The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-24 00:00:00

NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTIES.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought for-
ward his resolutions on Monday. He read the
report of the committee of 1851, which objected to
the taxation of news, and the resolution of last year,
which declared the laws on the subject to be ill-
defined, and to demand the early consideration of
Parliament. The anomalous state of the law could
only be met in two ways, by a bill rendering existing
restrictions more stringent, or to relax it and make
it uniform. This last was the decision of the late
Chancellor of the Exchequer, with whose plans the
resolutions he was about to submit were identical in
principle and substance. The bill which he should
introduce, if the house agreed to the resolutions, was
based upon the principle of abolishing the legal
definition of a newspaper, and extending the existing
rules respecting newspapers to all printed periodical
publications which appear at intervals not greater
than thirty-one days. In the case of all periodicals
falling within that definition, the present penalty for
the publication of any newspaper without a stamp
will be repealed ; and it will be optional with the pro-
prietors of any such periodical either to stamp any
portion of their publication, or to leave it altogether
unstamped. If they come to the Stamp-office and
apply for stamped sheets upon which to print any
portion of their impression, they will be subjected to
precisely the same rules with respect to superficial
contents as existing newspapers are subjected to.
He proposed to continue the present rules with
respect to registration and sureties to all periodicals
which should stamp any portion of their impression.
He considered the law on that subject to be in a
satisfactory state, and that with regard to libel there
was an essential difference between newspapers and
pamphlets, of the last of which the circulation was

SATURDAY,

slow, while of the first it was rapid and immediate.
The effect of his bill would be to legalise the publica-
tion of class periodicals, which were at present only
tacitly sanctioned, and the number of which was no
less than 137. He had consulted the managers of the
principal publications which used the mixed issue of
stamped and unstamped papers, as Punch and the
Atheneum, and had besides consulted the manager
of the Illustrated London News, who had all assured
him that no inconvenience would arise from the
general adoption of the mixed system. He then
alluded to the immense circulation of papers now un-
stamped, of which the contents were unobjectionable,
while many dearer publications of a licentious kind
had ceased to exist. He did not believe that the
alteration would call into existence any large number
of cheap local newspapers, which could not command
a remunerating number of advertisements. He cal-
culated the loss to the revenue at 200,0001., an incon-
venient loss at the present moment ; but a measure of
some kind could not be delayed to settle the existing
state of the law. With regard to the stamping of
books, so as to enable them to pass by post, he
thought that the question stool on different grounds,
and should be kept separate, but be would be ready
to introduce a distinctive measure on the subject.
The right hon. gentleman concluded by moving the
following resolutions :
That it is expeditnt to amend the laws relating to the
stamp duties on newspapers, and to provide for the trans-
mission by post of printed periodical publications : That
any periodical publication, to be entitled to the privilege
of transmission and retransmission by the post, shall be
printed on paper stamped for denoting the stamp duty im-
posed by law on a newspaper, printed on the like number
of sheets or pieces of paper, and of the like dimensioni
with respect to the superficies of the letterpress thereof•
That printed newspapers (British, colonial, or foreign)
shall be transmitted by the post between places in the
United Kingdom and her Majesty's colonies or foreign
countries, or between any ports or places beyond the sea
(whether through the United Kingdom or not), either free
of postage or subject to such rates of postage, not exceeding
twopence for each newspaper, irrespective of any charge for
foreign postage, as the Commissioners of the Treasury, or
her Majesty's Postmaster-General with their consent, shall
from tir...e to time think fit.

Mr. GLADSTONE, admitting that he might be led
away by parental partiality, regretted the changes
that had been introduced into the present mea,ure
as compared with his own. He regretted that the
principle was not extended to publications of all kinds,
and could not see why periodicals published at thirty-
one days' interval should enjoy special privileges. He
argued against the retention of restrictions which,
when only attached to the postal privilege, afforded
no security that a man's character would not be at-
;licked at home when it was of most consequence to
him. He saw the difficulties of defining copyright
in newspapers, but he much wished that some provi-
sion could be made. Compositions of a high literu7
standard were published in the existing press, and
the principle of protection to them was fair and just.
How this was to be done he left to those more skilled
in the law than himself.

Sir F. BARINO thought that the proposition had
been brought forward at a most unfit time, when
they could ill spare the loss it involved.
Mr. M. GIBSON said that this was not a financial
question. He regretted that the loss to the revenue
was not to be compensated by a cheap postage upon
books. For one lic..ntious publication thus circulated
there would be a hundred good ones.
Mr. J. MAcaREGoR and Mr. WARNER having
spoken,
Mr. BENrrNcx did not believe that the loss would
be made up by postage from books. The bill would
lead to a complete revolution in the press of the
country, and produce innumerable publications of a
class totally different from those now in circulation.
It was the duty of the house to take measures for
the protection of private and public character.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER again rose to
detail a few instances of the perplexities in which the
Board of Inland Revenue was involved in dealing
with the present law.
These statements were confirmed by Mr. GLAnsroNr,
who said that the resolution of last year was voted
by both sides of the house against the Government,
whose duty it was to carry it out.
Mr. BRIGHT said that by the side of the war ex-
penses into which the Government had been weak or
wicked enough to involve the country, 200,0001.
more or less was a small consideration. The law
could not be worked, and if any Attorney-General
were compelled to enforce it to-morrow, there would
be no Attorney-General at all. He did not think
that a law on piracy was necessary; no paper that
lived on it would thrive in a country which had so
rooted a dislike to meanness and dishonesty. He
entreated the house to pass the measure as soon as
possible, mentioning many useful schemes only
waiting for the new law to continence operations.
The great provincial papers were all in favour of the
alteration, and he was convinced that a few years
would show that the sums voted for education were
as nothing in their results compared with those
which would flow from this measure.

IMP

MARCH 24, 1855.

After some further discussion of little importance,
the resolutions were agreed to.
IRISH GRAND JURIES.

On Tuesday Sir D. NORREYS moved for leave to
bring in a bill to relieve grand juries from fiscal
duties, and to place the administration of local affairs
in Ireland in elective councils.

In the discussion which followed it was argued
that at present the sheriff and the grand jury held
office only for a year, and in consequence the vast
payment of county rates was altogether uncontrolled.
It was, in fact, payment by one class and assessment
by another. Mr. Hoasmin, on the part of the
Government, approved the bringing in of the bill,
and leave was granted accordingly.