The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-09 00:00:00

HOUSE 'OF COMMONS.-TOESDAY.

The first notice on the list was that of Mr. \VneeAcr,
who moved for an inquiry into the conduct of certain
Scotch Judges on a late trial at Glasgow. They were de-
fended by the LORD ADVOCATE, and, on a division, Mr.
Wallace's motion was rejected.
Mr. T. DttNeUsawz said that be desired, and would
move for, a full inquiry into the proceedings of what was
called the secret or inner departments of the Pcstoffice.
When the mails arrived, some individuals from the inner
department came in, and took away this or that bag,
which, after an hour or two, was delivered to the sorters.
They, of course, knew not whose letters had been opened
in the inner office ; but he believed that in that office the
letters of the foreign ministers themselves were opened.
This practice was not followed in other countries ; so that,
though called un-English, it seemed to be confined to
England. It had been exercised not only for Sardinia,
in Mazzini's case, but for various other foreign states, in
the cases of their respective subjects. Commissioners
bad been sent from London to examine letters at the
country postoffices, and there it was probable that every-
body's letters were opened. Perhaps the letter of some
unhappy foreigner, opened at the London office, is full of
gratitude to those friends who have assisted him to escape
hither; the letter is given to his government, and his
friends are betrayed to the authorities of the state where
they reside. You compel every man, under a penalty, to
send his letters through the Postoffice, and then you take
advantage of the compulsion to open them. It you do
open letters, at all events, you ought not to commit for-
geries of seals and papers in order to conceal the act.
Sir J. GRAHAM censured the unfairness of the course
taken in the recent debate by the members of the last
government, who, with their knowledge of the practice in
all past time, had, joined in unjustly imputing to him an
improper departure from it. After the course they had so
taken, it was now become impossible that these powers
could be henceforth exercised without some inquiry which
should satisfy the public mind on the subject of them.
The result of that inquiry would be, that his own conduct
had been in strict conformity not only with the statute
law, but with established usage. It was his intention,
however, to move an amendment upon the present mo-
tion. There must be an inquiry, and by a committee of
that house ; but he thought, and here he followed prece-
dent, that the public interest required such a committee
to be a secret one ; and it ought to meet instantly. He
would propose that it should consist of nine members,
whom he named. Th's list excluded all the ministers, as
being the persons accused ; and it excluded Mr. Duncombe
himself, without any disrespect, but as being, in a peculiar
manner, the accuser upon this occasion.
Mr. ROEBUCK asked whether it would be expedient
that a committee of which be object was to give security
to the public mind should he a secret one ? The state of
the law, and the alterations which it might require, were
to be examined ; and yet there was not a lawyer among
the nine who had been named. He wished that the law
should be looked into and reported upon by some persons
in,whose knowledge on that subject the house could have
confidence. He fully sympathized in the feelings expressed
by Sir.J. Graham as to the personal attacks which he had
sustained, especially from the infamous calumnies of the
daily press. But he rejoiced that this Postoffice power
was about to undergo inquiry ; for when the public should
understand the iniquities which had been incident to it,
under all administrations, its speedy destruction must
follow.

Mr. LALOVETIERE declared that he individual:y, and
not the late government, was responsible for the consoli-
dation of the Postoffice acts in 1837. He thought it of
great importance to preserve the feeling of the sanctity of
a seal, but -be admitted that in extreme cases, as when
danger to the life of a Sovereign was apprehended, the
letters of private persons might fitly be opened. He con-
curred in the opinion that the committee ought to be a
secret one-; but lie wished the nomination of the members
to.be deferred till the next day.
.Sir R. PEZL,ccrdially and personally rejoiced at the op-
portunity which would now be afforded to the whole go-
vernment of sharing that responsibility for an invidious
function, which ought not to rest individually on the Se-
cretary of State. The government had purposely omitted
lawyers; ; they bad not wished to originate a squabbling
about-legal constructions, which would have been regarded
by the public as a diversion and distinction from the real
object of the inquiry. The point upon which the people
of England wished to be informed was not the point of
law. An objection was made ai to the proposal of secrecy,
but without such a guarantee you would not obtain from
individuals that full disclosure which was so necessary to
the present purpose.
Lord 3. RUSSELL approved the suggestion of secrecy.
A. fter some discussion about the terms in which the in-
quiny should be directed, the amendment was unanimously
carried.
Nine members having been nominated, viz., Lord
Saudcm_. Mr, W. Patten, Mr. T. Baring, Sir W. Heath-
cote, Sir C. Lemon, Mr. Warburton, Mr. Strutt, the
O'Ccaor Don, and Mr. Ord,
Mr. Jame* made a formal motion for the addition of
*lr. Duncorobe. upon which the house divided—
Against the addition . . 128
For it
Majority against it
The house -then proceeded to a motion Of Mr. MAC-
KINNON, for a committee upon the prison system—one of
Postponed to make way for
that of Mr. Duncombe.
those motions which had been
Mr. Mackinnon was seconded by Mr. WILLIAMS.
Sir J. GR.IIIAIi hoped that the motion would not be
pressed, it being obvious that, independently of other
objections,the session was too far advanced to allow any
useful proce?ding by a committee in thepresent year.
N i
Ir. WAKLEY concurred in this opinion, but hoped for
a committee in the nest fession to consider various points
which .le regarded as of great importance.
.. r 0:: withdrew his motion.