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435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
211
The
information
obtained
by
the
warrants
to
find
the
locale
of
Chartist
disaffection
was
described
by
the
Committee
as
most
valuable
and
useful
to
the
Government.
While
the
whole
history
of
the
transaction
in
question
grates
unpleasantly
on
English
ears,
there
can
be
no
doubt
that
in
other
cases--such
as
frauds
on
the
banks
and
revenue,
forgeries,
murders,
&c.--the
power
was
used
impartially
to
the
advantage
of
individuals
and
the
benefit
of
the
State.
Whether,
however,
the
discoveries
and
the
benefits
were
so
many
as
to
counterbalance
the
odium
of
countenancing
what
was
so
like
a
public
crime,
and
which
violated
public
confidence
in
the
Post-Office,
or
whether
the
issue
of
a
few
warrants
annually,
in
proportion
to
the
40,000
committals[125]
which
took
place
yearly
at
that
time,
could
by
any
means
be
called
an
efficient
instrument
of
police,
are
vastly
different
questions.
With
regard
to
the
general
question
of
letter-opening,
the
issue
was
altogether
vague
and
uncertain.
Though
the
practical
end
of
the
inquiry
was,
no
doubt,
gained,
and
warrants
may
almost
be
said
to
have
ceased,
still
the
Committees
recommended
Parliament
to
decide
that
the
power
and
prerogative
of
opening
letters,
under
certain
given
circumstances,
should
not
be
abrogated.
They
argued
that,
if
the
right
of
the
Secretary
of
State
was
denied,
it
would
be
equivalent
to
advertising
to
every
criminal
conspirator
against
the
public
peace,
that
he
might
employ
the
Post-Office
with
impunity.[126]
It
was
decided,
in
consequence
of
this
finding,
that
the
law
should
remain
unaltered.
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