The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

MAY 20, 1854. the impost that could diminish profit or embarrass the farmer. (Cheers.) Why, we are told tonight that this is a tax upon the consumer, and who cares for the consumer? says a freetrader. (Cheers.) A little while ago if any gentleman on these benches ventured to refer to the bur• den of taxation that pressed upon the productive classes of the country he was treated with jeers. Then we were told that the consumer—the great consumer, as he was described by a distinguished member opposite—was the person who should alone be considered; that the con suming power was the basis of modern finance ; that that was the consideration that should alone influence the Treasury, and that no tax was now to be considered but with reference to his interests. And now we are told, with a nonchalance that is a:lmirable, cod with a sangfroid that is sublime. that this i ni.!use impost is not for a moment to be considered because it is only a consumers' question. (Cheers.) I think it is something to have brought them to that. I think that, after all the panegyrics we have heard for years upon the consuming power—that after those who uttered them have succeeded in abrogating the laws that protected the industry of England too success• fully—that we should now have it acknowledged that the plea upon which they advanced their doctrines was falla cious—that the object they wished to cherish was, in fact, an unworthy one—that the great point which they wished to ephance was not worthy of being accomplished—that, I think, is a result which we may look to not without gratifi cation." Referring to the policy of Mr. Pitt, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had assailed, Mr. Dis raeli urged that the very points attacked by Mr. Gladstone had been strenuously enforced by Mr. Fox, and inferred that Lord J. Russell must have yielded to some heavy pressure when, for the sake of helping his financial colleague and Lord Aberdeen, he deserted the principles of the great Whig leader. He then reverted to the question of the malt tax, re marking that as the war went on the Government would be forced to make incessant appeals to the patriotism of the cultivators and owners of land, whom they were nevertheless unhappily labouring to injure and disgust : " Though i am ready to give credit to every class of being ready at a moment like this to do their duty to their Sovereign, I ask, without fearof contradiction, whether it is not a fact that from the nature of the circumstances, from the character of your constitution, and other causes, you have been obliged peculiarly to appeal to the patriotism, to the resources, to the exertions, and to the energies of the landed interest of the country? ( Hear.) We have heard recently many sneers against the territorial constitution of our country, but I ask you in what country could you have found those means of self-defence which you have recently found in this country, except under the influence and im mediate aid and agency of the landed interest? In what country in Europe could you have raised such a militia, or, having raised it, could have trusted it in such hands as those in which you have placed the newly-raised force ? But you have so managed your finances that the only odious tax which you put forward is a tax which more or less affects the industry of the soil. I call it impolitic to reawaken a contest which, if notfor ever dormant, would never at a time like the present have been aroused by this side of the house. You have demanded a great tax to the amount of two millions and a half, and not a Minister of the Crown, but by extreme compulsion, has condescended to express a word in favour of the proposition. What was your motive for this? Did you shrink from discussion ? Did you think, at this moment, a debate upon the ways and means of the war was impolitic, or that it would create a bad impression abroad if the House of Commons should have a discussion and division upon the subject of taxation? If that be your feeling, do you not think that the credit of the Government and the resources of the country have been much more injured in the eyes of other nations by the way In which you have attempted to raise a loan ? (Cheers.) Is it not more calculated to injure the credit of the coun try. and to diminish the idea of your resources, that your Minister of Finance cannot go into the City and obtain two millions at four per cent, than that the House of Com mons should by natural and frank deliberation consider the taxation which you propose to lay upon the country? It is better even that our foe should see that a large sum such as this now sought to be raised—a sum larger than could be furnished by many of the provinces in the king dom of your imperial foe—should be frankly discussed than that he should see the churlish, undignified, and un manly attempt of the Government to filch this amount of money. Is it not better that the foe should see that we are determined to exercise our functions to-night as the representatives of the people, and that while we are pre pared to support our Sovereign, and even a Government which we should otherwise oppose, in a war which the country approves of, we will do our utmost, in duty to our constituents, to provide that the ways and means should be provided according to the principles of eternal justice? (Cheers. )" Some expectation appeared to exist that Lord Pal merston or another minister would rise when Mr. Disraeli concluded. No occupier of the Treasury bench, however, stirred, and the SPEAKER put the question. On the division there appeared—For the second reading of the bill, 303 ; for the amendment, 105: majority, 108. The bill was then read a second time. LAW 01? THE PERIODICAL PRESS. Attention was called on Tuesday in the Commons by Mr. MILNER GIBBON to the present state of the laws affecting newspapers and the periodical press. and a resolution moved setting forth that these laws are ill-defined, unequally enforced, and demand the early consideration of Parliament. The right hon. THE PRESS. member dwelt at much length upon the anomalies now existing in the system, of which he cited nu merous instances. The principle on which the stamp on periodicals was rendered compulsory or dispensed with ; the necessity for finding securities ; the dates, periods, and conditions of publication ; and the liability to penalties from infringements of the law in each or any of these particulars, were all left in a most confused and unintelligible state. This uncertainty occasioned much embarrassment to the publishers, and was not seldom employed as a means of persecution and annoyance by the authori ties of the Inland Revenue (Alice. The result was that men of character and capital were deterred from embarking in this class of literature, and the cheap press fell chiefly into the hands of persons destitute alike of station, character, and respect for the insti tutions of the country. The motion was seconded by Mr. RINNAIRD. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL confessed that the law was in a most complicated and anomalous state, re • quiring amendment, as also that it was unequally though not, as he contended, arbitrarily enforced : " He urged, however, that many of the anomalies in the statutes were softened away by the mode in which they were administered, and emphatically denied the assertion that they had ever been used for the purposes of persecu tion. Much of the existing complication had arisen from the concessions accorded to class periodicals and journals devoted to merely literary or artistic topics, which had multiplied exceedingly in number, and presented great diversity of character, and thus led to that difficulty in defining the significance of the term ' newspaper,' whereof Mr. Gibson complained. Giving several examples of this difficulty, and defending the conduct of the executive officers in relation to some inculpated proceedings, the Attorney-General expressed his readiness to review the laws relating to the periodical press, and effect whatever amelio rations might be found possible in them. Observing that some inconvenience might follow the passing of the reso lution before the house, he concluded by moving the pre vious question." Mr. EWART believed that newspapers were most effectual agents in the self-education of the people, and recommended the abolition of all restrictive laws upon their production. Mr. HOME hoped that no prosecution would be per sisted in against publishers under statutes whose in• terpretation was avowedly so uncertain, or whose effect if stringently enforced must prove so injurious. The Sorsaron GENERAL explained and vindicated the principle upon which the laws regarding the press had been administered by the functionaries and tribunals of the State. Sir J. V. SHELLEY quoted some further examples of complexity and anomaly in the existing law. Mr. CROSSLEY wished to have the newspaper press relieved from every burden, and suggested that any revenue which might be sacrificed should be reim bursed to the Treasury by a penny stamp on bankers' cheques. Mr. BRIGHT refused to be satisfied by smooth words from the law officers of the Crown, whose pro mises never touched the real evil of the case : " Government did not maintain the newspaper stamp and other restrictions on the press merely for the sake of revenue. The tenacity with which those burdens were de fended arose from a wish to impede the circulation of one single class of intelligence, that, namely, relating to politi cal subjects. He inquired how far they meant to carry that prejudice ; and if, for example, the circulation of news by the electric telegraph was to be made liable to the stamp duty ? As a matter of finance, he computed that a penny postage on journals would produce nearly, if not quite, as large a revenue as the present stamps. The hon. member proceeded to elucidate the effect of the stamp duty by displaying copies of different journals pub lished in London, Melbourne, and New York, and con tending that, while in point of size, talent, and information they showed no great disparity, their prices respectively varied in the proportion of 5d., 1 id., and Id. The tax in many instances formed an impost of one hundred per cent. on the value of the article, weighing more heavily in the precise proportion than the commodity was produced at a cheaper cost, and operated as a complete bar to the circu lation of newspapers among those labouring classes whom it was most important to educate and enlighten. At pre sent newspapers were only accessible to the working man at the public-house." Lord PALMERSTON remarked that as to the general scope of the resolution there seemed to be no differ. ence of opinion. Every one appeared to admit that the law required revision ; but there were allegations embodied in the resolution that implied charges of partiality and persecution against the Government functionaries which had been rebutted, and were, indeed, disclaimed by Mr. M. Gibson. He suggested that the resolution should he modified and might then be allowed to pass. The topics urged by Mr. Bright related to a wider branch of the question, and could not be fairly discussed in the absence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The noble lord at the same time expressed his full concurrence in the opinion that the means of affording information to all classes of the people should be rendered as wide as possible. Mr. GIBSON, in reply, declined to change the tenor of his motion. 46 )1 Lord PALinserrow then requested and obtained from the right hon. member an admission that his resolution was not intended to convey censure upon the 11011111 of Inland Revenue. With this concess►on the Home Secretary consented to waive all opposi tion without calling for a division, which from the state of the house at the time would probably have gone against the Government. The amendment of " the previous question" having been withdrawn, the resolution passed without any expressed dissent from either side. CAPITULAR AND EPISCOPAL ESTATES BILL. This bill stood for second reading on Wednesday, when the motion to that cffiTt having been made was met by Lord A. VANE and Mr. BUTT with an amend ment for adjourning the 'debate. The measure was too important, they urged, to be discussed in the ab sence of all the Ministers. Mr. U. BERKELEY explained that the Home Secre tary was detained away by a pressure of public business, but would speedily be in the house. The debate accordingly proceeded, Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell presently making their appear ance. Mr. DRUMMOND maintained that the bill would di vert the whole of our cathedral establishments from their original destination. The existence of a cathe dral was an essential point in the Episcopal Church. The best mode of correcting admitted evils would be to develop, as far as practicable, the episcopal and clerical element in the Church establishment. He expressed his disapproval of that party in the Church which disputed the claim of the bishops and clergy to the enjoyment of their just privileges. Mr. SPOONER considered those the truest friends of the Church who discouraged innovations tending in the direction of Romanism. Mr. WALPOLE advised the withdrawal of the bill, believing that a question so large and difficult should he dealt with by the Government, if it was to be taken up at all. The bill affected a most important question, and further information was most desirable. Lord J. RUSSELL recognised the force of the argil.. molts for delay, and recommended the noble lord who had charge of the bill (Marquis of Blandford) to con sent to its postponement. The subject, he admitted, was too important to be allowed to drop, and the Government would feel obliged, with full information before them, to introduce such measures as were consistent with the improvement of the revenues of the Church, and at the same time with principles which would afford to it increased stability. He was prepared to record his vote for the principle of the bill, but not for going into committee until various alterations had been introduced. After some further discussion, shared in by a great number of members, the Marquis of BLANDFORD re plied at some length. He defended his measure, re butted some of the objections urged against it, and contended that it was desirable for the house to affirm the principle of the measure. A division was at length taken on the question of adjournment, which was negatived by a majority of 123 to 82-01. The discussion on the merits of the measure was then briefly renewed, but Lord BLAND FORD agreed, if the bill were read a second time, not to press it further this session, and, the bill having been so read, the 21st of June was named for its com mittal pro _forted. THE CONVENT INQUIRY COMMITTEE. The resumption of the debate on the nomination of the committee on conventual and monastic insti tutions, which has stood adjourned (ruin the 3rd inst., was moved on Thursday in the Commons. Two names, out of fifteen, had been placed on the list of members selected to serve on this committee ; and the discussion, when interrupted, bad turned upon an amendment, proposed by Mr. Digby Seymour, that the further nomination of members should be suspended for six months. Mr. NEWDFGATE remarked upon the innumerable contrivances for delay which the opponents of inquiry had interposed, and on the acrimony of the discussions they had occasioned. He recommended the promoter of the inquiry (Mr. T. Chambers) to withdraw his motion, and change his tactics by bringing in a bill on the subject. There was no hope of carrying the present motion in the face of the opposition which a dominant minority had organised, and while every name proposed for the committee gale occasion to a fresh dispute and another " Irish row." Mr. BRIGHT observed that acrimony, had been exhibited on both sides of the question. He recom mended the house to let the subject drop altogether, believing that all discussions on points of sectarian controversy were to be deprecated on every account. Mr. Cowen hoped that the proposed inquiry would not be surrendered to the obstinacy of a minority. Mr. J. BALL denounced the proposition itself, and the speeches of its supporters, as deeply insulting to the Roman Catholics of Ireland. Mr. T. CRAMBF.RB announced his intention of with drawing his motion for a committee. Although his ~,~ ,r Ii I