The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-28 00:00:00

THE FUTURE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

Br the vote of Monday evening, the House of Com-
mas gave its inaction to the principle of the CHAN-
C 11.1.01 *I the EXCHEQUEVII Newspaper Stamp BilL
That Bill is neither more nor lees than the practical
application of the abstract resolution adopted last
session by the House of Commons, with the assent of
&rammed. We are, therefore, entitled to assume
that neither Cloverament nor the Holm of Commons
ma with honour reverse the judgment they have
pmeed upon the measure in its broad outline. That
judgment, too, we sincerely believe to be in strict so•
teed with the popular views and wishes on the @ab-
lest. We may, therefore, regard the Bill as certain to
lasses* the law ; and, this being the cue, it is most
desirable that no attempt should be made to
procrastinate the poring of the Act, or to tamper
with its detail' in committee. Even those journals
which have opposed the measure must feel that un-
certainty must be more detrimental to their interests
thee the Act itself can be.

Dispassitnately considered, the object of the News-
paper Stamp Bill is unexceptionable. Hitherto
newspapers have been subjected to a tax (the stamp
duty) from which all other publications were free :
to compensate this they have been allowed postal
privileges denied to all other publications except a few
which were allowed to obtain thus by submitting to
art= conditions of registration. That the subjection
of newspaper to a tax from which all other publi-
'ikons were exempted—the compensating postal
privileges being kept out of view—was unjust, is a
stifevidest proposition. Whether the postal privilege
wee merely a fair compensation has been much
debated. Certain it is that the old arrangement has
prevented many who were disposed to embark in
mwspapie spealstions from making the attempt. It
beim, thseskre, that it had the effect of giving an
artificial bin to newspaper enterprise; in other words,
that it was a deviation from the principles of free- Toe „horrible and heart-rending" narrative of the
trade. The Csaitcm.Loa of the EXCHZQUEIa Bill mg,„riogs endured by our poor sadism in the British
reams all doubt and ambiguity on this Peat hospital at Scutari is now complete. The evidence
Heeceketh, any given number of newspapers given by Mr. SIDNEY GODOLPHIN 01301111 on
tut be published free freer stamp duty f Friday lest before the Crimean Committee estab-
bat if their proprietors wish them to enjoy the Bohm, beyond a doubt, that thousands of the brave
Privilege of free Fetal treemellacw• they must pay men who lately left these shores to fight their
Its the stump which ensures that privilege. Under estuary's battles have perished by that most
thisnewregulation, **writ's!. exterPriee will have terrible form of death--etarvatioa. It is of no
bras play, untrammelled by artificial constraints. This ors trying to conceal or explain away this
Is equitable; and the experience we have had of the hideous fact. Already it has been told in every
limas of warestrielidcompetition in other fields of weer of the land—to the govarmaox on her throne,
eatarree warrantor to expect thatit will aim to the humblest dweller in the remotest village—that
peeve bsoefioial in our own. we how not bow many Englishmen, afttr being
There is another feature of the measure which death oa the field el battle, have been suffered to die
ought to recommend it. Under the old system, from want of hod! We have heard so much
which it was intended to supersede, it was found ire- of late of the heavers of war that our Mee
Path to taw satisfactorily what constituted a of sympathy is somewhat blunted. Thetis tales
newspaper. The "Me of this Mr:4aq le abviolle- of metchlem valour sad heroic endurance affect us
The chime with which a tax wee telt herded Rea Ism than they did at first. We can lists', calmly,
newspapeenwas to weaken their Amoy as instruments to airrativas which a faw months ago
far iihnenhatiag political opiaion• Rulers feared tiara from strong min who had long forgotten what
mingsrarret net only for the reasoning re Political it was to weep. Our condition nowadays is that of
Vieth" mataluel is them, bet toe the publicity they the sargeoa whom long experience has tar & to
free le thee which, by their simple statemeat, spoke lock, without a shudder, upon human sufferiug, and
trusepat-tengeed spinet misgovernment. TO ties of the judge who calmly weighs every word of
*salad's of news in the abstract, Ooveretoest had , every wknees before be penes eentesee upon
m &judge ; but the dimemination Delitical news the wirmisal. England hes long wanted to knew