The Labor enquirer., 1883-09-29
An Outrage on the Republ ic.

At a banquet given in London the
other day ex-Postmaster James, in re-
spending to a toast, took occasion to
speak of the improvement of the postal
facilities between America and England.
In whatthi improvement consisted we
are not prepared to say, but we know
that for the last two or three years the
British government has persistently ig-
nOred the saDctity of the mails 50 far as
letters and packages coming from the
United States are concerned. TheI rish
World mail has been over and over
again tampered with. We have not
been the only ones that have been suffer
ers in this way. We have in our posses
sion at this present writing the receipts
of thousands of registered packages that
have been forwarded by our subscribers
to friends in Ireland, and which have
never been delivered. This evidence OF
England's rifing the mails can be pro-
duced whenever it is required.
In the face of such open, barefaced
robbing of the mails by English officials,
it seems the very heighth of sarcasm for
ex-Postmaster James to speak of the
improvementaof postal facilities between
this country and Great Britain. What
kind of improvement is that which per-
mits the English postot1Ce authorities to
open and confscate letters and packages
going from tins country to any part OF
Great Britain and Ireland? This is now
being done every day, and vet no vigor-
Gus protest has been made by the post
Office department at Washington.
1t is well known that no Irishman in
Ireland who is suspected of having any
leaning to the national cause can either
send or receive a letter from America
with the certainty that the pOstotfice au-
thorities will not pry into it to learn its
contents. What the English postfiCe
officials may do with mail matter con-
fided to them by the subjects of the
queen, within the limits of the British
Empire, is no concern of our govern
nent. But when these same officials, IN
open defiance of the postal treaty, tam
,er with letters and packages that the
american postoffice department, in re,
ewing for transmission, guaranteed
hould reach their destination in safety
is time that these officials should be
ven the order "hands off" If they
tow any disposition to disobey this
der, then our government should see
it that they be made to obey it. In
ing this the United States will be only
Insisting upon rights guaranteed to it by
treaty. If such a demand is made, Eng,
land has no option but to obey.
The United States cannot consistently
with its self-respect refuse to take de-
cided stand in the matter of maintaining
the inviolability of every letter and
package sent from these shores. The
thousands of registered packages fol
which we hold receipts and which have
not reached their destination conclu
sivelv prove that the English postofict
officials have made up their minds tc
completely ignore the postal treaty be
tween England and the United States
This undoubtedly suits the convenience
of the English government, but as the
postal treaty was not made for that pur
pose it should not be allowed to be usec
by England in that way.
1t certainly will not be creditable to
the American government if its citizens
cannot intrust to its care mail matter
and not feel certain that it will not bt
purloined by foreign government be
fore it reaches its destination. Such a
state of things is disgraceto the Unitec
States every day it continues.
Think of England allowing the regis
tered letters and packages of English
men to be confscated by foreign post
(office, say, for instance the Spanish post
office. The strongest government Eng