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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
199
On
the
24th
of
June,
1844,
Mr.
Duncombe
again
called
the
attention
of
the
House
of
Commons
to
the
subject,
by
presenting
a
petition
from
Mr.
Charles
Stolzman,
a
Polish
refugee,
complaining
that
his
letters
had
been
detained
and
opened.
Mr.
Duncombe
contended
that
the
Act
of
1837
never
meant
to
confer
an
authority
upon
a
Minister
of
the
Crown
to
search
out
the
secrets
of
exiles
resident
in
this
country
at
the
instance
of
foreign
Governments,
but
was
only
designed
to
meet
the
case
of
domestic
treason.
"Mr.
Stolzman
was
a
friend
of
M.
Mazzini,"
said
Mr.
Duncombe,
"and
this
was
why
his
letters
had
been
tampered
with."
After
describing
the
way
in
which
letters
were
opened,
he
concluded
a
most
powerful
speech
by
again
moving
for
a
committee
of
inquiry.
He
did
not
want
to
know
Government
secrets;
he
doubted
if
they
were
worth
knowing;
but
he
wanted
inquiry
into
the
practice
of
the
Department,
which
he
contended
was
unconstitutional
and
contrary
to
law.
Sir
James
Graham,
without
entering
into
any
further
explanation,
except
saying
that
the
law
had
not
been
violated,
and
that
if
it
had,
the
honourable
member
might
prove
it
before
a
legal
tribunal,
objected
strongly,
and
in
almost
a
defiant
manner,
to
any
committee.
Mr.
Macaulay,
Lord
Howick,
Mr.
Sheil,
and
Lord
John
Russell
warmly
supported
the
motion
for
an
inquiry.
Sir
Robert
Peel,
Lord
Stanley,
and
Mr.
Monckton
Milnes
opposed
it,
when
it
was
rejected
by
a
majority
of
forty-four.
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