The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-23 00:00:00

NEWSPAPER SUPPLEMENTS.

The Resolution to be proposed by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer under this head hos been the sub-
ject of much unnecessary remark, since in its pre-
sent shape it is entirely nugatory.

The Resolution is as follows:—" That so much of
any act u imposes any stamp-duty upon any sheet
or piece of paper containing wholly advertisements,
and which shull be published with and se a supple.
ment to any newspaper chargeable with stamp-duty,
shall be repealed."
Now, as there is not any such Act, it is useless to
trouble the House of Commons with the Resolution.
There was such an act—but it was repealed 17 years
ago.

By the 6th George IV., a 119, supplements
were allowed to be issued on payment of halt' the
stamp charged on the newspaper, procided such
supplements contained only advertisements. At that
time there was not any restriction on the sirs of
either the newspaper or the supplement.
By the 6 & 7 Wm. IV., c. 76, the above act of the
preceding reign was repealed. The stamp on news-
papers was reduced, and the size of a newspaper was
limited.

The following is a statement of the duties which
were then imposed, and now exist :
For every sheet or other piece of paper whereon any
newspaper shall be printed, Id.
And where such sheet sr piece of paper shall contain on
one side thereof a superficiev, exclusive of the margin of the
letter-press, exceeding one thousand five hundred and thirty
inches, and not exceeding two thousand two hundred and
ninety-five inches, the additional duty of id.
And where the same shall contain on one vide thereof •
superficies, eaeltasive of the margin of the letter-pres-, ex-
ceeding two thousand two hundred and ninety-tits inches,
the additional duty of ld.
Provided always, that any sheet or piece of paper con-
taining on one side thereof superfieies, exclusive of the
margin of the letter-press, not exceeding seven hundred
and sixty-five inches, which shall be published with and as
• supplement to any newspaper chargeable with any or the
duties aforesaid, shall be chargeable only with the duty
of id.

By the alteration of the law in 1836 a eapplement
became quite unconnected with advertisements. It
was merely another mode of extension. A stamp of
a penny was imposed upon every sheet of paper not
exceeding a certain size. A further stamp of a half-
penny was imposed upon any enlargement of the
sheet to the extent of one halt; and of a penny if
doubled ; or a separate sheet, as a supplement
might...be used with a halfpenny stamp, if
not exceeding half the size allowed by law
for a newspaper liable to a penny stamp. Le-
gally speaking, there is no such thing as " a double
supplement." A supplement of large size is taxable
only as a separate sheet of newspaper paper, and
therefore pays a penny; and there is no doubt but
that, at intervals exceeding 26 days, the Times might
issue, if it pleased, an advertising sheet without any
stamp.
The resolution is, therefore, as much at variance
with the spirit of the Newspaper Act as it is inope-
rative as regards the letter of the law. The effect of
the necessary withdrawal of this Resolution will be
important, as the Chanosllor of the Exchequer will
not only save the sum received from the present
supplement stamp-40,0001. per annum which he
intended to give up—but will gain a large increase
of revenue by the additional supplement stamps
issued consequent upon the increase of advertise-
ments. The result of reducing the advertisement
duty to sixpence will then doubtless be an increase
of public income.

CRIM. CON.-DAMAGES £3,000.

SHERIFFS COURT.-YESTERDAY.

Barons lease Beacem:, iso., Umins•lbmany cc Mitunirms, Aim
• !imam. Jest.
ROSRIIIIIOOIOI O. BUOYS.
This was a writ of inquiry to assess damagesi n
an Retina brought in the Court of Ezahequer for trim. son
Mr. Hawkins opened the pleadings. The plaintiff was
FRobert Frederick Brownlee, Rundrooke, and the defend-
' ant was George Nathaniel Broke. The declaration charged
that the defendant debauched the wife of the plaintiff,
whereby he sustained damage, ite. The damages were
laid at 5,000/.
Mr. Chambers then opened the case. It was his duty
state to the jury the circumstances of this melancholy sad
dilations( inquiry, and in doing so he should not indulge
is any general observations, which is his judgment were
useless in such caws ; for all persons of good souse and
proper feeling mild come themselves to right conclusions
when the facts were before them. The plaintiff was • •
gestleman of family, at the present time in geod circus-
' stances, sad the defeadant, Capt. George Nathaaisl Backe,
was charged with having deprived hiss of the
e
society, and affection of his wife, whom be i=
to elope with him, and thereby with breaking up sad de-
stroying his future prospects ea • married man. The pain- -
tiff, Major Rushbrooke, was forinerly_scaptain is the Fami-
liar Guards—eon of the late Colonel Rust e of Ranh-
brooks Hall, Suffolk, and at the age of 28 he imams ac-
quainted with Miss Evans, a lady. who, besides pc
those personal attractions, and ustellemual qualities
general accomplishments, which would fix upon her the af.
fection of a man of sense and feeling, had property of het
own, and his proposals of marline were accepted by her.
The marriage took place, it was purely and entirely one of
affection—there were no mercenary considerations involved
—each party being In independent circumstances, and it
was undoubtedly • happy union. To show the sense of
honour of the plaintiff, be might state that he bad
the whole of his wife's property, which was then 6001.
a year conveyed to trustees for her own absolute use, and •
settled upon her a jointure of 6001. a year out of the
Rushbrooke estates is the contingency of her survivieg
him. At his father's death tie left the army end went to
reside on the family estates in Suffolk—Rushbrooke Hell—
which were, however, charged with a jointure settled on
Lady Rushbrooke, and thereto's, although he succeeded his
father, and occupied the family mansion, his circumstances
were not 90 affluent as might have been expected, and its
was not able to maintain that high rate of hospitality which
he might have done bad the estates not been encumbered.
Still he lived comfortably, perhaps handsomely ; his neigh-
bours enjoyed his hospitality, .and, unfortunately for hie
domestic happiness, one of his guests was the defendant,
Captain Broke, who had been an intimate friend, end who
was the second brother of Sir Philip Broke, Bart. They
had met in society, and he was invited to and visited Rosh-
brooks Hall, and repayed the hospitality of his host by
estranging from him the affections of his wife, and inducing
her to leave him altogether. On the 22nd July last year
Mrs. Rushbrooke expressed a wish to go and visit her father
at the Goodwood races, and aeeordisgly she went, leaving
her husband in the expectation that this visit to her friends
would not extend to more than ten days. During this time the
plaintiff regularly wrote to her,
_she left her father's house
for the purpose, it was presumed, of returning to her hue-
band's mention, but return she did not. For some time it
was impossible to trace her; at length, however, it was es-
eertained that she had gone abroad, and that at Marseilles
she and Capt. Broke were living together as man and wife.
The action was at once brought, end «main parties went
over to Marseilles and provided themselves with evidence of
the condition in which Captain Broke and Mrs. Reshbrooke
were living. The defendant did not deny his guilt, he
admitted having committed the wrongs oonaplained of by
allowing judgment to go by default, end the question now
left was to what amount of. pecuniary compensation wag
Major itushbrooke entitled, in respect of the injury so In-
flicted upon him. In measuring the damages to be given,
and under the circumstances of the case 5,0001. enul.l not be
too much, the jury must look to the situation of the parties.
The expectations of Capt. Broke were large lie had a
' considerable foitune now, and he was heir to his brother,
Sir P. Broke, who was unmarried. With Mrs.Rushbrooke he
had received an addition to his property ; he had not taken