have reduced their
wages beyond all moderation, are in a state of open
tumult. They meet by night in the quarries, near
Prague ; and in the day time, these men, infuriated by
distress and misery, destroy the machinery in the manu-
factories. We have just returned from a walk outside
the gates, where we saw that a whole regiment of
soldiers had to march out to restore order.
PRAGUE, JUNE 19.—Though the machinery in some
manufactories was destroyed, the display of a sufficient
military force, and earnest remonstrances, have suc-
ceeded in restoring order among the workmen, without
being obliged to employ force. They have returned to
their work, A strict inquiry is instituted by the judicial
authorities into this deplorable circumstance, and the
guilty will, doubtless, be punished as they deserve.
LIAMBURGH BORSENHALLE, Jim 25.
Bills. Money.
Austrian 5 per Cents. ....... ........... ..._ll3

Bank Shareii.... 1675
Anglo-Russian Loan 1123{
Russian 5 per Cent., Ist series, Certificate lO5
Inscription, Ist series
Russian 5 per Cont. Mope and Co., 3d and 4th
Series ........5.... 9834
Ditto in Certificates
.. ••••-• • • ..... 91
New 4 per Cent. (1840) ...... 9O % 90
Dutch Actual Debt, 9% per Cent. .. ....... ..... 10% 60
Ditto 5 per Cent. •••••••••• ..... ••••
Anglo-Danish Lean, 3 per Cent............ ..... 15% 8134
Spanish, New 5 per Cent 5............... ..... .... 18 .....
Polish 80nd5.... 000 ........... —
New Tickets ...

TYleilikS CAMPBELL.—The remains of this great
poet will be interred in the Poets' Corner, in West-
minster Abbey, on Wednesday next, at half-past eleven
The noblemen and gentlemen attend-
ing
i the forenoon.
funeral,as % mark of respect to his memory,
will assemble at the Abbey at a quarter past eleven
o'clock. The funeral procession will enter at the west
door. The late poet, in his will, mentions two articles
as the "jewels of his property?' These articles Midst
of a silver bowl, presented to him
by her
113, the students of
Glasgow when he was Rector of that
niversity, and a
copy of the engraved portrait of Queen Victoria, with
her Majesty's autograph to it, given to him
Majesty,
The crop of melons and pumpkins this year at
Havering estate (Captain Walker's) has been estimated at
seventy to eighty f,,,,,ne. The pumpkins are of a very
tfit:
sort, would not only keep i;:*,.1.1 "lee t°...E.#11,-5,1n Pi7auper,
found an adrorable article of sea stock.-21...._ : A. - -a

Dispatches from the Governor of the Cape of (Alma
Hope, and also from the Governor of St. Helena, were
received yesterday at the Colonial•office.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 28.1
The LOAD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
Lord CAMPBELL and the Earl of WINCHILSEA pre-
sented petitions against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
IRISH MARRIAGES BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing this fill, intimating that he would take the
of
dis-
cussion on going, into Committee.
The Archbishop
of ARMAG
e Select Co ustemmittee which had
would be referred to t.`:
H trd that theill
been appointed upon the suu`jec_t
of
RD
After a few words from the CHANCELLOR,
r,lrish marriages.
the Bill was read a second time, ant;
mined on Friday next.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a ordered Wbe
petitioncone-
Paisley
against the Dissenters' Chapels BilL
SUGAR DUTIES BILL.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE moved the first reading
of this Bill, and gave notice that he should move the
second reading of the Bill on Monday.
Tie Bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be
printed.
OPENING LETTERS AT THE POST-OFFICE.
The Earl of RADNOR presented a petition from Mr.
Mazzini, complaining that his letters had been opened at
the Post-office, and praying for inquiry. The Noble Earl
said he should on Thursday call the attention of their
Lordships to the subject of the petition, by moving for a
Committee to inquire into it. He wished now to ask
whether a warrant had been issued by the Secretary of
State for opening Mr. Mazzini's letters ?
The Duke of WELLINGTON said he was unable to
answer the question.
Lord BROUGHAM said the power of opening letters
at the Post-office had existed since the time of Oliver
Cromwell. A few nights ago it was stated that the
practice was established in the reign of Queen Anne.
After a few words from the Earl of RADNOR,
Lord CAMPBELL said it was not intended by the
original Act that letters should be secretly opened and
sealed up again.—(Hear, hear.) The Act provided that
evidencesuspiciouslettet
:or
us s.
theo
fu
wb
.eTheseized, and
A Act also
m might
providedh t b e used a
that
a ts
every
warrant,let letter openedsuch detained,eoaree, from
ones h o uolfd
thebe principalop ened
under
aSe-
cretaries of State. General warrants could not, there-
fore, be legal.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, if a warrant were
issued to empower the Postmaster to open all letters of
A. B. within a certain time, that was a warrant for each
letter to be opened. The Act of Parliament would be
quite nugatory, unless they put this construction upon it.
Lord CAMPBELL did not find fault with the law,
but with the manner in which the law was carried out.
Lord BROUGHAM thought the gravamen of this
case was that of opening the letters, and not the seal-
ing them up again and forwarding them.
Lord DENMAN thought that, when this subject was
brought fairly before their Lordships, they would see
that it was not a question of antiquarian history, but a
question affecting the liberty of every subject of the
realm. He felt convinced that if it were not, that he
would thereby overthrow a colleague—the Noble Duke
himself (the Duke'of Wellington), who came down with
a measure to modify that Act which gave the power of
opening letters.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that his Noble
and Learned Friend (Lord Campbell) had referred to
the original Act ; perhaps he would read to them the
words of the existing Act.
Lord CAMPBELL said it provided that a warrant
should be issued in each case when a letter was to be
opened.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that to do that the
Secretary of State would have to go to the Post-office,
and put his finger on a letter, and say " Open this."
Lord DENMAN thought there was another mode.—
(Cheers.) They established a system of espionage at
the Post- office. A spy might write to the Secretary of
State, and say, " You will receive a letter from Ports-
mouth on such a day." He felt that the Secretary could not
conveniently exercise this enormous power, unless he
stopped every letter on a certain day. If the Act of
Parliament was difficult to be carried into opera-
tion, so much the better. Such Acts ought to
be difficult of being carried into operation.
The circumstances of this particular case which had
come to the knowledge of their Lordships made it most
imperative on the Government to introduce some new
measure, to render the law clear on the subject.
Lord BROUGHAM observed that they were not
bound to make intelligible every Act of Parlia-
ment ; but, for the last hundred and fifty years, by
all Governments, this law had been acted on in
one way, and now his Noble and Learned Friend
came forward and suggested that the proper way to
carry the law into execution was one which it was
almost impossible to adopt. His Noble and Learned
Friend assumed that they must have a spy who knew
the handwriting, whereas all they knew was, that A. B.
was plotting against the State. This reading of' the Act
of Parliament would reduce it to insignificance, and he
thought they were bound to place such a construction
upon it, borne out as they were with the practical sense
of the words, as would signify that a general warrant for
opening all letters was sufficient to justify each indivi-
dual opening.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, the words of the
Act were that the Postmaster-General should swear
that he would not open any letter or letters except by
express warrant from the Secretary of State—that in-
cluded the plural as well as the singular.
Lord CAMPBELL—That is not the enacting clause.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—It was the oath the
party took, and if there was any doubt about the con-
struction of the Act, they must go to the oath to exem-
plify it. It had been supposed that a Tory Government
had brought forward this Act.-- (Cries of " No, no.")
The words which had been left out in the Consolidation
Act had been left out by the Whig Administration.
Lord CAMPBELL had before declared that the Act
had been introduced when he was Attorney-General,
and he was responsible for the words of it. That Act
had not altered the Act of Anne, which required a
special warrant for every opening. The Act had passed
originally in the time of Cromwell. Cromwell had heard
that a letter written from the King to the Queen was to
be brought in a saddle to the Blue Boar, Holborn. He
had waited the arrival of the messenger, opened the
letter, and found that instead of a blue ribbon he was to
have a halter.
The LORD CHANCELLOR had been taunted with
using the words of the oath only. He would now read
the enacting clause. The clause enacted that the Post-
master. General should not detain or delay any letter or
letters except by express warrant in writing under the
hands of a principal Secretary of State.
Lord CAMPBELL—Read on.
The LORD CHANCELLOR —" For every such
opening."—(Tremendous Opposition cheers.) Every-
body knew that—(Renewed cheers and laughter)—but
the point turned upon the word " letters."--(Cheers.)
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that a simple
and unlearned man would imagine that a warrant was
necessary for every day's opening at least. It was im-
possible that the matter could stop here.— (Cheers.)
They had heard doctrines from his Noble and Learned
Friend who spoke from the table, and who was then
sitting on the woolsack (Lord Brougham) to which an
Englishman could never submit. It was utterly im-
possible that the Secretary of State could issue a warrant
for the general opening of letters except upon informa-
tion ; and if that were not good information he was
guilty of an act of the most desperate tyranny, and
which no Government could justify. The accusation
against the Tory Government, as they so chose to desig-
nate themselves, was, that in the case which had been
brought before their Lordships by petition they had
caused the letters of a gentleman to be opened with no
good reason for so doing, and therefore that accusation
had been unjustifiably brought against a great public
officer. If it was denied that these letters had been
opened by authority there was an end of the matter; but
if it was not denied, they must inquire whether the
Postmaster-General had opened these letters under a
general warrant, and if so, what reason tho Secretary of
State had for issuing that warrant.
Lord BROUGHAM said he had never been more
grossly misrepresented in the whole course of his par-
liamentary life. His Noble Friend had said that this
was the first time that he (Lord Brougham) had laid
down the doctrine that the Secretary of State had any
right to open letters without any information upon which
to proceed. Now this was a gross misapprehension, to
say the least of it. Every body must admit that the Se-
cretary of State must have general information. No Se-
cretary of State would be justified without information
which would lead him to suspect a party—he was not to
open a letter because he dreamt that somebody was sus-
pected. He must have information that the parties
were engaged in treasonable transactions—transactions
injurious to the tranquillity of the realm at home, and
he might add as to the realms abroad. He did not
mean to say that any foreign Minister should be allowed
to come and say, " I suspect A. 8., therefore open his
letters." But if a British Minister received information
that a certain individual was engaged in dangerous and
unlawful practices that that individual ought to be
watched—that the peace and tranquillity of the country
or the due administration of justice required that he
should be watched carefully; he (Lord Brougham) said
that the Secretary of State had a right, by the fair con-
struction of that Act, to issue his warrant, and that it
was a gross absurdity to say that the Act would compel
him to particularise each letter, inasmuch as in 999
cases out of every 1,000 it would be an impossibility.
Mr. Fox did not do so, and he was a man who was not
very much attached to general warrants, and who was
well informed in the law. He (Lord Brougham) had
read the signature of Mr. Fox to general warrants, call-
ing on the Postmaster-General to detain and open all
letters of all foreign Ministers without any specification
whatever, and also to open any letter of which he might
thereafter give notice.
A NOBLE LORD—In what year was that ?
Lord BROUGHAM—In the year 1782. Mr. Fox,
therefore, had exercised this power, and had issued a
general warrant for opening the letters of all foreign
Ministers, who were living under the especial protection
of the Crown in this country. And how could these
Saneral warrants be avoided in such cases as these ?
uppose a Postmaster receives two letters for the same
man, on the same day, which would he take? It would
be, of course, a matter of chance. But he (Lord
Brougham) was really ashamed to trouble their Lord-
ships, by longer arguing on this untenable proposition.
Suppose a warrant were issued to take up three men,
who could say that that was not a warrant to take
up each?
The LORD CHANCELLOR—That was an express
warrant.
Lord BROUGHAM—Yes, that was an express war-
rant, so it was with 411 warrants issued for the opening
of letters.
The Earl of RADNOR said that his Noble and
Learned Friend had not been discussing the merits of
the petition before the House, but had rather entered
into a Z.ZChnicsi agreement on the general question, and
had not entered into the question as to whether any