The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-02 00:00:00

iimpertat Vartiamcnt.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—IVioNDAy:

Viscount STRANGFORD rose and said he was anxious,
before the order of the day was read, to call their lord-
ships attention to a bill which stood that night for the
third reading—he meant the Manchester Bonding Bill. It
bad gone through all the previous stages sub silenlio, and
awaited only the third reading. No explanation whatever
bad been given of it to their lordships, nor did he know
who had what was designated the charge of it. For his
own part, he was ignorant of its contents or its provisions,
and should be glad to have a print of it. Had the bill the
sanction of the government ?
The Earl of M INTO rose to speak to order. He thought
it was a great waste of time to be going into a discussion
so irregularly. It would be time enough for the noble
viscount to subm t a motion on the subject when the third
reading of the bill was proposed. (Hear.)
After a short discussion, in which the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, Lord Monteagle, and the Earl of Wilton took part,
the subject was dropped.
After some discussion the bill to prevent the union of
the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor went through com-
mittee, and was reported without amendment.
The Brothels Suppression Bill led to a repetition of the
attack formerly made by the Earl of Fitzhardinge against
the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, and to an able
reply-from the Bishop of Gloucester; after which the bill
went through committee, and was reported without any
amendment. _ _

Some bills on the table were then forwarded a stage, and
their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

Mr, DUNCOMBE again brought under consideration the
recent opening of letters at the Post-office, and insisted
that it was but the continuation of a practice which had
been in active operation during the last two years. He
charged the Post-office authorities with keeping a letter-
opening machinery, with the connivance of the govern-
ment, for political purposes. He moved that a petition
which he presented upon the subject might be. referred to
a select committee, with a view that an inquiry should be
instituted into the system.
Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion.
Sir J. GRAHAM commented on the want of courtesy
betrayed by the hon. member, in not having made him
previously acquainted with the circumstances of the case.
If he bad exceeded his power he was open to prosecution ;
but denying that he had done aught that was in the slight-
est degree questionable, he objected to the proposition of
the hon. member.

Mr. MACAULEY contended that the power was one
which should no longer be suffered to exist, without very
great modification.
Captain BERNAL said, a rumour was afloat that Irish
correspondence was habitually violated.
Sir ROBERT PEEL defended the course pursued by Sir
James Graham, who had- acted on a law passed in the
reign of Queen Anne, and which had been properly re-
enacted by the late government, and although his right
hon. friend had felt it his duty to refuse all explanation,
yet he had in no way exceeded the practice under Mr.
Fox and Lord Granville.

Sir G. GREY said the gravamen of the charge was that
the exercise of the power took place at the instance of a
foreign government for its own purposes, and that by thus
exercising it, the right hon. gentleman had compromised
the faith and honour of this country.
The motion was negatived by a majority of 206 to 162.
On the motion for going into committee on the Bank
Chatter Bill, several suggestions were made by Alderman
Thompson, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Masterman, after
which

Mr. MUNTZ moved that the bill should be committed
that day six months; an amendment which was seconded
by Mr. WALLACE, and opposed by Sir R. PEEL.
The amendment was negatived by a majority of 205 to

18.
The house then went into committee on the clauses of
the bill.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY.

The Earl of RADNOR brought under the consideration
of their lordships the circumstances attending the recent
opening of letters at the Post-office, a proceeding which
he strongly condemned, and urged upon the house the ne-
cessity for an inquiry. after what had taken place the pre-
vious evening in the House of Commons. The noble earl
concluded by moving for a copy of the warrant of the Se-
cretary of State under which the letters had been thus
opened.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said the law was an old
one under which the proceeding took place. and the
power which it gave was entirely exercised on the autho-
rity of the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
who did not think it advisable to state the grounds upon
which he thought it necessary to act.
Lord TANKERVILLE referred to a minute signed by Mr.
Fox, in the time of the Lord G. Gordon riots, authorising
the opening of the letters of the foreign ministers.
The Earl of H ADDINGTON said the power was a most
odious one to possess, and if there was not confidence in
the minister to whose discretion the power was entrusted,
that power, however necessary, must cease to exist. He
thought no grounds had been shown for a parliamentary
inquiry.
Lord CAMPBELL said he would have been satisfied bad
any declaration been made on the authority of the govern-
ment that no abuse of this power had actually taken place ;
but all their lordships could obtain was a declaration from
the Secretary for the Home Department that he would
not tell them anything about the matter, and a declaration
from the noble duke and the noble earl near him (Lord
lisddington) that they actually knew nothing about it.
The character of the country was compromised by what
bad taken place, and therefore inquiry was, in his opinion,
necessary.
Lord DENMAN thought it imperative on parliament to
inquire into the nature of a power which was so odious in
its exercise that the people would no longer endure its ex-
istence without modification.
The Earl of RADNOR said he would, on a future occa-
sion, bring the motion forward in another shape.
Several bills on the table were then forwarded a stage,
and their lordships adjourned.