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    new % it was liable to a stamp . Mr . Novell © replied t $ iat he had printed the paper for ten years ; . that it had been regularly seat to the Stampi-office ; that it alseays consisted " principally' * of a ¦ piece of music ; and that he should be glad to know what particular passage made the paper tiable ^ o a stamp . Mr . Gibson cited , as apropos , a letter from Mr . Timtn to Messrsl JRobinson , of "Walcefield , to the effect that •^ accounts of dramatic performances and such like " might be printed oh ¦ unstamped , paper . On what principle , then , isr the-Musical Times affected by the Stamp Act ? If people could not obtain accurate infordaation upon such a point as this from £ h& officers b £ ' tlfe Crown , where -were they to go for

    laurel ? in the fields of peace as well as in the field of war if they intended to retain the . confidence of the constituencies of the country . He trusted that the Government would enable their supporters "before a general election to have something to say in their behalf , that they had endeavoured to repair the evils and anomalies which he had mentioned , tliat they had had some regard for the repeated appeals which had been made to them in the cause of education , and ttat the / had aided in the production of a cheap and unrestrict ed and a good press by freeing 5 t from all fiscal regula tions and from all control except that of a court of law for libel . " Mr . A . Kjnnaikd seconded the motion .

    the House , which was horrified at the i gnorance of the people , which voted 260 , 0002 . for education , which appointed public inspectors of schools , was content to maintain a law which enacted that this little paper should not travel among the industrious artisans of the district , and do its part towards the instruction of the people . Then , again , there was the case of the West Sussex Advertiser ; or South Coast Journal , published by Mr . Mitchell , a gentleman who lived in a district of the country in which there were 100 COO inhabitants , which returned eight or nine members to Parliament , and which , nevertheless , had not one sin gle paper to enlighten if . Mr . Mitchell attempted to improve this state of things ; he published this paper unstamped at Id ., but the Board of Inland Revenue interfered with him , too- he received one of their polite letters , and he was obliged to ' pay 51 . penalty for what he liad done , and to put the penny stamp on the corner of his paper . H " ow there were three

    little villages in that district , in which 41 copies of ^ this newspaper , at Id ., were sold—three villages in which three papers have ) never regularly and permanently circulated before—but no sooner wa 3 the stamp imposed , and the price consequently changed to 2 d . instead of Id ., than 37 persons out of the 41 discontinued the paper . Mr . Mitchell had written a most admirable letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject , which he defied the right hon . gentleman to read and remain unconvinced . Now , he would ask this Ho-use whether they would obstinately continue to tax this little paper—a payer which was suitable to the small towns and villages , snitea , too , to the capacity and time for reading , as well as the pockets , of tne labouring classes— - whether they would consent that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should permanently place a tax of Id . on this small isneet . and the same tax of Id . on the large sheet of the Titnesr * /

    He contrasted the case of the people of the United States with that of our own . " Every week , everything that was known here was known there , and every workman there had the same power as the member of Congress to read all that was published in the public papers , while the very opposite was the case here . Passing by a public-house here , they . would see the newspaper folded over the bar , as a temptation for the workman to . come in from the street to read it . ^ The right to have it in his own home and at his own hearth was denied him here ; and the effect of the law was to drive him to the alehouse if he actually wished to read a newspaper . The working classes could not see the newspaper In these places without

    imbibing a certain , or rather an- uncertain , quantity of gin and water . That was . the effect of the newspaper stamp in this country ; but it Was not so in the United States . If we distrusted our population so much that we would not ; trust them with . political knowledge , we were hypocrite * to the last degree it we spoke of the ignorance and depravity of our countrymen . ' ( CAeer « . ) Xiord Pai . merston , taking objection to the terms of the resolution , as implying an accusation against the Board of Inland Revenue , suggested that the resolution should be , tlat " the laws in reference to the periodical press and newspaper stamp demand the early consideration of Parliament , with the view

    to , their revision . " He thus commented on Mr . Slight ' s speech , making some valuable admissions : — " The lion , gentleman , following out bis own views upon this subject , has pressed for a repeal of the duty . That is not the object of this resolution . . My right honourable friend stated , I believe , that h& did not mean to apply his resolution to that point . It would not have been , fair to do so , in the absence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer . I do not myself propose to enter into a discussion upon that subject . All I say is that . I concur with the honourable member for Manchester in the opinion that it mast be an object of desire to everybody , and would undoubtedly be a great public advantage , to afford to the lower classes all those means of

    general instruction which can well be brought within their reach . The continuance of this particular stamp duty is purely a financial consideration . ( Cheers . ) It can only be maintained as a matter of finance , and undoubtedly every one will admit that the more you open to the lower classes the field of general instruction , the nrmer will be the foundation on which the loyalty and good conduct of those classes will rest . ( Cheers . ' ) That j nowever , is a subject to be separately and distinctly considered . The present question refers only to the resolution of my right honourable friend , and I venture to ask him again whether he does not think that words such as I have proposed would answer his purpose better than those which he has submitted to the House ?

    Mr . Gibson did not fall into the trap set for him , and adhered to his resolution . The consequence was that the amendment of the Attorney-General was withdrawn , on the express understanding that no accusation was intended by the resolution against the officers of the Board of Inland Revenue ; and the resolution was passed amid loud cheers .

    CHURCH PItOPEKTr . The Episcopal and Capitular Estates Bill , after making a step in advance , has been postponed for the session . It stood for the second reading , on Wednesday , when I ^ ord Auolpuub Vane opposed it , and moved the adjournment of the debate , on the ground that no leading member of the Government was then present , lie thought that the Church must be the best judge of its own interests , and that

    if the House sanctioned the principle of such a bill , the time must come when n measure would be proposed for secularising Church property . Mr . G . Butt seconded the motion , though approving of the principle of the bill , which he did not think would lessen the utility of the dignitaries of the Church . Mr . Drijmmoni ) Btiui that the remedy proposed by the bill was utterly to destroy the cathedral establinhments , and to 1 urn cathedrals into parish churches . The true rclbnii would have been to

    in-The ATTOBNEr-GB ^ BKAp , admitting that the law required revision , promising attention from the Government , especially to the law as regards bonds and securities * moved the previous question . The debate was sustained . by Mr . Ewabt , Mr . Hume , Sir John SHEmer , and Mr . Caossx-BT on the side of Mr . Gibson ; and by the Solicitok-General on behalf of the Government . Mr . Bbioht made a verjr telling speech , going beyond the resolution , and arguing for the abolition of the . stamp , and forcing the inevitable conclusion that if the law * were eg . t ^ fly enforced they would not stand a year . ' . ' He hoped the Government would

    imitate the example of Sir Robert Peel , and do away vith such cumbrous machinery of legislation , which u not only ineffective bu $ unmanageable . ^ Wh at , he Would- Ssi , was to be the operation of the statute" on the proceedioes ' of the electric telegraph companies ? When non . memoerd left 1 tlie House ' some of them went to the Befonni some to the Cailton , and some , perhaps , to tbat'clnb which a distinguished individual Said he had never heard of , and each would find written up in the hall of his club aiiaccdunt of tlie proceedings in the House . ' He himself , before corning download so read a report pf part of the speech of hisright hon . friend wlo had made this motion . WelL every line of every paragraph so published was a

    violation of the law . And BO ^ not at the interval of a month , a -week , a day , or even aff hour , but every five mintites through the evening—fresh news -from that House . was being published all over London . It was printed , and it was sent down into the ' country and ;' printed there ; and he should tike to know from the Attorney-General whether it was his intention to put a stop to this wonderful operation of the electric telegraph' ? -. Were great public companies , wholaad expended immense sums in their undertakings , to be insulted , attacked , -worried , nay , perhaps destroyed , by the Board of Inland Eevenue ? . The Attorney-General knew very well there was -no fear of it | and even if there were , the Attorney-General was not the man to be the instrument of such doings . "

    Mr . Beight demonstrated to the House the advantages enjoyed by the United States and Australia in respect of newspaper , ^ "Here , " said , he , ••< are" three newspapers of the largest size ^ -the Times , with its supplement ; a paper published in the colony of Victoria , called the Melbourne Argus , viitlx its supplement , about the same size as . the Times ; and theiVem XorfrTribune , about qs- large , as the Times without a supplement . THere Mr . Bright , suiting the ; action to the word , ujxfoldeA " th . « three papers , mentioned , which being cut into single sheets , ' and the sheets tacked together , lengthwise , formed each a long roll , which fell over the seat before , and extended far into the floor of the House . ] The Times paid < ^ 3 Mm ^ L . * ^ L ^^ b _^ ^ m ^ b ^ l ^ ^ k * d « oik **^^_ ^^* ^^ ^ L / ^ k L » j « jH ^ T ^ mft . 4 ^ _ - jm jU ^^ b ^ m \ m A a * ^ b k m « A « % . uuii wie / nut uttiu iiu

    ^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ . ^ * ^ * xm . DEHiup ior wacu vupy ^ , xansunru jxryua stamp at all . ' The population of Victoria was not much more than that of Manchester and Salford together , yet the Melbourne Argvs printed 11 , 000 copies every morning , and so great was the demand , that not having the same admirable machinery at its command as was possessed by the Times , the proprietors had been obliged to issue a notice , that the price would be doubled to every subscriber after such and such a day . The price of the Times was 5 d . to the public , the price of the Melbourne Argus was l £ d ., and every workman iu New York could buy the Jfew York Tribune every morning for a penny . It was just as good a newspaper as the Times . Perhaps all its leaders were not written with the same ability which distinguished that part of the

    Timesbut it had pilot boats which went Far out into the Atlantic to meet the packets , it had telegraphic despatches from every part oi the Union , it had correspondents in all the chief cities of Euro p e , and—a thing which would scarcely be deemed probable of a paper sold for a penny—it employed a Btaff not much short , he believed , of 800 persons . There was apaper in New York which sold for a halfpenny—the New York Sun—the copyright of which sold not long ago for 60 , 000 / v and he believed that the copyright of the New York papers is at this moment worth , double the copyright of all the papers in London with the exception of the Times . The reason of that was that the trade there was free like every other trade , and it prospered in consequence ; -while here , on

    the contrary , it was hampered by the fetters of the Board of Inland Revenue . Look , for instance , at the Daily News—a paper which was said -to have sunk 100 , 000 £ ., und yet how small was its circulation , and by the late returns that was diminishing . There wus the Moriting Chronicle , too , a paper that every day addressed a still more select audience . Take all the London papers , with tho exception of tho Times and a few of tho cheap-priced weekly papers , which appealed to a somewhat different class , and -which were at very much Jess expense—all were suffering from tho restricted-tradu .

    Here was an unfortunate paper winch the Board of Inland Revenue had strangled out of its . little innocent life . [ Ho hero produced a single sheet , somewhat of tlie size of the Spectator .. 1 It was called tho . Potteries Free Press ; or Weekly Narrative of Current Events , and purported to bo published without a Btamp , in coufonnity with the regulation of tho Stamp-office , as Hanctioncd by them in tho publication of the A theiicvum , Builder , launch , Uaciny Times , &c . Tho proprietor thought ho -was acting according to law , hut tho hoard of Inland Revenue very noon told him a diflVrent , tulo , and lie waa brought to a sudden aton , when , but (" or that interference , ho would lmvo had a aide-of 10 , 000 copies ; und

    it ?*> 'Thlsr ; difflculty and uncertainty arose , iiot from any fault on the part of the Board of Inland Revenue , 'tlififc i&rtnithe maintaining- of a "bid and ineffective System Which . # as incapable of being « dm \ inistered ^ flp ijustioe ^ and ^ wMch' must ^ baring ^ iihfe executive officeri-into *> ad repate and ' cast Undeserved odium upon them . He ^ iielieVedthatf ifc ^ tlfitodSf the Chair-• snsin-of i therBOatft-of Excise ; was prepared «> n alt occasions to administer the law&hYttusteo ^ tc ^ his care ¦^ rithsjjOBtice and impartialityj and ; in matters of pe-^ Baltiea , &with > leniency to -the silbjecti' hut no main ^ ujd adn ^ tii $ te r i ^' efi&ft an nnintetligible / system of law ss'thatcdnnectea with newspapers , and it was not

    onlrtorelieve tne puwie , tneretore , Dut to xeueve jl ^^|; i atta ^| oj 1 tne ^ ^ r ^ legislatet uJM ) n ihu . subject . > Tlie . b ^ her point , that ^ m ^^^ Pf ^^ i ^^ iB ^ vf ^ - ^ j ^ also adequately 43 ) Ade 0 afc ^; 3 ^ Board of ? lnla ^ d . SeveilTie . iJh ^ du sent a Icomtriunicatioa to the -J > lt ! 0 pG ^^^ & VtiblilJied without a stamp . Mr , fhomtpson , the proprietor , replied that it was a class paper . ' Mr . ^* £ iinjum ^^ .. % |^ BIn ; 3 w ^ fiipn 1 tfsbn saM- ^ er . ^ ai' ^ aje' ^ f sii . jpiia ^

    Imit ^ oifra ^ eiv ^^ p . wras the case of a- powerful J ^ i ^ on ^ pu ^ lisher . His 3 case vras that . of teei i 4 ^ Ae--fylBt !^^ M& Xtit ^ rar ^ ^ Gazette , th « Law , STimes , and ^ theanBjtall of Tvioni would have joinedhim in resistf > Mgiwti Tinaai *¦¦; -- ' - ¦ ¦ ' ' - - :- - . ' !• ¦ ¦ - *• '¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ¦ ¦ cfii ^ dMB ' ¦ . - ¦ & ¦ ¦ ¦ & •; = ¦ - ' ¦; - ¦ ' ¦ :. ¦ ; , ¦; - ¦ ¦ .. ! . ¦ . ? j ^ ¥ 3 « 8 ttjhe lad to dealiJioweYer , with a penny paper like ih ^ Potteri ^ JFre ^ at Stoke-upon-Trent , Mr : Timm proceeded to the police-oflce , took up the delin-. quentpropnetor , and , fined him 20 Z . It was oolyjusi ' raadd that the Government beiic uneasy i » taeu- coasciencf , he Buppos ed , hacl remitted' that fine ; 'If sue tf ' were tlie In-^ uafity'in the mode l ) f ins tituting prosecutSons , what should jte ^ iiud of ithewayJin which ; the : secarity aystetu wasjadmi

    3 niBteredih ^ thiscbuiitry ? The 60 th George ; lil ., chapi 9- ^ - the act which related to securities—vas aimed against the small political publicatjons , whiqh ii ^ those days were sup-¦ SH ^^^ Sfe ^ i ' ^ WgJ ? ^ ? R ; *' ? j ^^^ fiQnsMdjcdU ^ jbn ^ of'tne fmntifj- ^ It ; b «^ no , referenca whatever tOrpeiiojiical papers-^ t . fiwflawl > ecarried out , and no qoe could publish apaper ^ aSa . giM ^* & $ Wi . ttmiU Square inches in swe , -fSjIBijffii ^ not be gmlty « f | jpublishing blasphemy and sedition . ' That law was not csrri ^ jont ' aeamst the persons for vrhdnVit was intended—-the vrritersof Bnttall political pamphlets ^ -while'it was put in force against people who published nevrspapera ^ He held invhis ; hand the Political Examiner , price Id ., a . weekly

    democratic jo ^ irnal , haying a motto- from tie writings of Jtfr . Macaulay , f If men are to wait for liberiy till they ^ become . wise and good in slavery , they mav indeed wait ior ever . ' This was exactly one of the publications which the law intended should give security , but nothing of the Hnd was ever asked forlt . Thd English Republic was another ' periodical of a similar description wlica found no securities . ; Here , however , ' was a pubfidation which aotu ' ally did find securities for 400 / . that it would publish nothing seditious or blasphemous , and what did ine House suppose was its heading ? r Outline of a 'JLessonJbf Girls on the Ingredients of a Plum-puddling . QGreat laughter . ) He should scarcely have thought that there was anything very seditious in the ingredients of a plum-puddine . ¦ But he

    asked , were they prepared to allow all the publications which were contemplated by the law to escape the law ^ and to include all those whictt never had been intended ? He remembered an admirable speech of Iris right hon . friend the Chief Commissioner of Woods , upon the colonies , which had been published as a pamphlet , and which , he had read and gained much instruction from . If that speech sold for jess- than 6 d . and were less than 7 X 4 square inches in . size , his right hon . friend might have \ een prosecuted by the Attorney-General for having issued such a . speecn without having given his securities against blasphemy and sedition . If . owing to its price , that case were aot qnite in point , there was another which certainly was . The noble lord , the member for the city of London , had written a celebrated letter to the Bishop of Durham .

    That letter had been published by Mr . Westerton , and sold at Knightsbridge for 5 s . a thousand , bo that its price was undoubtedl y lesg than 6 d ., and its size was undoubtedly leys than 714 square inches . There could be no doubt , then , that Mr . Westerton was liable at thLs time , if tho Attorney-General did his duty , for having published a paper commenting upon Church and State -without having given securities . These casea showed tho abaurd position m which tho law Btood ; and ho respectfully appealed to tho Attorney-General to signalise his administration of tho affairs of his office by adviaing tho Government not to allow a day to paBS without taking ln to consideration this foolish atnte of things . 1 he war in which wo were engaged waa riot a reason for neglecting everything . Wo could aot live upon wur alono . It was becoming Bomowhnt tedious already , and ho hoped that the Govornmcnt did not mean them to uudorstund tliul they were to eubaiut euth-oly upon it , fur they must gain

    Untitled Article

    4 § 0 THE LEADER . [ Saturday , ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ J ^^^^^^^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ M ^^^^ JJM ^^^^^^^^^ J ^ jJJ ^^^ fc ^^^^^ J ^ MMJ ^^^ JJ ^^^^^^^^^^ J ^^^^^^^^ j ^^^^ J ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ J ^^ M ^^^^^ JJ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ MJ ^

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 20, 1854, page 460, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2039/page/4/