§ MR. HEALY (for Mr. T. D. SULLIVAN)asked the Postmaster General, Whether all the postmasters of Great Britain and Ireland are authorised by the warrant of the Home Secretary to open letters which they suppose to be of a suspicious character; whether they are only directed to forward them to certain designated offices; and, in the latter case, whether he will name the offices so designated, and inform the House what class of officials are authorised to read the letters so forwarded?
§ MR. FAWCETTSir, in reply to the Question of the hon. Member, I have to state that no such authority as that to which he refers is given by the warrant of the Secretary of State either to postmasters in Great Britain or Ireland, or to any particular class of officials, to open letters which they suppose to be of a suspicious character. This being the case, it will be obvious that the circumstances referred to in the second and third paragraphs of the Question of the hon. Member do not exist. I may add that, in the event of the Postmaster General being directed by a warrant from a Secretary of State to open, detain, or delay letters, he makes such arrangements as he may think best to give effect to the warrant.