The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-18 00:00:00

PRIZE MONEY.

(From the London Gazette of July 16.)
Admiralty, Somerset-house, July 16.
Notice is hereby given to the officers, seamen, and ma-
rines, and to all persons interested therein, that in conse-
quence of some further claims having been preferred for
unliquidated expenses attending the prizes Aina and Na-
deschde, captured on the 21st April, 1855, by her Majesty's
ship Alban, the individual shares advertised for distribu-
tion in the London Gazette of the 13th inst. will be liable
to alteration, and further notice of distribution will be
given as soon as possible.

Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy,
Admiralty, Somerset House, July 16.

Notice is hereby given to the officers, seamen, and ma•
lines and to all persons interested therein that the dis-
tribution of proceeds arising from the Russian armed
vessel Vengeur, captured on the 27th of June, 1854, by
her Majesty's ship Cuckoo, will commence on Thursday,
the 26th July, 1355, in the Prize Branch of the Department
of the " Accountant-General of the Navy, Admiralty,
Somerset House." _ .

Agents and other persons holding powers of attorney,
prize orders, assignments, or other instruments, by virtue
of which they may be legally entitled to claim the share
of any captor, serving in the above-named ship, are re-
quested to present the same at this office.
Any officer, seaman, marine, or other person, who may
desire to receive his share from the Collector of Customs
or of Inland Revenue within the United Kingdom, is re-
quired to intimate the same by letter to be addressed "On
Prize Business, to the Secrotaty of the Admiralty, Lon-
don,"—in which letter his own place of residence is to be
precisely stated, as well as the place of the nearest Collector
of Customs, or of Inland Revenue, from whom it would be
convenient to receive such share of prize money.
The following are the shares due to an individual in the
several classes :--

£ s. d.

£ 8. d .

Lieut. Command-

Sixth class

ing
Fourth class lB 12 5
Fifth class

Eighth class 3 2 1
Ninth class
I 'Tenth class

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

MR. ROEBUCK'S MOTION.
(From the Times of this day.)
Judicial vengeance, in the language of the poets, halts
and lags, though it generally runs down its victim in the
end. In the hands of man it almost as often miscarri
as not ; in the hands of Heaven its path is circuitous,
sometimes wholly inscrutable ; and all that we have to
show axe a few moral laws, as we are pleased to call
them, arid wonderful instances of Divine vengeance—
wonderful,. because they are rare. If justice itself makes
such poor work of it in its severest and most tangible
form, and in the case of enormous crimes and palpable
wrongs, we cannot expect more speed, more certainty
and exactness, in the moral retribution to come upon
faults of temper, errors of judgment, and the minor vices
of carelessness, indolence, excessive confidence, and pre-
sumptior. We don't expect the time will ever come
when man can devise nets of exactly the right meshes,
and throw them so cleverly over the waters of political
life as just to secure the offenders at the very nick of
time, without damaging anybody else. They will go on
escaping, breaking through, leaping over, or slipping
under, just as they have always done. That is what Mr.
Roebuck has still to learn. He presented himself as a
judge in Israel, to detect, and to chastise the bad admi-
nistration of the war. 11l would it become us, who sup-
ported him throughout, and who gratefully recognised
in him the dauntless aud indefatigable champion of our
own battles, to say one word as to Mr. Roebuck's dis-
charge of his mission. There is only this to be added—
that, with all the sail he could press, and all the steam
he could put into his committee, he has only illustrated,
for the millionth time, the tartiness and imperfection of
all human justice. His whole speech comes to this :
According to his own division of the Cabinet which
undertook the war, the chief has already fallen, and is
therefore removed from the reach of Parliamentary jus-
tice ; the like fate has overtaken the Secretary of War
and the Secretary at War, and the First Lord of the
Admiralty, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; in
fact, all who had a hand in the affair. They have escaped
Mr. Roebuck as criminals occasionally cheat the hang-
man, by being their own executioners. On Mr. Roe-
buck's own showing, the others aro most of them insig-
nificant, and, as it happened, too, had nothing to do
with the war. There was one exception, and that is
Lord John Russell. But justice has overtaken him at
last, though all that Mr. Roebuck can say of him is
that he did not stay in town in August and
September, and take the responsibility of summon-
ing Cabinet meetings to overhaul the operations
of the War Minister. But which of them does Mr.
Roebuck want to nail to the barn-door ? Lord Aberdeen ?
His lordship,as Mr. Roebuck himself admit,, did his best.
The Duke of Newcastle ? Mr. Roebuck himself vo-
lunteers an apology. The Duke was plodding, consult-
ing, giving interviews, making calculations, and issuing
orders all the autumn. Mr. Sidney Herbert? Here,
again, Mr. Roebuck is not merely apologetic, but
even kind. He commends not only the diligence of
the criminal at the bar, but oven his humanity. Sir
James Graham ? But how could the Admiralty have
failed, when it did not even attempt ? Mr. Gladstone ?
But he was summing up the " tottle of the whole," and
expecting to conquer all the Russian, as well as con-
vert the South Sea Stock, out of the year's incorrw.
For the rest Mr. Roebuck himself says they were in-
significant. What more could he say ? There are
two offenders left. The first of these, Lord Johnre

THE NEWSPAPER STAMP ACT.
(Prone the Times of this day.)
The public will remember the peculiar advantages
which were promised from the amendment of the News-
paper Stamp Law. Enterprise was to be relieved of its
trammels, education was to be wondrously promoted,
political knowledge was to find its way into every corner
of the county, and popular ignorance was gradually to
disappear. These desirable results were to be accom-
plished by a certain specific agency—viz., that of penny
daily papers. Over this point no obscurity whatever °
was permitted to rest. The one thing which was wanted
to insure the perfect freedom, perfect efficacy, and per-
fect utility of the press was an issue of daily papers at
one penny each. It was for this that agitation was so
tenaciously maintained. Nobody ventured to deny that
the press of this country, as it stood, was more indepen-
dent, more serviceable, and more decorously conducted
than that of any other country. Nobody asserted that
either the metropolitan papers or the country papers
could be called expensive articles at the current
prices. What was said was, that a less expensive
article was called for, and that the production of
this commodity was prohibited by the compulsory
stamp. Of course, it was obvious to remark that, as this
stamp was only a penny, that alone need not keep the
price of a newspaper at sd. If a penny or a halfpenny
per copy would in reality suffice to remuneraie the pro-
ducers of a good journal, it was plain that the whole
selling price, even including the stamp, need have been
only 2d. or lid. The stamp could, at any rate, be only
answerable for one penny out of the five. Here, how-
ever, it was replied that the manner in which the stamp
operated no destructively was in preventing the circula-
tion of newspapers at the particular price of a penny,
and no snore. This was the magical figure which was
to work such wonders. To produce newspapers at 4d.,
3d., or 2.1 d., was of no use ; in fact, the thing had been
trid without success ; nothing would serve the real turn
but newspapers at id. Any advance above this sum was
fatal, nor was there much difference, for this matter, be-
tween 20. and sd. The key of the whole argument
lay in the "penny,"—in that single, small, ever-pre-
sent, and easily-spared coin, which nobody would be-
grudge for his daily news.
Well, the law was amended, the stamp was removed,
and Mr. Milner Gibson, Mr. Cobden, and their inde-
fatigable friends were gratified with this enfranchise-
ment of the press. What has been the result ? 'To be
sure, the new system has not been very long in opera-
tion, but the experience already acquired appears to have
convinced the managers of at least one establishment of
a very notable fact—to wit, that a penny daily paper
such as the public look for, and the " tax-on-knowledge'
people designed, can never be maintained with a proper
remuneration to its producers. Such, at least, is the
published conclusion of the Yorkshire Daily Express, a
paper issued on the new system under circumstances un-
usually favourable. We should not have cared to assert
or defend such commercial maxims on our own proper
authority, but the fact is communicated to the world as
the result of actual experiment with more than ordinary
promise of success. It seems that the conductors of the
Leeds Times, observing that Manchester and Liverpool
were getting their " penny dailies" under the new
system, resolved on giving their own district the benefit
of a similar issue, and accordingly started the Leeds
and Yorkshire Daily Express, price one penny. We
have two or three numbers of this journal before
us. It seems to be very respectably " got
up ;" has its " latest intelligence," its " telegraphic,"
and so forth, and, as one of the articles in its leading
columns appears in each of the numbers before us to be
transcribed from our own pages, we presume we cannot
well demur to the "ability" of the production. Never-
theless, on Monday morning last, the readers of this
promising periodiCal were informed in the "first leader"
that the proprietors had " determined to discontinue"
the same. They had started, they inform us, with con-
siderable advantages. Owing to their already organised
establishment they were enabled to keep down what,
under other circumstances, would have been the ex-
penses of such'a concern by at least one-third ; they had
the benefit of an existing connexion, and they produced
a good article. The result, however, was, that their
returns were only about one-half what they should have
been to cover the bare expenses of production, and they
have relinquished the attempt accordingly. By way of
convincing those who might surmise that the trial was
not a fair one, they offer to any person inclined to re-
peat the experiment any requisite assistance in making
the trial for himself.
Experience must prove whether the promoters of other
similar enterprises are more fortunate or more skilful
than the conductors of the Leeds and Yorkshire Daily
Express. For ourselves, we can only repeat what we
have fifty times remarked—that, as far as the idea of
competition is concerned, we regard the matter with the
most supreme indifference, and that the working of the
new law does but confirm in all respects the views we
entertained of the public taste and requirements. We
have not suffered, nor are we likely to suffer, in a single
particular ; but, as we know something of the expenses_
contingent on the production of a daily paper, and
what the public is accustomed to look for a n
paper, we could not but express otir disbelief
in the
news-
paper,
assumptions on which the Manchester politicians
w e have pro-
ceeded. In the expiring journal to which
To make a
the difficulties actually ex
referred we find a very circumstantial description of
penny paper pay it must hpaevore_ienac
corre-
sponding to the cheapness f
proportionate work of dis-
Leba
er s
conceivedngsin that
circulation presumes a
nvolvitesed
pi circulation ti
conveyanceobnut
thisand
tributiont
Now,and distribution
or the
paper
is, we are told, "nearly aans c
that
r charged
yf
agents. the costotfhoconosnavmleye
the percentage allowed to agents
is journals," while .
ts • so that, while the return upon
is also "within a fraction of the amount" usual in the
case of more costly shee,
diminished, the outgoings each issue is largelythese
to be the ex-
perience,proclaimed, of cede and York-
perienee, candidly
;i respectsa 2.e
Daily stand
Exp nearlyress. still.p e r 13 a
;)Ssu
icth
11;ii.apyp
the proprietors of a weekly newspaper were not alto-
gether ill-pleased at establishing a case against the new
class of competitors with which they were threatened ;
but, on the other hand, it would be absurd to imagine
that any such inducement would have tempted them to
discard a second source of profit, if profit could be made.
A few mouths more, however, will bring all this ques-

r • ,-r.sr"
SUNDAY BEER .13IL
committee met again yesterday morning.
T he first witness examined was Mr. Elliott, the Lam-
beth police magistrate. He said the conflicting deed.
sions . of the magistrates had caused much inconvenience,
and he • thought the Legislature ought at once to set the
questio n at rest.
With regard to closing the public houses at 6 o'clock
on Sunday, Mr. Elliott observed that the longer public-
houses 1 tept open the greater were the inducements to
drinking. He did not think 11 o'clock on Sunday too
late for thss houses to keep open.
Mr. A'Beckett, magistrate of Southwark, said
he was a opinion that the operation of the Beer Act
had beeza to reduce the number of drunken oases on
Monday.?, but not on Tuesdays. He thought, ho wever,
that its working was most inconvenient both as regarded
the working and the middle classes. As to the publican,
he was placed in a most awkward position, because the
law compolled him to furnish refreshment, whilst he had
no means of ascertaining who was and who was not a
bona fide traveller.
Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey, Commissioner of the
City Police, expressed his disapprobation of all legis
tive interference with the freedom of the people. If,
thought the prevention of drunkenness required moral
restraint ratlier than the interference of the law. Ae
to resisting a man's thirst for drink by the interposition
of au act of P.s.rliament it was out of the question.
The next wi.`aess examined was Sir Robert Carden,
a magistrate o,r the City of London. He stated that
he thought it coLltrary to common sense to suppose that
an excursionist, c r, in other words, a person who went
out of town for tte day, was a traveller within the
meaning of the acCI. He had never been called upon,
however, tb..,adjudithite upon the question involved in
the act.
The Chairman—l lielieve you belong to some Anti.
something Society. (Laughter.)
Sir R. Carden—l 3m connected with the Maine
Liquor Law Society. He had come to his present
opinion on the authority of Sir Astley, Cooper, who said
that 50 per cent, of spiritil was alcohol ; and that a small
quantity taken daily was a slow poison.
The Chairman—Then do you believe John Bull dies
young ?

Sizß. Carden—The English are a drinking people.
The Chairman—Are you aware that those nations to
whom spirits are unknown are not so long 'Peed as
European nations ?
S-Ir R. Carden—That may depend upon the climate.
The Chairman—You will find that the case in the
South Sea Islands.

Sir R. Carden—l am sure a man will never benefit by
drinking spirits.
Examination continued—He was aware of one thing,
and that was that a greater portion of the criine, wicked-
ness, and disease in this country arose from dremkenness.
The Chairman—No one doubts the effects of drunken-
ness ; we only differ from you as to the means of reme-
dying the evil.
Examination continued—With regard to excursionist&
he could not see what the greaAter portion of them wanted
to do otherwise than go home after 10 o'clock on a
Sunday night.
The Chairman—Do you not think it reasonable tbta t a
man, after sitting for three hours in a close carriage .on
the railway—behind the engine perhaps—should require
something to quench a natural thirst at the end of t4O
journey.

Sir R. Carden—Well, then, let him get a glass of
water. (Laughter.)
Examination continued—He was satisfied if the work-
ing classes were consulted, they would wish that public
houses should be closed altogether on Sunday, so as to
put the temptation out of their reach.
By Sir J. Pakington—He believed between 50 and 60
millions per annum were spent by the working classes
in intoxicating drink, which he regarded as a national
evil.

By the Chairman—He thought the disadvantages to
the few, occasioned by the operation of the act, did not
counterbalance the advantages which accrued from it to
the million. He thought, legislation ought alwayl to
have such a view.

By Sir W. Jolliffe—He believed all Governments .tn•
couraged the consumption of alcoholic drinks for the
sake of the revenue they produced.
The Chairman—lt has been over and over again
stated that the comforts of the people had been cur-
tailed by this bill. Do you contradict it ?
Sir R. Carden—l believe that the hours it enjoins
have been generally beneficial.
Examination continuedL-He believed the future well-
being of England depended upon proper public-house
legislation. As far as he was concerned if the beer
bill affected himself he should feel it to be no incon-
venience, though he thought perhaps in its operation
it tended to generate an unjust feeling between the
lower and wealthier classes. This concluded Sir R.
Carden's evidence.