The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

NARRATIVE."

Mr. T. M. GIBSON said he wished to call the attention
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the unsatisfactory
state in which the law now was in reference to the taxes
imposed on news and intelligence. The late Attorney-Ge-
neral (Sir F. Thesiger), on the 6th December last, stated
that immediate legislation was necessary, and he moved for
leave to bring iu a bill, and an order was made to that
effect. Since that time, however, no further proceedings had
been taken in the matter. In November,lBa, ■ suit for penal-
, ties was brought against Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, the
publishers of the " Household Narrative of Current Events."
edited by Mr. Dickens. The matter was brought into the
Court of Exchequer, and a majority of the judges decided
in favour of the defendants. The -Board of Inland Reve-
nue, however, declined to acquiesce in that decision. The
parties who had defended the action had done so at consi-
derable expense, and they were informed that further pro-
ceedings would be taken to set aside the decision of the
Court of Exchequer. The law officers of the crown were
required to report on the case, and they advised that it
be procoedcd Subscp.nt to :hot there was

great
grievance
topttiesibP:rdilat:tcht
Tibbeei""facerquestion, and •Itte;ral
considered of
'lied, he believed, that the decision of the Court of Esche
government
veehrannmgeen
to f
quer was contrary to law; but subsequently, on the ground
then
further litigation should take place, a bill was brought
into that house. Then Lord Derby's government went
out, and they were now arrived at the middle
that it would be a
of March, 1853, and this siinp:e matter, wt.ith any
' gentleman could have settled in half-anshour still re.
meined in suspense. Now this Wall not only ineenvenient,
but somewhat oppressive. lle asked the right hon. gentles
to man
bring
twhetherho matter
he e wo
tuol would promisedetermination to use all
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER se'd if any
weight were due to these legal authorities with whom he
hid had the opportuhity of consulting ou this questffin it
was cue nut altogether so simple as the right hon. pia:li-
mas supposed, for there were other points icy 4,0 be-
sides the point that he bad adverted to; namely, that of
the number of days which constituted the interval to bring
the publication within the statute. At the QM: time he
entirely agreed that it was highly unsatisfactory to all parties
that a matter of this Lind should be kept in suspense for a
day longer than was absolutely requisite. lle believed the
opinion of the law officers of the crown wouto be iu the
possession of the government in a day or two, and no time
should he lost in coming to a decision.

Mr. HUME said he had suggested a very simple masker
putting the matter torest, and that was by repealine vie tax.
(Cheers and laughter.) There were sixty pobleeitiotte of
this kind, of which thirty were charged tine thirty not ;
and the chairman of the Beard of Inland Deveuue mold
not draw the distinction between what was a newspaper
and what was not. The only plait was to repel! the tax,
and if he were in a condition to do so, he would Ehnen
guarantee that in one twelvemonth the Chancellor of the
Exchequer would teceive an equal amount in postage to
that he now received tar the tax en newspapers.
Sir F. THESIGER said the house was familiar with the
state of the question at the time the late government came
into power. At that time the law officers of the crown
were dissatisfied with the decision of the Court of Etches,
quer ; and certainly if it had come before him crigivally,
he should have entertained the enne opinion, and shuula
have recommended an appeal. Great difficulties, however,
erase as to the way in weich the case should ba brought
before the Exchequer Chamber, and ultimately his right
hon. friend the lute Chaueellor of the Exchequer was of
opinion that, without any detriment to the revenue, he
might introduce a bill by which publications of this sort
might bo exempt; but there was great difficulty in
framing a bill of that kind, because unless they
were extremely careful they would exempt those
publications which deal, as the law mashie were
liable to be charged. Ab' l was prepared, and he ohtaiucd
leave to bring it an ; but it was the right hon. gentleman
himself who prevented that bill being gone on with. It
was necessary to declare that these publications were liable
to duty, and he took the objection that by the decision of
the Court of Exchequer, that was at least a duubtful
matter, and that the bill could only be introduced by a re-
solution in committee of the house. Ile felt the force of
the objection. The right hon. gentleman knew what after-
wards occurred, and that he (Sir F. Thesiger) hosi no oppor-
tunity of introducing the bill. The more ho looked into
tee subject the more he saw the difficulty.
Mr. COBDEN said he must add his entreaty to that of
his hon. friend the member for Montroso to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer to abolish tle.i tax. h realle appeared to
him that they were placed in a most humiliating position.
Here they were in ISe3 discussing how the irgennity of
lawyers could be brought to bear to prevent the free ciente
lation of news. That was what they wsre aiming at, and
that at a time when Oil parties were agreed that
they were going to extend the rights of the
people in the matter of political franchise. lie
would tell them what the difficulty in their way was,
for he sat on a committee en the newspaper stamp
laws, and no one could define what news was. He had the
honour of cross-examining the Chairman of the Board
of Inland Revenue and the Secretary, and neither of them
could define what news was. They were asked if a Queen's
speech at the beginning of the session was news, sea they
said—Tes ; and that any one puleishing it without a vamp
was liable to be prosecuted for penalties. Then they were
asked if the speech of the Chancellor of the Exch«mer on
!introducing the Budget was news, and they said—No; and
that it might be published without a stamp. New could
anybody ter a moment doubt that the speech of the Chan.
I cellor of the Exchequer un introducing the Budget was far
more important than the Queen's speech? The only way
of getting rid of this absurdity was, as his hon. Lend s lid,
to abolish the stamp altogether. They had forty or fifty
publications, some of which, like the Atheneeirei and the
Builder, published news, and took the option of having
a stamp or not. lie said, give every newspaper
the same option, and let Mr. 'Rowland Hill else
absolute control as to the cost of transmission
by post. He told them before the committee that he cool
manage it, and if they would let Lim manage it, he (Mr.
Cobden) had no doubt that the Chancellor of the!Exchequer
would lose very little, and ultimately lose nothing at all,
by abolishing the stamp. While • country lips Sardinia,
and every one of our colonies, without exception, had
newspapers without stamps, no newspaper coups be pub-
lished in this country without the me:sem/as mark upon
it. He trusted the present Chancellor of the Exchequer
would signalise his reign by abolishing the stamp.
Mr. BRIGHT asked if it was the intention to reimburse
Messrs. Bradbury and Evans the costs to which they had
been put. They were right and the government were de-
' tested, and there seemed to be no reasou why they should
j not have their costs.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
subject was entirely new to Lim, and with ail respect to
the hon. gentleman he must decline to make any pledge.
Any application which might be made would of evuno be
considered.

Mr. BRIGHT said ho understood an intimation was
made, that where the government was defeated in its appeal
to the law, the defendant should he reimbursed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was aware
that the subject at large was under causideration, bat it
would require an alteration of the law.

g.itt OrprtAlS.

Coili:6SrtlN DENTS.
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111'711 ^:ATER .41 LONDON BRIDOR
! o_,,tanoke. 1A e.. Aftet once. Sa 31 ~
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