The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-30 00:00:00

REPEAL OF THE PAPER DUTIES.

Yesterday • meeting of delegate' from .various
parte of the kicgdom was held at the King's Arms Hotel,
Palactoyard, for the purpose of making an to
wait upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and represent
to him the various hari:thipa iutiicted by the precept excise
regulations on the paper trade, and the necessity there a xista
for the total remission of the cult. The room was filled
with piper manufacturers, publithers, and others &enacted
with the trade. Among those present went Mr. Ctompton,
who was subsequently called to the chair, Met Charles
Knigbt, Mr. Chambers (Edinburgh), Mr. S. C. Hall, Mr.
Woolen? (Enter), Mr. Cassell, Mr. Baldwin (B:rmtp.tham),
Mr. Bortherick, Mr. holden (Manchester), Mr. Collins
(Glasgow), Mr. Towle ((Word), &c. Mr. Huggette acted as
secretary. Letters from Mr. Hume regretting big inability
to attend, but promising his support in parliament—from
Mr. Charles Dickens premising to alt, ed the de-
putation—trom W. J. Fox with a similar promi.e—and
also a memorial from the Financial It dorm AsSueiation
of Liverpool—were read. It was announced that within the
last few days memorials had been received from the follow-
ing placer: Lymington (Hants), S:. Atwell (Cornwall),
Merthyr Tychili, Grantham, Kendal, Stafford, Ripon, Ports-
mouth Lancaster, Horiing dun Heywood, Accrington,
Rochdale, Middiston, Damen, Garstang, Blackburn, Man-
canter, Liverpool, Morley, Gioasop, Lyme Regis, Does,
Wigan, Grimsby, Peterborough, Lancester, Boston-on-
Humber, Glamorgan' Lincoln, &dole eurtb, Barnstaple,
Devonport, Plymouth, Bsagor, Exeter, Berwick on-Tweed.
Geinaborough, Bolton (6), Pum re t, Davis,., Warrington,
Wigan (2), Hindley, Canterbury, Pretreat, Halskrum, Liver-
voi (F. It. Ass.), Reading, Durham, Henley, Cbiebester.
[A betel amain:lay of the proceedings appeared in last
evening's Express]
The SECUETARY (Mr. Huggett) announced that these
memorials had received 8,242 signolures in the course of a
very le v days, and that no person had signed it of lower
condition than that of a respectable shopker per.
Mr CROMPTON, on taking the choir, said that he had
had experience of the working of the paper duties tar the
last tarty years ; that, during that period, it had been open
to all sorts of frauds, end his firm conviceon was that the
only remedy would be a total repeal of the duties. He
bad with great difficulty obtained a ratan el the number
of convicuens during the year 1',48 for various breaches of
the excise laws committed by paper makers, and would state
to the meeting its results. It appeared that there were in
the three kingdoms shout 600 mole at work, and that in
England there had been 43 convic ions, in Scotland 9, and
in Ireland 30. This alone gave 15 per cent. on the whole
number ot tractors (Hear, hear.) How was trade to be
carried on by honest men in the lace of such proceedings,
the more especially as even 20 convictions aid sort prevent
the fraudulent trader stilt mintibuitig ha trade? (Hera, bear.)
Agem, the excise was is the habit of consp.trodiug the
penalties, in one case having compounded 3701. for 1001.
The whole amount of penalties inflicted had been
10,7611. 4e. ld.' of which there had been recovered in
England 3,523! 141. 3d. ; in Scathes& 1611.; and in Ireland,
1,3811. 4s. 2d. k'rem these figures he telt hini.eit justified
cooteodiug that if it was tar nothing else than the morale
of the country, government was bound ti get rid of the tax.
(Hear, hear) Oa the ciarser dneriptions of paper, the tax
pressed so heavily, that the temptation to fraud was almost
irresistible, being about 120 per cent, on the cost pries.
(Hear, hear.) On the raw material, the duty was about
600 per car..., and this while the raw material of every other
manwacturing trade had been emancipated from duty.
(Hear, hear.) Some time since the duty had been taken off
cotton, at the instance of the manufacturer,, but it had bean
let on them who were only the scavengers of the cotton
mills. Tney took the refuse of the cotton, which was about
one.lifth of the whole, and one-third of that they were aisle
to convert into their own raw material. It would hardly be
believed that the tax on this raw material was about 300 per
cent. on the value of the article. (Hear, hear.) Was it
sight that paper makers should submit to this, while cotton
manufacturers had found 8 per cent. on their raw material
unbearable ? They were compelled to pay 60 per cent. on
wrappieg paper, and thgt paper was now being imitated in
a nee-exorable &mete with such success that it was impos-
sible to know the paper from the imitation, the only
diffe-
reace being that in one SSW the material was first macerated
into pulp, and thus came under the denomination of paper.
while in the other it wee first worked up dry,
and was called lilt. Thus while another manu-
facturer was making his ;eh duty free, he (Mr.
Crompton) was paying 120 per vent. duty on
precisely similar article. (Hear, hear.) In tut, to such en
extent were frauds of this descriptrin going on, Mat ft would
be more to the thwart of a gentleman entering the paper
trade to study how the law might be evaded that to pay
any attention to the provisions of the act of parliament
Hie fear wit that if the duty were not repealed they would
nun t eve to give up work altogether, while, if it Wire
abolished, in accordance with the pribelples of frith trees,
which this government professed, he was nut afraid of com-
petition with any country in the world. (Cheers.)
Mr. CHAMBERS (Edinburgh) rose to move the first
resolution, to the effect that the duty acted as a grievous bur
upon knowledge, by prince ing the circulation of cheap
literature of a wholesome character. He said that the ques-
tion, es it affected cheap publications, bad b'en much misre-
presented in the House of Commons and elsewhere by the
opponents of repeal. The coarse was to take up a large
book, and say, " the tax upon this for about threepence, and
is it worth while to kick up a row ?" But that was a very
one-sided argument. On a volume of a lashirnabh novel
the duty might not probably exceed le per cent., because
in such a case the expenses of authorship seed com-
position bore a large proportion to the value of the
paper; but the case was quite different in cheap
puhlicatious where authorship and compositiou were small
figures ; and paper termed the principal expense. Is a work,
a single sheet, the money paid for authorship WAS from 16 to
20 guineas, bet that bore no proportion to the value of the
paper, the circulation being perhaps 60,000. He used in his
establishment in Edinburgh 18,000 reams of paper annually,
or 8,640,000 sheets, and on that he paid to government 3,0001.
in duty. (Hoar.) What a deduction was that from the
Made applicable for the reward of literary lemur ! He
might further state that last year he had been obliged to die-
. continue a publication which had reached a circulation of
80,000, because on making up his accounts he found that all
his rah, 6,2001., went to the g worriment in duty. Thus
was a work destroyed by the tax which was circulating
18,0001. annually among tradesmen and workmen of various
kinds. (Hear) Some persons would say that they might
have raised the price, but that would have reduced the cir-
; culation to 20,000, end then the questions of authorship and
r
composition would become prominent. They had subse-
t quently started another at one halfpenoy more, which had
attained a eiroulation of from 30,000 to 40,000, just half,
and out of that the government took 8001. a year, exactly
, the sum paid to authors. They found that it just paid, but
were about to discontinue ft, one reason being that their
I American customers had discontinued their orders, and were
1 about to print pirated copies themselves. Those copies
would be sold all through our American colonies, and no
law could prevent it. What law could guard a frontier of
3,000 miles P (Hear, hear.) It might be urged in favour
of the tax that remission would encourage immoral cheap
literature, but his belief was that lie people naturally pre-
ferred reading if a healthy chancier, and that if the latter
could be provided for them cheap and abundant, the former
world soon be driven from the field. (Cheers.)
, Mr. C. KNIGHT, in seconding the resolution, said, that
if the first paper manufacturer in the world—the wasp in the
garden of Edon—had been so harassed in the use of his

mandibles, as were his successors in the use of their machi-
nery, he would moat certainly have stung the exciseman.
(Laughter.) They had heard oast representative of cheap
literainre—the other was Charles Dickens—(chriese)— and he
( Mr. Knight) hid received from him a distinct authority to
*rpm his complete concurrence with the objects of the
meeting. He thought it important to mention Mr. Dickens's
name at the outset, because it had been too much the
fashion for persons of a certain quality and Teak
in life to turn up their WWI at cheap literature, and lay
that it must surely be bad. But when he mentioned, in
connection with their came, the name of the most popular
author of the day, of him who had given delight to thousands
in his admirable liotione—(hear, hear)—sod announced that
he had distinctly, and as a matter of business, identified
himself with cheap literature, and in his " Household
Words" promulgated great questions, that argument could
hardly be repeated. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Kaight here weds
through some statistics, which hays already been published,

&Map that the cheap publicatlese .seceded I. number the
wheol• of the sewspapen in the United Kingdom. The
reeldutios merit and carried usealmosely.
Mr. CAWHIL moved the meet rwsolatioe, which stated
Chet the duty Italia, been istrodosed &sewer tax, violated
ell Baal principles, and fell directly on the a employment of la-
bour. The asenufeeterer of pew beastibilly illustrated that
passage of Scripture which said "Oahu up the fragments,
that sot Mag may be lost," as from rage sad refuse the paper
maker erased as article worth bar MillsOMl a year—(hear,
Dar)—and of this goverment poutmed down and took
sway 000,000 i. (Hear, hear.) The government was a tree
trade pmramest ; it was a government which professed to
mimeos labour, aid he could tell them that if they were
eileme in their prOweloss, there was so better way of en-
ernualies labour than by taking the ten off paper. (Hear,
hear.) It was mid that the Cisaimillor of the Exchequer
bad a surpl&sef 3or 4 millions, but even if he had no surplus
he (Mr. Cassel) considered that government were boena to
peewee the tut
Mr. B. C. HALL seconded the motion. Mach had been
said of the pressure of the tee oa cheap literature ; but be
could assure them thee it was equally oppressive on wore
wetly palate:sties& The ArlJourried was now a profitable
publication, rareelating 20,000 copies moathly, and paying
1,2001. • year to 'overtimes'. But it had only bees a pro-
fitable work for two years, and for the preceding tea it had
been published at • low; sad yet during that period it had
paid 6,00)1.of 7,0004. to government. That alone would be
a 'madame profit; and to tar acted ageism% many useful
reblieatmes which were now struggling with didleelUes
Be cordially supported the relation.
me. TOWLE, of Oxford, supp owed the resolution. H.
Mid that Moe time slam a machine had been invented by
which very Mee paper camel be mode from straw. He
had bought a mediate, end commenced making the paper;
bat the eovernment stept in with the duty and obliged hies
ei Wsliaqui.h the trade, for the straw for which he paid 30..
• Ma to tee tamers was Merged is duty at 14 ge.neee the
lem (Hear, hear.) They had heard such of the various
Ifinahleseeelateted with its Collecttob. but there war some
Wag woes, Was all they had heard behind. (Hear. bear )
Be woeld not tell teem then, but reserve it for • future day.
(Load Laurette?, and Mile el " tell.")
The spats, however, remained to obdurate pommies of
Riesseret.
Ilse CHAIRMAN wished, before putting the mailed a,
wasp sou worn to me aartcniturlsts. If the paper duty were
repealed, I. would wolertak• that f.mir timesUGC& straw
sear used at primmest would ba consumed by the paper
nishen.
The resolatioss was put and carried.
HOLDRN (Manchester) moved the third resolution,
to the effect that the meoufaeturing of piper secured a large
amount of innocent and b.aitby employment for women and
elsildren. He contended that Ibis wee a question of great
Importance to We tamers, as their clear stinkweed pure at-
moaphere would WWI tempt Derr makers from the smoky
meth, and Mae provide inaocent end remunerative employ •
Meat for thou poor, if it were isA for the present oppressive
mad injuriow decal re/mistimes.
Mr. COLLINM (Olasgow) smonded the motion, which
me earned sassimmly.
Mr. BALD WIN mewl be fourth resolution, affirming
OM piper, from the varies& nese to which it was applied,
ems as all of first nevtaity to a civilised people. He
sad that, eosins se he did from Birmingham, he was wit-
less ef sway peraliar evils connected with this duty. He
ens a maker el mom paper, and had sold last year paper
'Mat description Me the amount of 2 &,000L Of that sum
towards of Y. 0004 west to the government for duty. (Hear )
Mr. P. MORTHMICK emended the resolution, and
sengestalated the meeting that their agitation was '
Issamdml es taw tad tweet. Ti. peculiarity of this spin
Ilse wes that it would benefit is Manioc...l the whole nation
MUM almost every other that they bad heard of seas candied
le the advantage at • claw. (Hear, heel.)
The ree-lation was canted unanimously.
Mr 3Mlni, of Bagley, moved the next resolution. He
Contended that when the rnpease of collection and the various
drawbacks were reckossd up, the •um actually lost to the
revenue by to repeal of the duty would be comparatively
Mt. WOOLMIIR (Baster) seessided the rewleticom, which
we, a TrltartUbl'lllt of the menu four, sod it was put bad
earned seasimosoly. . .

The sista and last resoled,* was moved by Mr. I.
Graeae', sad s seeded by Mr. P. G. Beams,. It provided
Wt sores of the resolutions and memorial. bo reepeettally
preented to Use Chancellor of tam Euhigaer. It wu
tarried salmi
Oa the matiadiass.l Mr. Sorrily-felt it was resolved tbs..
Ilse resolutione be advertised is 01l the daily sad weekly
Trr.'BALDWIN, is secoading the above retaliation, an.
smeared that akboush no seemirial had that dry been pre.
looked Iron. Birminsaam, the town council an. the 'mer-
chants of tam town were preparing petitions to parliament.
Notweriptrese to lb* amount of Dearly 1,0001. were a,..
goateed, sad thaaks hula( boon voted to the chairman,
the proce.dings termiaatod.