The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-13 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILL.

On the motion of iiii:Vjittil;;;eond reading of this
11l was postponed till Monday, the 23rd of May.
!PUBLIC BUSINESS.
_ _ _
LUNACY BILLS. - _

On the motion 74itii.: *AI.POLRTLord St. Leonard's
Lunacy Balls were brought in, read a first time, and ordered
to be read a second time on Friday, the 20th.

THE NEWSPAPER STAMP.

Mr. RICARDO said on the 6th of December last keys

was given to introduce a bill to amend the law with regard
to the newspaper stamp. The present government under-
took to go on with it, and a promise was given by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer that no time should be loot
in laying the bill on the table. Up to that time it bad not
been laid on the table; and, as there were several prosecu-
tions going on, he wished to ask the Attorney-General when
it would he.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said his
hon. and learned friend the Attorney-General would be
able to speak more precisely than he could with regard to
the prosecutions ; but, with regard to the general question,
he thought the hon. gentleman could not be aware of an
answer which he had lately given to a question on the sub-
ject. What he then stated was, that a bill on the subject
had been prepared, and that he was ready to introduce it.
but thatsorne of its provisions bore upon another question
which had been brought before the house, ramely, the re-
peal ex modification of the advertisement duty. Ho sug-
gested, therefore, that it might be for the convenience of
the house to postpone the progress of the bill until they had
had en opportunity of gathering the fullest information
with regard to the advertisement duty, and he observed that
if that einem was approved of by the house, he would post-
pone (or a short time the iatroduction of the bill. That
answer appeared to meet with approbation ; and it was not
now his intention to introduce the bill until he was pre-
pared to announce what course the government would take
with regard to the advertisemnt duty, which bore upon the
other question to a considerable extent.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was perfectly true
that there was a prosecution pending in the Court of Ex-
chequer against Mr. Collett on the subject of the newspaper
stamp. lie ought to add that that prosecution was com-
menced expressly at the instance of the hon, member for
Stoke-upon-Trent (Mr. Ricardo). (Laughter). The hon.
member came to him and slid that Mr. Collett was desirous
of baring the question settled, whether there had been an
infringement of the law or net, and that he would divon-
talus publication until it had been settled. He (the Attor-
ney General) thought, therefore, thought it was but just
to Mr. Collett that the prosecution should take place.
(Laughter.)
Mr. RICARDO said, although the prosecution was com-
menced at his instance, he had acted in the belief that in
the internal the bill to which he had alluded would be laid

on the table; and his request was simply, that the prosecu-
tion might be transferred from the police-office at Bole-
street to the Court of Exchequer, which was the proper
tribunal to try the legal question. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. NEWDEOATE wished to know whether it was a
fact that Irish newspaper prorrietors paid only three far-
things for the stamp while English proprietors paid a
penn ?
1 They CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he

would make inquiries on the subject.
Captain JONES said feeling it to be impossible to take a
discussion on the subject of the spirit duty on the second
reading, he begged to say that he should do so in coca
mittee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
had better state, then, that he woald propose the second
reading at a late hour, unless eomet hon. gentleman ex
pressed a desire to oppose the bill at that stags.
Mr. CRAIJEURD would certain' ly prefer to have the dis-
cussion on the second reading.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was under-
stood to say that, in that cue, he would take the second
reading of the bill atter the legacy-duty resolutions had been
disposed of.
1 The Clerk then proceeded to read the orders of the day.