The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-07 00:00:00

journal are equiralent to fifty per cent. We know that in
the North Br, ith Daily Mail, taking into account the ne-
cessary reductions made in sales to the trade, and where a
considerable proportion of the advertisements are short an-
nouncements, the absolute tax is not ten than forty per cent.
on the proceeds. There is no justice to cheap newspapers
under these circumstances, and quite so little to the public
who want them. [he state of the case is, that " wealthy
England" and " beer-shop England" does not object to the
4d. standard of price ; hut " domestic England" " family
England," the homes and hearths of England, would greatly
preier, would be cheered, and would be instructed, by any
change that made the scale 2d. or 31. " The taxes ou knew-
ledge" undmesticate men. They make the heads of families
frequenters of clubs, taverns, and public places at hours when
they should he in their homes. Other Leila, and great evils,
fulb,w from this cause. Ignorance of public affairs—and of
matters more valuable than current intelligence, and that is
very valuable—is perpetuated. The tone assumed in jour-
nals is often moulded to the taste of the localities where they
are read. There are six months to spend before these taxes can
now be touched. We hope to employ the time in accelerating
their abolitha ; and the d.struction of all those fetters in the
form of bonds and securities thct gag and bind, and keep
down the free, the full, end wide expression of opinion. The
Inb,ter may be deemed unreasonable by some, and unseason-
able by others ; but there is uo better season than the next '
year to do a good action, I xcept the present; and it is pos-
sible yet, by perseverance, to ii.duce the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, hard as the task may seem, to blot out the taxes
on knowledge from the budget of 1849, and to set thought
and its expression tree.— Tait's Magazine.
A Weill•N KILLED BY HER HUSBAND.—Yester-
day afternoons man named Merrick met his wife, with whom
he was constantly quarrelling. in Cow-heel-alley, St. Luke's,
and having inquired the resteon of her not being at home
coeleing hi., dinner, he gave her a violent blow under the lelt
ear, which knocked her to the ground. In falling her head
Came in coutect with the palings facing one of the tenements
in the court. The woman, after making two or three convul-
sive terugeth e, was seen to turn black in the face, and was
immediately carried into one of the adjoining houses. and •
surgeon was sent tor, who pronounced life extinct. The
husband, who obtains his living by jobbing at the Post-
office, was taken into custody, and removed to Fe.atheretone-
street station-house.

A MEETING IN WESTMINiTER ABBE[.—The C'on-
sestu/iortNei has the following, in a lever from a London
correspondent "Two French travalers, a gentleman and
his wife, were lately visiting Westminster Abbey, when some
one near them exclainstd, liens! east Grassot! (why, its
Orman). Oraotot (the comedian, who has doubtless affiwded
a hearty laugh to many of the readers of the Experts),
no less surprised than flattered at being recognised in this
glimmy place, politely greeted his unknown friend, who
trinkly advanced, and esplaiutd to the Frenchmen the
' meanins of an epitaph, which he was not sufficiently au /nit
in English to read. This done, Orassot asked whom he had
to thank fir the kindness. ' One of your countrymen, less
tirtutiate than yourself, Monsieur Oramot, for he may not
again see hi, Country,' Tr,* the stranger's reply, as he de-
parted. It was the Duke d'Aumale, who, adds the writer,
w.,3 taking his customary .maenads among the tombs of
the abbey."