The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-19 00:00:00

jnt once to the constitution of that Committee. He Obe in office, the number of those warrants issued by them
loeetted to the course which the Government took—to the exceeded all precedent of former Governments. At that
utriee which the Right Hon. Baronet took—but his ob- time, up to the year 1844, when this report was made,
e
ens were over-ruled, and he was required to place the present Government had issued as many as 44 war
efore that Board all the charges which he bad made in rants in three years.—(lfear, hear.) Now, on look-
the House of Commons. He did not attend, end the ing over the whole of the report, he could not find that
realn reason he would tell them afterwards. There was anything at all like the number of 44 such warrants had
an individual on that Committee in whom he could been issued in any three years, notwithstanding the
tits_
eports •
not one member in whom he had the smallest greatresearch and labour displayed by the Committee.—
confidence _(Bear, hear.) He objected, lastly, that the (Cheers an laughter.) It appeared by the report that
of the Secret Committee could not be satisfite- Lord Sidmouth, in the year 1812—ratber a remarkable
evetory to the coutitry, as the reports of Secret Cumraittees period—issued tWelve warrants, and that was considered
r
Were; and if any man doubted the correctness of an -extremely large number ; yet the lion. Baronet (thyrrLat, he wished him to examine into the subject. (Home Secretary),- in more recent and less remarkable
i", ens Committee had instructions to furnish the times, exceeded Lord Sidmouth by five.—(Hear, and
r
' e with a report stating the origin of the laughter.) Again, he would say that the Hon. Bae
It!ght in law, and the expediency for its con- ronet had mae almost most unscrupulous use of this power
anu.ance on the statute-book. The Right Hon. Baronet and that was apparent in the use he had made of
aso haring appointed and nominated his own jury—having, that power against the two foreigners, M. Mazzini and
he said himself, referred his honour to that Commit- Capt. Stoltman.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He be-
tee
nnn et reserved to himself the privilege of addressing lieved the country had not on record any instance of li-
the House in the even: of the Committee's report being miler conduct to such an extent.—(Hear, hoer.) But the
biesel unfavourable. He (Mr. Duncombe) also reserved to Hon. Baronet had said that her Majesty's Government
in f the privilege of bringing up the question again, had so used this power at the instigation of a foreign
provided
tor., the report of that Coiumittee were unsatisfac- power, from whom they had had communications that
1, and in fulfilment he, that evening, rose for a fresh led to such a proceeding. Now, he would call upon tb,
inquiry,fox If he made cut that in the statements put t House to mark the error of the report in this respect.
stead ne
oin that report there was gross incorrectness, in- ' The warrant was issued on the 3d of March, and was
boes f certainty, misconstruction instead of simple and cancelled on the 13th of June, and therefore nl.
gtre t truth, reservation where frankness was re- Mazzini had no cause of complaint. But he (Mr. Dun-
henoud' if he proved that the honour of England, the combo) would contend for it that M. Mazziui's letters
that the Government ought to have commanded were opened on the 14th of June, the very day before he
shove truths should have been given, and if he (Mr. Duncombe) presented his petition.—(Hear, hear.)
. 'e-"yod that such had not been the case, then he thought Therefore it would appear that letters had been opened
IS o
shoaluritellttse would grant that a searching inquiry was ab- at times when there was no authority to do so ; and it
against necessary into one and every of his charges was his firm belief that the warrant had been abrogated
Gevernment and against the Right Hon. for the occasion--(lTear, le ar)--and that the whole
called e__(Hear.) He was before that Committee system on which this practice was founded, had
asto prove the charges made against the Right Hon. been conducted, to say the least of it, in a frolonet in his place in Parliement, and he would read most loose manner. But now mark the error of the
COins the
~,, Paper what he said at the time, before that report. The House of Lords, in their report upon this
that ti .He.stated first, that in the precincts of subject say, that " Letters had been opened for abou
that e ecret-office private correspondence was violated— four months." Now, he (Mr. Duncombe) contende('
fore, in
that place letters were opened, resealed, then that the warrant was in force from Christmas 1843 1(
itself se
to their destination, and the correspondence June'' 1844 ; and lie would ask, was a month to bf
that thsent to foreign and despotic Powers. He stated, consideied as nothing in a period during which a mann
Lad .-"e Secretary of State for the Home Department letters were to be opened ?—(Hear, hear.) ThereforE
stite,e;xceeded his powers, and had made a most uncon- he would say, that the Government were in this predi-
teesCennal and dishonourable use of the powers en- cement— that letters had been opened from time to time,
thetne`z to him.---(Hear, hear.) He had added, that previous and subsequent. to the times at which this
time ' he
more letters opened during the report states that the warrant had been issued and
Seere, ne had been in office, than in that of any cancelled, and, therefore, there was a gross error in thi,
had
eL.aery who had preceded him. He stated that he report.---(liear, hear.) He slid not mean to attribute
the e'`,.'s !hied letters from foreigners, complaining that any intentional mistake.eto them, for he believes' they
lette..L_sn pitality of England had been violated; that their had been imposed
_on. This, also, he believed,. that
siesef„ bad been opened at the instigation of foreign those letters to which he had been calling, attention, had
tej`"tis, and that their correspondence had been com- been opened at the instigation of a I oreign power ;
banishments
to those Powers, and that imprisonments, but the reason assigned by that Power for opening. M.
au'ilhnents, and deaths on the scaffold, were the conse- Mazzini's letters was that he had been secretly instigat-
e epees of those communicotione. He stated also that ing an insurrecti,;n against that Power, and that thp
tlei . correspondence of the Foreign Ambassadors was British Governmenteherefore, had their authority for this
lii,7\eted to the inspection of her Majesty's Ministers. proceeding from "High Sptirces." Now, What were those
be ;rte. huncombe's) letters also—the letters of a Mein- "high sources?" They were not stated in the report—
iabtca,dft;hatsie,at House—his correspondence had been vie - the report did not state that M. Mazzini was cognizant
tchoelehtitlelrs had been
hefore the detained and opened. of those charges, or obnoxious to
himself,
their
if the
t
tiow
did
theymenidtottefheier.inidictment he was called on to prove Committee had heard M. Mazzini 'cc4crereenPtoof
Secret Committee ? How were these charges met ? would then have had to give a very different a
dieted. It explained in the report of the the transaction.—(Hear, hear.) But mark the next
given
them
seemed
would find thatcontradiction •
they the It not only did not state
Let Hon. Members read it, and
not one of his charges had been contra- the "high sources," but it distinctly said that the
as if the Right Hon. Baronet had letters were opened, " not at the suggestion of any
nothi em their in tut these words, " Explain foreign Power.—(Hear, hear.) But, notwithstauding
net e negt mystify every thine "—(Laughter.) They had this, it appeared that "such information as had been
eeerien one of his allegations ; but if their instructions elicited from those so-opened letters had been communi-
n--(Coraereq considered, they had well done their duty. cated to those foreign Powers."—(Hear, hear.) In the
1,5,. iltinued laughter.) The Committee was, in the House of Lords, the Marquis of Nornia,ntiy asked the
also ya.ce, s„
inquire into the state of the law, and Duke of Wellington was this the fact ? and the Noble
eleee t° Inquire into the mode in which it had been Duke said he knew nothing about it--(Laughtcr)—but
,euted ..
scut
before that time; and as if that were not suffi- the Earl of Aberdeen, in reply to the same question,
st,atnstYaneezPreastve, they were to inquire into the cir- said he could assure the Noble Marquis that nothing of
they tarscs under which any warrant was issued, so that the sort had been communicated to any foreign Power.
the till g°4 infer from those . instructions at least that —(Hear.) Well, then, to what Other conclusion was he
(.0111.
.th was required to come out. But how did the at liberty to arrive upon this part of the subject
n ttee be • .
1;1,w of 184 4 gin their work ? They assumed that the than this, that there was gross falsehood somewhere.
-net of ee was analogous to that of 1711, when the between this House and tether House, but where, it
tseenee?n,ecn Acne was first passed, but they ought to was not for him to say. —(Hear) —but this he would say,
terlde,', that the circumstances which that law was in- that some explanation was due cot only to the British
laat having
meet were somewhat peculiar. The law of public, but to all foreign Powers and foreign nations.—
the eo,„,vlng been assumed to be that of Queen Anne's, (Cheers.) Well, then, the report went on to say that in
ter, ba:ennittee proposed to give the history of the mat- the course adopted by the Government "nothing more was
state
of'
tillot
, One word more did they give of the done than to frustrate the attempt to create an insurrec-
ierntreet. c lane They thought they were obeying their tion." But he would ask, was that the proper course to •
iecono:°l.lB by going back to the time of Edward the adopt ? Was that' a • course worthy of Englishmen ?
luseia and their report was full of very valuable anti- (Hear, hear.) Was that the course fur the British *Go-
?
wt aria n resear 1
un anti en, for at least two-thirds of it was filled vernment to adopt to ' frustrate an attempta in
wasratite !Pierian knowledge. They gave the number of which was involved the lives, perhaps, of those unfortu-
karthe:l6sued by the Duke of Newcastle, byLord Car nate individuals?—(liear, hear.),lf he (Mr. Duncombe)
a eOpy fl(1 by others, but what the House wanted was had appeared before, the Committee, he would have
*--j.aer,(l), the warrants issued by Si James Graham. shown that M.Mazzinihadgotaletter from some unhappy
opt oft
Not one of the warrants to the and misguided men, to the effect that they intended to
ttarit efl'uting districts were given,--not one war- make a descent upon some of the Papal and Neapolitan
t()give tl the
present century had they condescended States ; that M. Mazzini had done all he could to dis-
i'ial of
,le House. They went on telling them that the suede them from so rash an act ; that they hadyielded to
tt,:isted Inarpus individuals proved that the practice had his advice, but it was then too late ; for the Austrian
et,'_bary theorrner times, because letters written to At- Government sent • their agents. to Corfu to en-
s; re 1,1,04
,Bishop of Rochester, and to other persons, courage on those unfortunate men, and under .a.
e4ted that nced upon their trials. But they had not delusion induced them to retire from Corfu into Calabria, „Sseret,,_ those letters had been detained by virtue of where they hail ordered their ships. This was all done
o`a,et 0, tart'' °f State's warrant—they only stated the fact at the instigation of the, British Government ; these nine.
°tilers, ti'ln trials of the Bishop of Rochester, and of Unfortunate then, thus betrayed, were tried by a military,
a the °se letters were -produced. He found that commission, and .very shortly after were executed.--
tA 'e tri •
e ea, and a' of Bishop Atterbury, an objection was (Hear, hear.) The lion. Member then read a letter
aeess the „ t .f, 9 asko
~, .unsel in the case, in examining a wit- from
.two of those who had been executed—two cliis of
easeta the s'e_tt the letters were detained under a warrant Admiral Bandieri—in which they expressed their con-
k'en to 'beeretary of State. The question was not viotion of the wrong course they' had' been. taking,. de-
lta' ss Preyed ,answered by the bench. If any of these (dared themselves satisfied 'to expiate their crime with
sit, been iss_terat a warrant from the Secretary of State their blood, and died crying out " Viva Italia." —(Hq.ar.)
were esPcnsibilimt te 01l
of
eerirtred thaLti
xdoe.t all, he thought .it might equally be
tSounechniewaa:ttretiserote.efaresittri
je
Wtinliterht-fttf*tt4e4"tsshoi°nvdeirv?ranlst
the clerks had done it
search- on i I
thay'rl, t had beo 3, or it might be that ah regular to disturb the peace-i ot Et
our allies.—(Cheers.) (uheers.) "Why,
the, issued _ n granted for the
forpapers. papers, all in ue- not say to thPSe individuals openly and magnanimously,
eona rytitie," hat. they wanted, and knew also that they that their proceedings were known, that their designs
th"bit a, f.." to issue such.' But to reseal letters—to would be'
.frustrate,.that they could not be allowed to
a e'a 1 t (41.erY for! it was nothing less, and to send plot on British ground ?—(Cheers.) Why did you not
IS-e,l(ntitieirs eto-ihei; original addresses, oh it was tell- them that-they were rushing into ruin, and that they
Vernty f niutous and most unworthy system—too must desist from
.their 'course ~?—'Cheers.) This you
have
'handed'
Ive:„Conee;r, any Minister of any country.—(Cheers.) could have done--(llear)—and they would listened
this"' had been said in their report, in reference to to you.---(Hear.) 'No ; . but; instead of that, you.hlt
Ee,k2el3ow,t, `vire?a,..done in this way in former times; that them over-to the foreign Government,. and their
.o 9(
that netbou,
theot permitted to be used in the Post- is as much on.. the heads of her Majesty's present Minis-
the authert," , express authority of Government; but ters—(Cheers)aye, more so thant olln
the
ee
theadsi of those
trigger. And
reeds' 17g 11,aving been given in a certain portion of individuals who . were orderedeto osepeu
and which is intended,
t 1,4 ') prietr, ' certain letters were then somewhat if the monument, which I hop
d,i say Wb ,_lnto." Nov he (Mr. Duncombe) would be ever erected to The memory of those ,men, it ought to be
`, jig' their Cher the Committee of 1742 were properly inscribed on their. tombstone that they fell in the cause of
e, clew,. .uty or
eaet tb. tett
ru,, , not, by
.those letters. that had been their country and liberty,. through. the treachery of a British
hire ,is ens 'el), pried into;" but this he would say. Governmer.t; and the inscription, I believe, would be but
true."—(*Great cheering.) The Hon. Gentleman proceeded
}14,1:.14d tak__a• compliment which the report now before to say that that was not the only case.—( Hear, hear.) Cap•
laa nerl :11 care not to pay those whose letters of late taro Stoltinan, an officer in the-Polish army, discovered, like
ass 'ter.) Vll:tewleat rudely pried into."—(Cheers and M. Mazzini, that his letters had been opened, and he asked
..
some of tile
~efeither would he say that it was the busi- for inquiry and redress. But he was not called before the
Powho.,"°lntuittee to do so; but, as they had not Committee. No, information had been given to the House as
4 er of ' rudely
I ot R Pried into " the manner in which this to the warrants in his case ; but although the consequences
ning letters had been exercised by the Right were not so fatal, in reference to the informa-
-'ileh. -etl
teeP"ter), 171aan opposite, he would do it.—(Cheers and tion - given to the foreign embassy, as they had
ea..k rsporenY referring to the Appendix of the Commit- been in the case of M. Mazzini, yet the proceedings
rittl-37 NI 1'
the House would find that this extraordi- were most disgraceful to the Government. The warrant was
4141. eaess
this 3, that 4.,_ had been taken by that Committee, June. New he i. not complain as.to
d.,1 . the date of the war-
, epe_. tney did
oc letters examine into the extent to which rants. But all he had to say was, this gentleman's correspon-
ad to" Whole ' had been carried on, and that dence with Mr. Galiski in Paris was opened, as was also the
tthi, cOrriTnu of the " extreme rudeness " which they correspondence of Mr. Wursell. Na one ever heard of that
then', weed4ncate to the public.—(Laughter.) Now, gentleman's name until he presented his petition praying for
tko
ottnsi4sr Ol Committee were to conceive it part of inquiry, that he. might have the opportunity of wipingoffa
Or will' thews t° tell the House what the Government of stain cast upon his character by an insinuation contained. in the,
l'tter:it had rdred Years ago thought proper to do, report of the Committee. . Mr. Galiski was mentionelill ass,
tiers
4t that laPPc'ned in reference to the opening of residing in Paris at the time referred to, as we
mr.
another gentleman who was not named. Why
les, steadine
,tl.llstant period of time, surely any person, , Ilea 1,,_ gti at report, would exclaim • " God bless Galiski be held up to rept-each, and thewasothe.rt.
l'e'ort b ry it,,,,c ,
interesting • , . gentleman not named? But the Committee stated that i
ivrl t. e, w, e rtant and must not this
'wee 'ale e why it eon,was alleged against those two men that they had formed a de-
o - ivep• ---(Ch ee
~ es somewhat nearer to our sign to assassinate a
,foreign Sovereign, who was on a vist to
jase, re ing to i re and laughter.) Now, although he her Majesty. Now, why did not the Committee name the
ug th -ehreil tg-" the Committee every credit for the Sovereign: There were two here on . a visit to the Queen.-7
4.4 to the the r_s eY displayed, yet he could not help say- the Emperor of Russia and the King of Saxony. Why did
IN, 912 facts e Ult
8 , e lie of that research afforded no evidence they not say which of them it was designed to assassinate?—
a4ros , Pon tee. Wanted to come at ; but, on the con- (" Hear," and a laugh.) The Committee
.thought that the_
Pnee,' had au n, Point he should say the Committee's re- allegations against those gentlemen was sufficient to justify the
tet:r)st n evaporated, and the - appeared to have be- opening of their letters, at the same time the Committee
4111:t tZreodr,,e hll,4,eres°l4.t ah 1 y and unintelligiblyy reserved.— thought that there was nothing to criminate, those gentlemen,
1 and laughter.) Nay
et eetb e .te sat ~ more,thought
readwhoin they had reluctantly named.—( Ihe Hon. Member then
- at length the extract to the above effect.) If the Corn-
.,Citi.se upta,lttee
the
he. could satisfy the
.Housethat
1 hold them to
mittee were reluctant to name those gentlemen,. am )
~ r e -1 the , not ones ed the resolutions of the
inthe foul imputation of murder, why did they do so?—( Hear.
Pet.—cliear.) The Committee, Nobody asked them.—(Hear 'and a laugh.) At all events,
41itrirt' qatesdu rdi_
„Gat palls of tl, Mat strict adherence was paid to the when they did impute to those gentlemen the crime of murder,
cot been 'if it the reirrant, and yet, while they said in they ought to have given them the opportunity of vin.di-
cltiotia olse . Itt law had been obeyed,, it, in fact, had eating their character. Mr. Wursall was a member of high
ttitla 8) sp .3ed ; and this was one of his (Mr. Dun-
,, t ecifie Polish family, and a man of unblemished honour, utterly
,sttiL,2 and come, _.n t . _
incapable of thinking of the crime of assassination.—( Hear.)
itened...... on, or, y;ai s against the present Govern-
Isfe • -Me
i_svnich the public had a right to be
As the opportunity was not given to those gentlemen to de-
hes, one 41''
nea•) hadthis fend themselves before the Committee which published the
vyr 11 bee r• And whynot
1,. be Was ,ill i_afforded by the report ? The charge,mm Committee,
ought to be allowed to 'do so before another
and that . was what he now called upon the
netts tiveri, 'ita "! it was this—that if it were House to grant. In such a"- Committee it would be proved
err) ° hay "old have compelled the Com- that what he had stated was certainly true, that there
. .
all tti-and ~ e entered the Secret Chamber—(Hear, e, at the time e.f the Emperor of Itussia's visit to
iti
r. seer ~ they did
A'sfere ets of ow that, they should have betrayed were Queen, Russian spies here. Those spies took . advantage
pse's
~,,ce to ~, Chamber. And here let him say, of that visit which the Emperor made—at. to great incenveni-
re en the ~Lii.ls Secret Chamber, he had seen by the (nee to himself, as they were told in her. Majesty's Speech—
ap,_tne lio day that that office had been abolished. (
had t. to II
n* Member A laugh —to ingratiate themselves with the Russian Ein-
ritt4supprise, above
114 q Is, Ad that
, .effect' and then continued. Well, he
4 et hi tnis secret office had. been closed or For this purpose they invented the calumny upon those gentle-
men, and carried it to the Ambassador.. Her Majesty's Go-
(I. (It
been ni
saY, as the without learning an
2,.., vernment acted upon the accusation, but -
paili,4ll4ht closed t, , ie lawyers did, that the office thing to criminate the accused gentleman, and the spies got what
fall le ja er)-and',lls3, had only " changed the venue they wanted, and returned to their native land. They obtained
tar 43 ttVhat he would asls what sinified it to the an amnesty immediately after the visit of the Emperttr
Seed note Practice that secret d• psrtment was held, so whilst the injured gentlemen were left here , with the
41),krti_Vv,h,the're, cotitinuel ?—(Hear, hear.) It mat- foul stain of murderers attempted to be thrown upon them., by
11,11, 4141 s-le.Grit was held in the Home-office or in a Committee of the British House of Commons.—t(HG,ar,
, h he b 3.41 d, so lon as •
t were aware of what they were doing, sometimes,
11()th• Y a eiteve, . g it was held anywhere; hear.) He (Mr. Duncombe) did not believe that he. 0c.i4111;,,,
c.i4111;,,, b uthy uf it would be. because it was vernmen
imparted the correspondence which passed between
t° tilllaileilt " Aet ° an Act of Parliament, and when they
th eetntof th °I Parliament could deprive the
se s et.„.• at now__ „ _
the
ii tile
~tll.ultilled th
44. 4
Chad
•,Llttus, 1 r er.— (Hear, hear.) Ili respectopen letters, they would
the Poles intheir own country and the exiles here. When
the Government was requested to
to riot ,le should sometimes have to say that the contained nothing but matters
uld say, his opinion was, that family concern. Was the Government aware of the result ?
•of ' of pert tirribel ,e of thee
intention that House, either
—(Hear, th:l-41 r' °f 'sets law upon this subject, or as to in Poland. One to prohit y person in Poland. from hear.) There were at. present two ukases in force
It, tighl,lentioned. rs that had been opened during the responding with an exile,noun atter on what subject, under
theit4el): 11°n• Bare And he would further say that the penalty of imprisonment and flogging..—( Hear, hear.)
state 44rtnient, hra.e..t, the Secretary of State for the Another decree forbade all correspondence wiatnhthalpeorfstohnesine
(lisag the tt'eranulo„ci
uesxceeded his powers, had made England, under the same malt .Under U.nderristelnie
ed on the ysuspicion
4kai_r, 11(_ teriber of. of his power, and had not decrees,,. ,tl-e.eorGreo,unotnedssedSow
iitnhslitiewr asi
husbandmP through the medium
tso,.'l seeor°e,ti and
~
eeletters, that had been opened.— °1.,. hiln.b
ladies.--(Hear,p hear.) The Countess Vurenski
War We/qt. to tt, 11 rs.) Here the lion. Member °I forelgil .• • •
issued k, autb,,".
,say thst it appeared by it that 372
t on t,‘ - report, and having read a passage, •
was also imprisonedfor writing to an exile, and Madame.
Valdi for corresponding with her husband,
tko cbirii -ristnir the' and received fifty severe lashes—(Undescribable sensation)—
heel 4 fer e ).g. the last °Pelting of letters, had been '
All these had been done under the mandate of that Sovereign
:,.itiiii,',r,laajnal
_.,,L opening
was imprisoned
y ; of these, 300 were or whose visit the House had the other day congratulated her
p,,,, ,)iefi:_i the o,e,t_f_urPoesthat was to say, warrants Majesty.—(Loud and repeated cries of " Hear, hear.") He
'on jertainr,,,,,,g of letters by reading fhecontents was satisfied that the Government; in communicating such
titer etce,
w'gaged tn°Jeted murders, robberies, forgeries, correspondence; were not aware that the effect of makingknown
tt,kittle to to ty, rci)taus for defraudint, the revenue' to the Emperor that a wife corresponded with her husband
ti.,; Q b,t,,..‘nat the' etected. But let the H
`l,llti 0 'eon iv re was a e ouse bear
' was to subject her to imprisonment, and the most brutal of all
eri Tend arrant . great and marked differ- corporal punishments—the knout—( Hear, hear)—besides that,
intl. 414;4
`vets and lssued for the detection of . her children would be taken from her for ever.—(Hear; hear.)
Letter ivti arn those of a
~ , cti-
Ought not this Government,then, to be very cautious how they
~. al, and 'llts," if he • Political character. The
'ith " agai Were dir might so call them, affected an betrayed any correspondence to foreign Powers that passed
intends View nst which between their subjects?—(Hear, hear.) Another charge
ected against an individual only hh had maele was that of the correspondence of foreign
te 4.'1, WI • - ascert • they were directed were opened, awnabmassadors. The House could imagine Lord Aberdeen
it as tile the ain the name and address of an in- receiving an ambassador, and asking him, with a gracious
alleseaPaet 6 Political
Yea,, ated tr. Nciw, , warrants were of a very dif- smile of good-natured curiosity, " What news have you got
--. 1844, , that fr 03" the report of the Committee from your country to-day?' —(A latigh)—and the
.Nohle
ueizg. thrc'eut the year 1841 to the end of th Earl had read all the letters the same morning.—
° Years that the Hon, Baroiaet Wa.eS (Renewed laughter.) When he (Mr. Duneombe) made