The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-26 00:00:00

evidence in support of these opinions, and they point be
the testimony of the manager of this Timer, why abate,
(}:v. 2,22.3), " his conviction that if the stamp duty he taken
off, the commercial advantages to the Times would he
enormous.
it is stated to your committee by the editor of the Scots-
man (Ev. 1,471), that the peony *tamp is • f.is-oura'ile
arrangement for newspapers on the whole ;" that be does
not " consider it a tax," but " • payment ade to the Post-
office for services which he does not think could be so effi-
ciently performed in any other way. for much more cost."
Other wanner, do not participate in this opinion, nor is it
supported by the Post-office authorities. It appears to your
committee that newspapers do not practically enjoy such
favourable terms for transmission by post as other printed
matter ; for whilst newspapers are compelled to stamp every
copy of their impression, whether sent by post or not, other
publications, up to the weight of two ounces, obtain by
virtue of a Treasury minute, the same freedom from postage
as newsmen, by registering as newspapers, and by stamping ,
only soma, copies as are actually required to be sent by post.
If the Illmerspes stamp were allowed to be affixed only to such
copies et aerapeper r go through the post, it might then
assume the arrester of a mere equivalent for postal services,
but in those cases, especially in that of provincial papers
when the post is little used, the compulsory stamp upon
every copy can be viewed in no other light than that of a
tax. In reality, however, the freedom from postage charge
is not always accorded to newspapers in return for the neve-
paper stamp. As an instance of this, your committee think
at right to advert to an anomaly that exists with regard to
the transmission of newspapers by postage, viz., that in the
Loudon district, a circle of three mile, roun the General
' Peet office, and where the post might be of much use far
the distribution of newspapers, a stamped newspaper; is
• charged a penny if posted in one part of that district to be
transmitted to another. Your committee do not see any
a Rood reason for this regulation, and would, therefore, re-
commend that it he abolished.
Your committee find that considerable evasions of the'
postage charge take place under cover or pretence of
stamped newspapers ; that letters and unstamped publica-
tions and parcel, are seat concealed within roll, of stumped
newspapers; and that ianstamped and foreign newspapers
are occasionally pissed without being auojected to charge.
This is partly admitted by the Post-office authorities, who
attribute much of the evasion to the papers which pass
through the Post-office by virtue of the Treasury Minute of
114314. It is clear that in a department transmitting daily
120,000 to 260,000 papers and which are despatched within
two or three hours after the greater portion of them are iv-
ceived, nothing but an extravagantly large force of examin-
ers could prevent evasion.
If a revenue is to be derived from the postage of news-
papers, it is worthy of consideration whether it would not be
simpler and more economical that the collection of such re-
venue should be managed, as in the case of letters, directly
by the Post-office, rather than indirectly by another depart-
ment. Were this suggestion adopted, and the present news-
paper stamp abolished, your committee see no reason to
doubt that the Post-office authorities would devise means of
regulating the transmission and distribution by post of news-
papers, if not of all primed matter, at a small charge, not
exceeding a penny fur each pack up to a weight equal to
that of the largest existing newspaper, without exposing the
revenue to the frauds to which the present system unavoid-
able renders it subject. In passing, it may be right to men-
tion the peculiar use which is sometimes made of the exist-
; nag privilege of sending papers within the United King-
;dim, free from postage charge fur ever, in virtue of the
original Somerset-house stamp. Mr. l'arkhurst, senior
clerk in the office of the secretary of the Pint-office. (Ev.
1677), says, " We know that newspapers are sent as waste
paper very often through the pod; there have been cases
of very old bundles of papers being sent in that way."
There is, however, a consideration connected with the ad-
ditional cod supposed to be caused by the imposition of the
stoop on newspapers,wbich requires a particular notice; viz.,
the right of gratuitous transmission of newspapers through
poet, Mr. Smith, the head of a London newspaper agency
firm, waich has been established fur the last sixty years, and
which transmits about ogle-seventh of all the London daily
palters, states distinctly that the re-transmission of news-
' papers is eanied on toa most enormous extent, so as greatly
to reduce the coot of their newspaper to those least aisle to
I pay fur it. Ile gives instances in which the cost of the
Tunes is thus reduced to 2.1., and to even Id., and yet read
by the last person in theseries on the second morning after
publication, and he adds, that the number of persons thus
receiving the best newspaper' ate very cheap rate, is ex-
ceedingly numerous, and that the proposed charge of Id.
foe each re-transmission would, in fact, prevent them, pro-
bably, (rum taking any paper at all, unless it was a weekly
Pator.the whole, considering on the one hand the various
modes now in ow by railways and private agency of distri-
buting newspapers through the country, and on the other
the frauds upon the foot-office from unetainpcd publication'
being now weavoidably carried post free; seeing, in short,
that in many cases the stamp is paid where no postal advan-
tages are received, and in other caeca the 'tamp is net paid
where postal advantages are obtained, your committee are
of opinion that immediate ate-pa should be taken to place
the regulations affecting the trunsmission of newspapers
and other printed matter by poet, on a more satisfactory
eluting.
In examining witnesses as to the operation of the law on
the newspaper mese, it is found that an opinion prevails to
some small extent, that the maintenance of the stump has
the effect of n odering newspapers more respectable than
they would be if tree from that restriction. After weigh-
ing the reasons fur such opinion, your committee conclude
that it does net net as any good foundation. No dete-
rioration of the newspaper press, hut, on the contrary, an
improvement followed the reduction of the stamp which
took place in 1826 ; and doubtless the character of news-
papers would continue to improve in proportion to the
advance in public taste and morals, although the stamp
should be entirely abolished. It is stated by one of the wit-
nesses, as an objection to the removal of the damp, that a
new clam of journals would spring up, if the stamp were
repealed, in the smaller towns and country district., and
thatit would he (ftv. 1,.1-Vs) "a misfortune that there should
be local papers of a more petty charastcr than at present
exist." The general bearing of nearly all the other evidence
is of • contrary tendency ; and the unanimous opinion of
thole gentlemen who, being peroms who had devoted atten-
tion to the education and social imprueoment of the work-
ing clauses, were specially examined on this branch of the
subject, was to the effect that moral advantage,' might be
expected to follow the establishment of 'heap local
newspapers.
Year committee concur with the proprietor of the Liter -
pool Journal in thinking that the cheapening the cost of
existing provincial papers would extend their circulation
and improve their quality ; whilst they also believe that,
should • new clam of small and cheap local papers arise,
they would occupy a field hitherto not reached by existing
newspapers, and the vehicles of knowledge to large
classes of persons who otherwise would get no newspaper
at all.

The present extensive sale of penny publications, as
shown by the evidence —(Evidence 2,194 and 2;109), abun-
dantly proves the desire among the humbler classes fur some
kind of reading and mental improvement ; bur the stamp
prevents the penny paper from containing a record of the
current events of lite, thus depriving the readen of small
periodicals, who are fur the most part persons living by
bour or Of limited means, of that must useful knowledge, ,•
the news of the day ; fur which, as is stated by Mr. Abel
Ileywood, a gentleman extensively engaged in supplying
cheap literature, '• as the result of his experience," amongst
the class of readers alluded to, there is a greater desire than
for any other kind of information. It may be said with
truth, that the newspaper stamp prohibits the existence ofl
such newspaper as from their price and character would
be suitable to the means and wants of the labouring classes.
The question of pirating articles of intelligence by one
newmper from another has been brought under the notice
elyour committee by witnesses conversant with the news-
carpress, and favourable to the abolition of the duty. I
e r
established new.papers, particularly the London daily'
press, collect the valuable information which they report
to the public at a very great expense, and publish it at a
very costly celerity. It has been stated that if the news-
, paper duty were abolished, there would be great temptation
to the numerous halfpenny mid penny publications which
would then spring up. to pirate the public intelligence cel-
llected at so much cost and exertion. It has been proposed
that some short privilege of copyright should therefore be
conferred.

Your committee consider it their duty to direct attention
to the objections and abuses incident to the present system
of newspaper stamps, arising from the difficulty of defining
' and determining the meaning of the term " news;" to the
inequalities which exist in the application of the Newspaper
Stamp Act, and the anomalies and evasions that it occasions
li in postal arrangements ; to the unfair competition to which
stamped newspapers arc exposed with unstamped publica-
tions; to the limitation imposed by the stamp upon the cis
calation of the best newspapers, and to the impediments
which it throws in the way of the diffusion of useful know-
ledge regarding current and recent events among the poorer
o classes, which species of knowledge, relating to subjects
which most obviously interest them, call out the intelligence
by awakening the curiosity of those classes.
How far it may be expedient that this tax should be
maintained as a source of revenue, either in its present or in
I any modified form, your committee do nut feel themselves
pad upon to state ; other considerations, not within their 1
peo~mcrwould enter into that question. But; apart from
eon'aiderations, they do not consider that news is of it-
self a desirable subject of taxation.
July 18, 1861.

MANSLAXGIITER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE .1T
LIVERPOOL—On Thursday an inquiry took place before
tae borough coroner into the circumstances attending the
death of Ellen Hogarth, whose death. it was alleged, bad
resulted from injuries inflicted upon her by her husnind,
Themes Hqprtb. The occurrence out of which the inquiry
originated toot place on Tuesday night, et the house of Tho-
mas Anderson, Gomer.street. Soho-street, where the de
mimed and her husband lodged. The husband was taken
into custody at his own house immediately on the death of
his wife, and conveyed to ltose•hill station, where, during
the night, he attempted to put an end to his existence by
banging himself by his handkerchief from one of the bars of
the bridewell window. Out of the bridewell keepers dis-
covered him after be had been hanging a short time, and
immediately tut him down. Hogarth was much exhausted,
but, upon the application of the necessary remedies, he
recovered. The evidence showed that at the termination of
a male between prisoner and his wife, which took place in
their room, she was found .n a dying state and expired in •
kw minutes afterwards. The jury returned a verdict of
manamighter against the prisoner, who was committed for
triaL—Livespeei Mercn►y