ionary as the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland seems
incredible, and nothing short of the most decisive proofs of the fact
could justify even a suspicion of its existence. But there are passages
in these letters which leave no doubt whatever that Lord Temple's
correspondence, both private and public, was inspected in London while
he yet held office in Ireland, and that the same course continued to be
carried on after he returned to England. Nor was the _espionnage_
limited to mere perusal, frequent allusions to miscarriages leading to
the inference that his letters were sometimes suppressed altogether.

There are no means of determining with whom this system originated. All
that appears to be certain is, that it was practised during the period
of the Shelburne Cabinet, and followed up under the Coalition; and that
after it had been detected, no secret was made about it, either by Lord
Temple or his intimate correspondents.

Writing to Colonel Dundas, Lord Temple says, apparently under the
apprehension that his letter would be read by others, "Obvious
circumstances will prevent my going into the discussion of details in a
post letter." And to a friend in Ireland, he speaks still more
explicitly: "As almost every letter," he observes, "received or written
by me is opened, it is possible that this may undergo that operation in
London; and if so, they will learn the real regard I bear to you." Mr.
Cuff, writing to Lord Temple, from Dublin, in the November of this year,
declares that he expects nothing less than that his letter will be
opened and read. The passage is too remarkable to be omitted.

I should not now trouble your Lordship with a letter, but
that I find to a certainty, that letters to and from your Lordship
are not only opened and read, but many of them are stopped.
If this should happen to get into your Lordship's hands, you
will see, by what I have written on the outside of it, that I am
willing to compromise with those _honourable gentlemen_ who
open and read your letters, and that I have no objections to
their opening and reading, provided they will afterwards forward
them to you.

Your Lordship mentions a letter you wrote to me about three
or four weeks since, relative to the Genevois and their houses.
I have never received a letter from your Lordship since you left
Ireland, except one dated the 20th of July, and your last of the
23rd of October. I had