The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-20 00:00:00

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Ederee * _
as newspapers subject to the compulsory etamP,
tle neat portion of the impression might be stamped for
/Lfie, enee of transmission through the post-office.
ihee-,,aetilno, a portion of those periodical publications in-
bl Polite o ewe the proper sense of the word.: It was
al news, but literary news, dews relating to the
dabt.;eulcal, and other professions, and there can be no
141,.„,''':Lat's according to the strict construction of the law,
tetnt''..intlaiber of class pablications which enjoyed partial
teetaitY from the stamp were newspapers within the
)areee'ealling of tbe law,-and subject .eo a penalty if any
li, a?f the impression were unstampecl. Those ofdrelaxa-
§ies been, however, established, and this was the
!tete.", Practice which my right hon. friend found in ex-
dee last recess, when the subject came under-his consi-
'4l4tit°n• If the Government had decided to disregard the
teee resolution of the house, and to attempt to en-
tr etrictly against these classßdpr publications, in
ti!_catuake its.administration uniform instead of enema-
ust have threctednumerous prosecute ons agait!st
ktfatAsa of newspapers, or they must leave come to Perim-
°ra bill to render the existing law more severe and
peer .11Y right hon. friend decided—and in my opinion
zitenic,'Boll a very wise discretion—not to attempt to le
Law more strineent, but'to relax it, and at the same
a!ab 91alte it uniform. The plan which I run about
ci Ineit ti.e the committee is identical in substance and
le, PI with the plan of my right hon. friend. The de-
not identical, but the plan is ; and whatever
btit 4,3' belong to the adoption of it will be due, not to
tall to him. (Hear.) The outline of the bill which I
tele, if the permission of the committee to lay upon the
tenle the
resolutions shall be agreed to, is founded
, of prindiple—to abolish the legal defied-
Niett sprintnewspaper tor extend th publications resecting
1111a41)erS to all d periodical which
It4ll 8t intervals not greater than 31 days. With regard
kti,letliodicals falling within that definition, the pre-
t:,,,„tl7 with respect to the publication of any news-
, aa,nout a stamp will be repealed, and lec op-
ntettl"lin the properietors of any such periodical either
Zetl: 44Y portion of their publication or to leave it al-
oc_tinstamped. If they shall apply to have a por-
Wlllh ine sheets stamped, the sheets which are se stamped
ijetii9eaabjeet to precisely the same rule, with respect to
laatia contents, as existing newspapers are subject to.
ce e-° the first sheet may contain 2,295 superficial
t ta:rried by a stamp of ono penny, and the second
:04e hY contain 1,118 square inches carried by a stamp
iNetio iarPenny. In that respect I propose to make no
Latfiel.n, but simply to extend the present limit of
1 al contents to all periodical publications which
klpee4tPPear within thirty-one days. I propose. with
kport° all periodical publications which shall stamp
eet 41°11 of their impression that they shall be
`
te the existing rules with regard to registra-
,4o4; insurance. The house is aware that any person
Vatic of Printing a newspaper at present makes a do-
or, to the Stamp-office, and he furnishes a copy of
itt amber of his paper, which is registered at the
a, ffice, and the production of which is at all times
neoB of the publication of the paper. I propose '
that
Pnetor of any periodical who shall be desirous of
si'"'Y portion of hislmpression shall be subject to
MtOte with respect to the registration of his paper,
.bohe shall bo subject to a similar rule with respect
le,selirities he shall give. Everya upwsnaner
,Itie,'° Present regulation is bound to prod cue tIVO
414 London for 600/, and in the 'Country , for :10()t;
lketiaasurance to answer any criminal prpsceution. or
411i,°,11 for libel. These are pro s .4anao,f.shiseeiistiee'
ae`zi we propose, to retain wit. St.' t 6 •Ilytewse
eaqtee;:tiell shall stampi any portion- en' •circu ation.
for na why we propose to retain these proyisions aro
61 'sine time it has been the policy of this country
Vaceolt.lo,llspapers, as distinguished froth peniphlete,•the
%yeti, ;separate legislation with regard' to • securities: •
Itatti„.!inieliiiinicieed these securities havebeeYamended.
Peace, and the policy on which their aro founded
psternlsidereel to be settled. It appears, to me that s
;Naftali be jastified, and that_ there is; all4inaet.difes
15.1,,Tealtreeu peaiphlets and newspapeA'nifh.resnecate
Ireleepers 'have an establislYeel
411‘ I°lli " •
8 Immediate and, to a great extent, universal,.
eatoti ictilation of the matter contained in them is sim-
:tll4 flYing on the wings of the post on the same day
ljb of the- country. The consequence of this is,
eNtsee ei on any person in a newspaper exorcises an in-
Zaaela influence, and one much greater than a libel in
t"a inicot; (Hear, hear.) There are gentlemen ia this
,bey
experience in the publication of pamph-
lat itcY know with what difficulty a pamphlet stilts-
tit tot •
oriety. (Hear.) Attempts are made to gain
le f'icity, which are frequently not very successful,
,1/(1 act, the circulation of a pamphlet is slow, and
tlite),taind Partial, whereas in a newspaper publication
f0i,4911 is quick, simultaneous, and universal. I
tipsk„ Ink that there were' reasons for imposing on
alkt• " secarities which were not applicable to other
e4latiti°tlles• But there was another reason. By the ori-
tttee, tae securities were limited to seditious and
'aerocills libels, and were first imposed for the eecurity
i,iivein'eertituent. But it was afterwards found that these
e,4a e-4i,cle securities which might be extended to the
4'iir,e,llat a subsequent time they were made to extend
Private libel, and at present any private per-
,adfro gag an action against a 'newspaper, and is pro-
'
4,,t libel by the means of these:securities. If, there-
alteq'tTrisions I have adverted to were repealed, the
atilgich we now possess for good order would bo re-
v.etese one of the most valuable and effective securities
aaenvect of private character `veduld. be taken away.
',eette'neeations we propose to retain these provisions with
easek".4 periodicals which shall stamp a portion of their
'fieAt the same time I may say that these provi-
laential or necessary part ofthe plan which I
house ; and, as far as I am personally con-
do not affect the interests of the
They form, however,' part, of the criminal
t existing, and the Government think that
tded on sound policy, and they therefore pro-
them. I have now stated what I think will
affect Of the plan I propose—to legalise the
with respect to class publications. As re-
Wieneenne, Builder, Medical Times, Medical
they win be permitted by law to claim that
Inch these class papers 110'77 possess, though
by law, to stamp or not any portion of their
Lich they may desire ; and the same indul-
extended to -the entire press. With respect
iapers,, such as the Times, the Morning Chro-
mg Herald, Advertiser, &c., they will be sub-
same rules as the Athenceum, and shall be
Imp as much of their impression as they like
it, and to publish without the stamp as much
it for their interests to do. Beyond these
cot propose to go. (Hear, hear.) The bill
bunt to the house will be confined to this.
I willenow proceed to examine certain ob-
have been made to this plan. One of these
would be great confusion caused in the
by printing a portion of the impression on
ter and a portion on unstamped paper, and
enid, Consequently, be a loss to the newspaper
I have made inquiries with the view to
Iv far that objection is valid. It has been
, return
number of existing class newspapers, of
th. 'tirn has been moved for by my honourable ~
kll el; Member for Westminster, amount to 137,
4
a ?se conduct their business with a mixed artemu-
41ttj stamped and part unstamped ; and as no coup-
be been beard from tke conductors of this class of
f%'Papers, it may be presumed that no difficulty
(aa ei°ntid in printing and publishing the mixed circa-
-4444 Propose. One of the principal newspapers which
oa
ha' Portion of its impression on stamped and a por-
eeN eVistanaped paper is that periodical familiarly
liter all members of this house, namely, Punch.
5116S51:1 Punch made up only 425,000, stamps in the
wnati I understand that its circulation is about
tee'are of which about 8,000 are stamped and
Ntr '46temped. I have had an interview with the
it)4enof that publication. (Loud laughter.) ;Natrel not with reference to the manner in whichthat
,4,11 t cg, Publication is compiled, but with
,reference to
ei'atie,;( difficulty in printing the mixed impression, and
4ittle,thof,Punch informed me that there was not the
tae6,''Y in that respect, and that there was not the
Oestk'alou caused by printing a part stamped and a
tiiPed? and that there was no loss. (Hear.) But
4cinrther enquiry of the publisher of the Athenctum,
i11t4,1111-BPaper is printed partly on stamped and partly
littrtitt‘te,d paper, and the gentleman who conducted it
et, 'here was no practical difficulty or loss in the
eta " iniaecl circulation. He stated that the num-
'et ; copies varied very considerably at different
tit at at that period of the year when gentlemen
ei;ati Of London there was a mach greater demand for
r'ejeallot?°,pies to be sent by post than existed at ()they
t,tene year but that there was no loss and no addl.-
s-_l%) Tele of 'consequence caused by that variation.
se7;elaa're consulted the manager of the Illustrated
;14> 110 V, a newspaper which I understand circulates
'
,"°0 copies a-week, and that gentleman, who is
'Ati.;ainted with printing and publishing matters, gave
1,441:t °pinion that no difficulty would arise to his or
galpednewspaper from the adoption of a mixed system
Nit ate unstamped impressions. (Hear.) But an-
)kotiir,.—"len, and that of a more serious character, has
jt;.4enten to me by persons who have described the
/iiktNle-(1 to repeal the-compulsory newspaper stamp as a
the'cat-dangerous to anciety--aa measure whichwould
titwaY to sedition and blasphemy, that would
N, al he inundation of the country by a centlous and
!ktiFeiie'reaa thus undermining the foundations of society
1.104.1 the-seeds of revolution in the land. These ex-
-4‘knlo iteettr,ce not exaggerated representations of the
'e,,;Ale""icia have been declared to me in many quarters
ellioaaure was.first notified. I regret to say that
Nei(l e,.°11. friend the member for the Univereity,of
'+a'aaitil been considered an accomplice with the Ciro-
-14w,'4). thol this dangerous and wicked design. But I need
tf if her Majesty's Government believed that
hkate; anY foundation for these views, or for any pert
4711,Ittiet these views, they would not propose the mea-
:llN tel now submit to the consideration of the houses
14,tee, tie greatest confidence in the stability of our in-
aoll the soundness of our social system, and in the
at n morality of the great body of the people; and we
Lke:kirtatetieve that giving this facility to the public to
• ae,"ell.discussed by the press will lead to any such
ee-e.c°,a as those I have alluded to. But we are not
nthttc,,' Indirect reasoning as to the effect which will
an unstamped press. There are at present large
7) p,a Pere not containing news and not subject to a
.1114 which circulates largey throughout the couns
1'41)4°1401 these do not ccintaiu lnews, if it was true that
Vtie cof this country wine desirous of immoral or Nli-
ikte7."lter these' publications would be. found of a
Lent character from what they are found. (Hear.)
te, in the Illustrated News which circulates 140,000
1) fei,eek, and is eeoond -or nearly second to the
hat t newspaper is well known, and I need not
• nia-tleas tea conducted in a manner altogether unexcep-
nt there aro other publications unstaniped, sold
§eet cle,,Preic°, which circulate very widely among the
till ;ea' One of these periodicals, of which I never
elt4leef itently is the London Journal, a penny weekly
*alt. to ‘Yhich circulates, lam told, 510,000 per week,
11131°4 e circulation of 26,520,000 per annum. That cir-
es ate iiceedetl by 10,0Q0,000 the circulation of the Time*,
imet
tma Ilese as Published only once a week, whereas the
laoe tai Published six times a week. I have examined
4:...,.4,131mbers of that journal, and I find that they
4,11114i1i10e what the Penny Magazine, giving some in-
i(), qq, lila certainly not corresponding with that fright-
tnf a. cheap publication which the imagination of
Jble4:ll).. 4.,eVeoettotheproposal I now make kith:house con-.
ens ctse, re Is another publication, the Family Herald,
%,:eter,st`a Ws 240,000, or 12,500,000 per annum, and the
thei"' cheap paper is dinner to the other. Th ese facts
tskjiatiet„in the spontaneoup case of a poorer class of
Itlc,ft,,°l,jol; the tastes of the public lead them to prefer a
) ~,daeernal wholly innocuous in character andlfree from
tler°llB elements which have been feared. If we
tea oteße threverse of the picture we shall find that some
. whisllorB were five or six publications in London,
tilliitietra:4vas called the Town, of a licentious character,
Leen at thesens corresponding wieh their letter-press,.
t) ecfniee h had attained a considerable circulation.
114' Pink °•ve essured me that the whole of that ‘desci ip-
o~e4lcations is now extinct.. (Hear, hear.) There
Of that clan, Where were some of a

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