The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-09 00:00:00

'e effect of giving a power to the Secretary of State on

t.;~
.Y .

•• - -
"cling them with the Poet-office Feae But ii ;his cues
tine was to be a hether they were to give the power,
without modification, or not give it at all, certainly he
should rote against its being given at all, for he must
say, to slightly alter the words of the Hon. Member for
Shrewsbury (Mr. D'lsraeli), that this system of opening
letters was nothing either more or less than legalised
hYpocrisy—(llear, and laughter)---a system of false
hood, countenanced. recognised, and legalised by Go-
vernment. Ahl if he were to adopt any opinion on the
*abject, it would be the opinion expressed on another
subject by the Hon. Member for I)orsetshire last session,
that " what was morally wrong could never be politi
eally right." The very same argument as was used for
the employment of spies, might he used in defence of
this system of opening letters. They might concvive
themselves justified if they suspected any man of being
dangerous to the Government—they might, he said, con-
eeive themselves justified in employing a person to be-
come the servant of that man, and thereby get at all the
Private sentiments and proceedings of that individual
'hrough the agency of one whose fidelity ought to he in-
orruptible, but who, in violation of every sense of duty
nd honour, should report the secret, and, as was sup-
Posed, the unobserved proceedings of his master to the
Government. He, therefore, thought that, under all
these circumstances, he was bound to vote for the Bill
of his Ron Friend,and if they wished not to promulgate
great fallacy throughout the country, they shonid
allow the Bill to be brought in to abrogate, the exercise
efehis power, and introduce aclause which should enable
the Secretary of State, under certain cases. to exercise the
Power, not in a secret, but in an open manner. He had
understood thattheAustrian Government were in the habit
of opening letters and of resealing them with the seal
owl'
ar de post-office. That gas a manly and straightfor •
Post-office-
and he could not see why this country
could not imitate so excellent an example. For these
reasons he should vote for the motion of his Hon. Friend.
Mr.
111;NIE said, that the real question before the
Rouse was, whether the Government • hould he allowed
to interfere with the proceedings of foreigners in this
c emtry. That it was in itself a most odious and ini-
quitous abuse,' end if the Right Hoe. Baronet the
r,Secretaryic fee the
knew how Home Department (Sir James Gra-
neora)l, had
been
his character, both political and
(Cries of o No,
lidantaged throughout the country—
House) from the Ministerial side of the
eelron. Gentlemen mi ht express their opinions
i!_a_ they thought proper, but according to his (Mr;
Hurne's) experience, such was the case ; and he be-
lieved that if the Right Hon. Baronet were aware of it,
that he would be one of the first to consent to the remise
*ton of this most odious and unjust power ; and he could
tohelp asking why he should object to the abrog,atien
[a power, which, b•• his own account, had caused him
!e be h d d Y
a gere , tormented and abused, from one end of
the country to another. He could tell the Right
onourable Barouet, that this torment and badgering
was not without a ground, and the effect on his ewn
reputationre would, he (Mr. Hume) felt assured,
perraanent as well as injurious.—(Hear, hear.) He
!law no reason why, if this power were to be exercised
in the supervision of foreigners resident in this country,
and who were supposed to be sneaged in some prr?-
"ed, ings hostile to the Governneent of other nations, it
lowae`ed not also be exercised over Englishmen, who
'eight be en aged in similar combinations. England
had hitherto been the refuge of the world for men per-
aeeuted for their political opinions in other countries,
atld were they now to throw aside this, one of the
greatest of the glories which the country possessed,
*imply for the sake of interfering with that with which
We had nothing to do? He must say, that he could not
"117 the Minister who desired it, and the sooner the
Power of opening letters was totally abrogated the
Oettet —(Rear, hear.)
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE rose amid loud and repeated
earl" of '' Divide, divide," and said that he was sorry to
hear the decision to which the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir
James Graham) had come. He had hoped that this
question might have been amicably disposed of by ac-
ceding to his motion for the abrogation of the odious
Power- which had now so frequently been reprobated in
that House, of opening_ letters passing through the
-p
11°8t-office.—(llear.) Under present circumstances,
the letters of every man were precisely in the same
Position as the papers in a man's desk. If the owner of
.thene were suspected of dangerous or seditious proceed-
i-ngs, the issuing of a warrant would at once subject
theme _ to scrutiny. His Hon. Friend the Member for
ileolldon (Lord John Russell) was the only person who
'as sat un the Secret Committee who had spoken on the
subject, and he had expressed himself as quite opposed
to the existence of this power. He (Mr. Duncombe)
therefore felt entitled to consider the sentiments of that
Y"on. Member as the sentiments of the Committee.—
( No, no," from several Members.) Why, there was
the Noble Chairman sitting there (Lord Sandon) and he
said not a word in contradiction. But whether this
Were so or not, this practice of opening letters
Was abhorrent to the people of England—(Hear,
Bear)—and, he believed, contrary to the principles
°l' the Constitution. Such, at least, had been the
°Pillion expressed by Lords
of Lords , Denm.sn and Campbell in
the House • and he might, it is true. be
accused of possessing a " prurient" curiosity, but he
was curious to know how far the sentimeuts of the
Qecret Committee coincided with the opinions of those
Noble Lords. At any rate, he was determined to know
a', hether the law would justify any men in the act, either.
by himself or his deputy, of opening the letters of
ca,aother. He should certainly appeal to the Court of
"4i,„astri's Bench, to ascertain whether the warrants issued
SI the Secretary of State were legal or not.—(Great
clamour was here made to divide.) He (Mr. Duncombe)
thought that Hon. Gentlemen were more anxious about
their dinners, than about the business of the country—
(l3leide, divide)—but he was determined to do his duty,
botwithstaeding the obstruction, the unfair obstruction
Which had been thrown in his way, and attempt with his
utmost exertion to do away with this odious, villainous,
ail.. iniquitous power.
he House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it
Majority against it —B3
ltru.
MA
AmINIENALTH OF TOWNS.
the
ON then rose to call the attention of
~,. House to the report of the Committee and of the
leorumissioners on the Health of Towns, regarding in-
4:e c ents within the precincts of large towns. He thought
, could uld not do better, inlhe few observations he was
about to make, than state to the House the terms of a
tetetion which he held in his hand, from the Mechanics'
institute of Manchester. The petition was worded in so
eingular a manner, and so applicable to the subject he
Was about
to
shpropose to the House, that he
onld read the first part of it. The petitioners stated
that the wdoirekdedh hard, that they lived hard, and
that they
theiarrdd, and they deemed it doubly
hard that, after
to enorraoue expense eianthl; their families should be put
after their being interred. their them interred, and,
crated, as they
gcgoond leavetly rrer,eminains should be dose-
towQlepresent that
townpetit i
oouf . Mann;
brought this measure under3tharB ago,
he was met with laughter ande attention of the House,
when he first
Were made upon the absurdit joking, and observations
Was the case three years aftey of his proposition. What
the opinion of that House and what
What was now
of the country upon the 'ia what were the sentiments
Without number topresentsubject? to that House. He had had
u'l'lllictions withouend on the subject, and the public
tints were full oftthe nuisance of these interments.
fsji:otu one end of the kingdom to the other there had
70,,...eti_ au.streuontg and violent feeling excited in favour of
2 some ite ion in the present system He was perfectly
;sire this practice of interments Ought in some mea-
„ll_4__
_t b@ discountenanced by the House, and whether he
e;'!c_eerieet or not in getting, a vote in' his favour that
"Leg he would Use his Den endeavours at all times to
get the he
to come to a resolution that this nuisance
t:atttvotoni)le.abate. But it might be asked, "Why
—l-4ent6 Zeadt,ivcinudnugali, like himself, ?"
His answer was that a pri-
mself, unconnected with the Go-
vinaea :1 uccess bring in a Bill,
chAnee _s tud not by any possibility with the slightest
because he was con-
the detalrYore who differed with him would cavil with
tor hiea to
... tilt Bill—it would be utterly impossible
tkia t°lll'ol)o7eeceed in it. It was therefore his inter
°P.nion,.fthis 4he following resolution--“ That it is the
"qthin the zuse thatit is inexpedient that interments
should be Precincts of this metropolis end large towns
araltb of thec'etinued, both as being injurious to the
Leeeneye, If People, and as being contrary to public
he succeeded in persuading the House to
bring
ftouewthis resolution, he would then pledge himself to
til3thletly ard a Bill, but it must be at the same time
tioneo_ .nlinderstood, that he should do so only as the
tliequiriiri_i the Government. Without going back to
tit savi_uto__ het practice of interments in the time of
nbjenteti"7, or h time of Constantine, who by the way
Withio 4,t( burying the dead, either in churches or
eel%
_..41e. precincts of large towns, he would
tibio, al; "nee to the recent reports upon this
lergl,t,L The first notice taken of interments within
rws, bine s. Ntts by the Ecclesiastical Commission, which
ent4.tia ti by he order of Govriament, which made its
via and which
h 'lltls ~II„ - report was signed by certain indi-
-I!)eveyer, 4 ee, names he would mention. Previously,
tr„relltarti:° ttag I% he would read an extract from
-"' "he The Ecclesiastical Commissioners reported
appears, Practice of burials in churches or chancels
ctil'asive_et°,ll9 Irt many. respects injurious—in some eases
he ehur..,_ to some instances to shut out the public from
T/es of to
in others it has a tendency to affect the
that „.3,01, inhabitanta. We are, therefore, of opinion
_et,:ltln practice should be discontinued, so far as the
leir,,,, c,_ be effected without trenching on vested rights."
7dZnea°37
hem was this report signed? Why it was
1-'''e iirreitt).Y,,tl(l‘e_Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of
Ti 444.4 Ln Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Lincoln,
ndalTenterden, Lord Welford, and Mr. Chief' Justice
rttilreiZthat was the use of issuing this Commission,
0 oese ~_,
himwas not to be attended to? In 1842 the
e the 'si__,l,
.c the honour to print him a Committee
entlisiste,"o°A
_t, of which he was chairman, and which
..ftbe iits,._tctientlemen who occupied setae on both sides
'Net C LI! • Now what was the unanimoae report of
elite. °totnitteee It was, that
tea .4% th as, the practice of Interments
precincts of large towns was injurious to the
ltl oft he inhabitants thereof, and frequently offensive
4.4ter ievesti
if eePnblic deceneSt%. Of what' use,now was that Comrnitt ee,
4 dead lettegra?lng• evidence, its report was to be treated
her* W her Benjamin Brodie and Dr. Chem-
'did te!l:e examined before that Committee, and what
Vil, 117,e_e, eminent practitioners say? Why, the first
eae._:"(le ' Do you consider the crowded state of the
ise‘e;; Yard Sin this metropolis is in soy way' the cause
1;;;I‘.`. er nr disease" The answer was, '• I ligNe, always
iilideAred it is one. cause." Than Dr. Chambers' being
raaaity
Was
oreo whether the health of the '
cet4 to, as -
large
townswas not injured by interments in
thatnr the fey , Cave this statement:—" I have no doubt
Loudon
er cam typhus, even in the cleanly quarters
th tadthe:Le origin to utr miae s r
evidence
He
hoot trouble e House withp anyid furth
taken before that Committee. Now,