The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-29 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1855.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has given
notice of an important motion for this evening.
It is the intention of her MAJESTY's Government
to revise and modify the whole law relating to
the " Fourth Estate;" nay, more, to repeal all
the existing regulations, and to introduce a new
code, not merely relating to the stamping, but
to the registration and securities. These are
matters of no trivial interest to the community
at large. The great object must be to obtain a
free and independent, but not a licentious Press.
To insure that those who have undertaken the
arduous and responsible duty of supplying infor-
mation to the people shall be enabled to do so
without let or hindrance, and to offer reasonable
commentaries on the facts communicated ; while
any attempt to abuse the privileges sanctioned for
public purposes, to allow the perfect freedom
required to degenerate into the gratification of
private malevolence, or vindictive or mischievous
feeling, should be earnestly and steadily re-
pressed. We want perfect freedom--we would
eschew everything approaching to scurrility.
The motion in question may be subdivided.
The first portion relates to the abolition of the
postal facilities hitherto allowed to public jour-
nals, and their assimilation to printed books and
papers of every description. The proposition is
to the effect that all printed matter may be trans-
mitted by post at prices " not exceeding one
penny for every four ounces in weight, and every
fractional part of four ounces!" Heretofore
newspapers impressed with the recognised stamp
went free ; henceforward all papers must pay,
the stamp which conferred the privilege being
abolished. It is, however, understood that some
privilege will still be allowed to stamped journals.
Those which aro franked by an impressed stamp
as at present may be many times sent through the
post ; in fact, they may travel repeatedly during
the seven days after their publication without any
further charge ; whereas ordinary printed papers
will require a postage stamp each time of transmits
sion. Something will thus still be accorded to the
stamp, which will still be used, like those on our face-
tiou* contemporary Punch and other publications;
which, althougfi. not indispensable, are still fre-
quently adopted ii—vonsequence of the correspond-
ing privilege. 1
The amount thus conceded is unquestionably
large. So far as we can understand the principle
of the measure, it is that public journals should
be placed on the same footing as all the printed
papers. Four ounces is thus taken as the maxi-
mum—and the smallest fractional portion thereof
require an equal stamp, which must accordingly
be given.

Now it seems rather a strange coincidence that
the weight thus selected will be exactly that which
will cover a copy of the Leviathan with double
supplement. The most trifling additional weight
would turn the scale ; but, the Times, double
supplement and all, will go free for the penny.
This is an ingenious attempt to repair the error
of last year, and to give the Leviathan that which
it then so strenuously demanded, and for the
neglect whereof it administered some gentle casti-
gation to its pet financier. The Times can now
carry its double supplement as cheaply as the
smallest " fly-sheet" issued by any contemporary
can be transmitted. We may ask—and we be-
lieve the interrogatory will be repeated through-
out the length and- breadth of the land—Why,
if four ounces .be transmitted for one penny,
should not two ounces, which will cover a large
majority of journals, be carried for one half-
penny ? The distinctions respecting letters go so
low as half-an-ounce. Surely there is not
so very extraordinary a difference between
writing and printing as to make the former
necessarily eight times the latter for the same
cost. The power of transmitting repeatedly
during seven days from the time of publication
may be regarded as another sop to the Cerberus
of Printing-house-square—the amende honourable
for the leze majeste of last year.
Before we dismiss this subject we would suggest
one privilege that may reasonably be given to the
press. At present any journal posted at the
General Office after six o'clock is subjected to an
extra charge. Now, the time may easily be in-
creased to seven o'clock without inconvenience to
the Post-office authorities, which would enable
every journal to transmit its latest edition to its
11 country subscribers without additional charge.

As to the alterations in the law of Übe, and
copyright, we must await the promised - ex-
planations of the Financial Minister be-
fore we can form a decisive opinion.
Tkese matters must, however, be vigilantly
looked over to avoid the Scylla of licentiousness
as well as the Charybdis of undue restriction.
The admirable measure of Lord CAMPBELL forms
an excellent basis for any new legislation. Public
matters skould lee freely 'canvassed, -while that
the only object whereof could be to give pain to
individuals skould be firmly kept down. As to
copyright" that is a matter that cannot be
lightly dealt with. It would, however, be well
if something could be doze to prevent parties
from acknowledging extracts as from a favoured
journal, which they well know to have been
" cribbed" without acknowledgment from one too
independent to be regarded with a very friendly
eye. The matter, however, is too extensive to be
dealt with at the end of an article, or before we
know the vievra of the Ministry on this important
subject.

Mr. ROEBUCK'S motion is but a means to an
end, and the end is not to censure the Govern-
ment, not to put well-meaning incompetence into
the pillory, not to oust one set of Dukes and
Lords and to put in another, not even merely to
obtain an accurate account of the state of things
in the Crimea, for of this we know beyond all
question quite enough for our present guidance--
the end is to put things instanter in the right train
to remedy all that can be remedied of the past, and
to prevent a recurrence of similar fatal errors and
I omissions. Provided this end bo attained, the
technical fate of the motion is of little couse-
quence. Could the House of Commons but obtainan
adequate
t
a
n , the 0
guarantee for an efficient War admi-
nistration,
motion might be even withdrawn
without injury.
ems iu danger of giving a
s t o
Thus far the House se
ht
a
,eCislon from • om the motion being re