§ MR. PHINNrose to put a question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of which he had given him notice, and which he was sure the noble Viscount would be very happy and ready to answer. He wished to ask whether any directions or instructions had been given, or any warrant issued by either of the Secretaries of State, authorising the Postmaster General to open the letters of foreign refugees?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONhad no hesitation whatever in stating that no such instructions or orders had been given, and, as far as his own knowledge extended, no letter addressed to the individual person to whom the question more particularly referred had been dealt with, nor had any letter addressed to any foreign refugee, as far as he was informed, been interfered with in transmission through the Post-office. Certainly, nothing of the kind had taken place while he had been in office, and he was not aware of any such case during the tenure of office by his predecessor.