that Government had opened the letters of M. Mazzini, thus frustrating the political movement in Italy. Few members, however, showed any desire to prolong a desultory debate, and thirty-eight only were found willing to affirm Mr. Sheil's proposition. Mr. Wakley, a day or two afterwards, tried to revive the same discussion, but a motion which he made was negatived by three to one. On the 8th of April, 1845, Mr. Duncombe, while intimating his desire to waive personal questions, and disclaiming all party feeling, moved for leave to bring in a Bill "to secure the inviolability of letters passing through the Post-Office." He was at war with the system, not with the Government. Let the Government approach the subject in a fair and not in a party spirit. All the Ministers, however, and the chiefs of the Liberal party, again stoutly resisted any change in the law; and this long controversy was finally set at rest by an adverse decision of 161 to 78. The English people, it must be added, all along objected less to the _power_ which the Government possessed in the exertion of their discretion, than to the _manner_ in which that power was exercised. Mr. Duncombe's statements during the earlier stages of the discussions, relating to the "secret office"--never denied--could not be forgotten by the public when they intrusted their letters to the custody of the Post-Office. The revelations in question caused a perfect paroxysm of national anger, because it was felt, throughout the length and breadth of the land, that such arrangements were repugnant to every feeling of Englishmen. Had the officers of the Government broken open letters in the same way as, under certain circumstances, the law allows the sheriff's officers to break open houses and writing-desks, there might still have been complainings, but these complainings would neither have been so loud nor yet so justifiable.[129] There was something in the melting apparatus, in the tobacco-pipe, in the forged plaster of paris seals, in the official letter-picker, and in the place where, and manner how, he did his work, utterly disgusting to John Bull, and most unsuitable to the atmosphere of England. The law, it is true, remains unaltered, but it is believed to be virtually a dead letter. FOOTNOTES: [116] Hansard, 1844. [117] _Ibid._ [118] Lang's _Historical Summary of the Post-Office in Scotland_. Postmaster-General's _Third Report_. [119] Report of Secret Committee, 1844, p. 9. [120] _Lords' Journal_, xxii. pp. 183-6. [121] _Commons' Journal_, vol. xxii. p. 462. [122] The place was not only lucrative, but in the path of promotion. We find that, for the proper performance of these very unclerical duties, the Rev. Dr. was first rewarded with the Deanery of Lincoln and afterwards with the Bishopric of St. David's. [123] Froude. [124] Report of Secret Committee, 1844, pp. 14-17. [125] Report of the Secret Committee, 1844, pp. 14-17. [126] _Ibid._ Commons' Committee. [127] Hansard, 1844-5.