The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-19 00:00:00

THE ACTION OF BALAKLAVA.

The Earl of LUCAN then rose to move fora copy of
the report of Lord Raglan of the action of Balaklava,
and also for a copy of the report of Lieut.-Gen. the Earl
of Lucan to Field-Marshal Lord Raglan of that action.
The noble lord said he thought it due to their lordships as
well as himself that the house should become acquainted
with, his conduct at the action at Balaklava. He had
applied for a cour:martial, but it had been refused, he
being told that there was no precedent for such a pro-
ceeding, but he thought that there was no precedent of
a nobleman having a charge of the most serious descrip-
tion preferred against him, he having held the command
of the cavalry in the field of battle. He could not be-
lieve that in this house, great as might be the
respect for precedent, that that respect would
stand in the way of justice while he attempted to ac-
quit himself of one of the most serious charges that could
be brought against any man. To do so he should have
to take their lordships through the whole of the pro-
ceedings at Balaklava. On the morning of the 24th
October, he received a message from Sir Colin Camp-
bell, and he felt it but due to that gallant general to
say that a braver soldier did not exist, informing him
that a spy had arrived with the news of the approach
of the Russian army. Sir C. Campbell said he (Lord
Lucan) thought the report of the spy so important
and deserving of attention, that Sir C. Campbell wrote
a letter to Lord Raglan, communicating the fact which
he (Lord Lucan) sent by his aide-de-camp. The infor-
mation was, that an army of 24,000 Russians were
rapidly approaching. His aide-de-camp informed him
that he had delivered the letter to Brigadier-General
Airey for the Field-Marshal. Lord Raglan sent no
reply, bat if anything new occurred to report it to him
(Lord Raglan) at break of day.
[LEFT BITTING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.)
The SMILER took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.

PRIVATE BILLS.

The following bills were considered, and ordered to be
read• a third time:—Brighton Improvement Commis-
sioners and Municipal Corporation, Folkestone Water,
Hoarwithy Bridge, Lands Improvement Company,
Price's Patent Candle Company, Ratcliffe Gas, and Sur-
rey Gas,

PETITIONS.
Mr. THORN ELY presenter] a petition from the iron
merchants and metal brokers of Liverpool in favour of a
decimal system of coinage.
Mr. BAXTER presented a petition f:om Forfar,
praying for the repeal of the newspaper stamp.
Sir G. PECHELL presented a petition from Brighton
to the same effect.

Mr. LAYAIID, Lori DUNGARVAN, and other hon. mem-
bers, presented petitions praying that the sale of intoxi-
cating liquors may be prohibited on the whole of Sunday.
Mr. H. BERKELEY presented two petitions, one
from Duckinfield, and the other from Ashton-under-
Lyne, praying for the repeal of the beer act of last ses-
sion.

Sir B. HALL presented three petitions from Mary-
lebone —one praying for the repeal of the newspaper
stamp, another in favour of the Public Health Bill, and
the third praying the National Gallery and British
Museum may be opened on Sundays.
Mr. CRAUFURD presented two petitions from places
in Scotland praying for the repeal of the newspaper
stamp.
GOVERNMENT OF THE METROPOLIS.

Sir B. HALL brought in his bill for the better Local
Management of the Metropolis, which was read a first
time, ana ordered to be read a second time on the 16th
of April.
Mr. KERSHAW presented a similar petition from
Stockport.
Sir J. V. SHELLEY presented a similar petition from
2,480 of the letter-press printers of the metropolis.
Mr. HUDSON presented a similar petition from the
Mayor and Corporation of Sunderland.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition from a person
111 bumble life, named Joseph Cooper, complaining that
his vide bad absconded, and praying for a law of divorce
tThe hat should be alike available by the poor as the rich.
honourable member also presented a large number
et petitions praying for the repeal of the newspaper
stamp.

im....
sayr,IIASSENGER TRAINS.
steps had been asked 4 her Majesty's Government what
steps it was proposed tyo thetaic Board of Trade, and what
take, in order to oblige every
railway company to establialieor.i
ecommunication between
ever passenger train?
the guard and engine-driver
Was
Sir G. GREY said
gphetpianred last session on
and owever, such
would shortly
this subject, but it was not brought;
a bill was now ready for introduction .
be brought in.
___ ~._ ....__

ORDER OF MERIT.
Captain SCOBELL a,ked the First Lord of the
sury whether her Majesty's Government had decided to
oa-
recommend the institution of an order of merit ; if ste
whether such order was intended to be a new and distinct
one, restricted to the military and naval services, and
applicable to everygrade therein ; and whether itwas de-
termined to bring such order of merit into prompt
operation ?
Lord PALMERSTON said it was the intention of
the Government to establish an order of the description.
Of course, it would apply to both services ; but the ar-
rangements for the institution of the order wore not yet
settled.

NEW WRIT FOR CAVAN.
Mr. GROGAN asked if Sir J. Young had accepted
the office of Lord Dish Commissioner of the lonian
Islands ?

Sir G. GREY replied in the affirmative.
Mr. GROGAN begg€d leave, under those circum-
stances, to move that the Speaker do issue his warrant
to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new writ for
the election of a knight of the shire for the county of
Cavan, in the room of the rlglat hen, hart.
The motion was agreed to.

TRANSPORT SERVICE.
/tr. 94YLEY alkod tho hone member for Tynemoutb

when he intended to bring on his motion relating to
the transport service ?
Mr. LINDSAY said, unless the Government would
give him a day for the purpose he must bring it forward
on going into supply.

NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTY.

The house then went into a committee of the whole
house on the Newspaper Stamp Duty.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opened
his statement to the committee by referring to the
committee of 1851, and having read a passage from
the report of that committee expressing an opinion
that it was desirable to tax news, he observed
that last session the house agreed unanimously
to a resolution calling upon the Government
to take the subject into their serious consideration.
Lord Aberdeen's Government accordingly took the mat-
ter in hand, and the result of their deliberation was the
measure introduced by his predecessor (Mr. Gladstone).
The principle of stamping portions only of a publication
was first introduced by the Athenceant, but afterwards the
same concession was made to a large number of class pub-
lications circulating news relating to the particular subjects
to which they addressed themselves. That was the state
of things which the late Government had to deal with ;
and, rather than make the law more stringent by en-
forcing it in the case of all publications containing any-
thing in the shape of news, the Government determined
still further to relax the law. The measure which he
now proposed to introduce was similar in principle
to the one brought in by his predecessor. He
proposed to male it optional with the publishers of
periodicals appearing within intervals not exceeding 31
days to stamp their papers just as they thought fit. The
penalties, therefore, for publishing a newspaper without
a stamp would be repealed, but the existing law relating
to dimensions, registration, and giving securities would
be continued, while proprietors wishing to have their
publications stamped would be required to conform to the
existing rules regulating the issue of newspaper stamps.
It had been the policy of this country to treat newspa-
pers as an exceptional clue of publications. They were
allowed large postal privileges, and were easy of circula-
tion ; and hence the necessity for giving the State and
individuals some security against the publication of sedi-
tion, blasphemy, and libels. This past, however, of the
proposed measure had no relation to the question of
stamps as affecting the exchequer ; it had reference more
to the subject of the civil and criminal law of the !and,
and Government, therefore, were quite ready to leave
this branch of the bill to the decision of the house. The
c'iange in the law which the Government now proposed
was simply this : it would extend to all newspapers the
cane privilege of being stamped or unstamped at the
option of the proprietors that was now enjoyed by
class publications. It was said that this change would
give rise to great confusion in the business management o.
a newspaper, but lie was assured by the manager of Pit 011,
theA theneenns, and IllusteatedNews that no such inconveni-
ence would arise, as experience proved in the case of the
two former periodicals. A second objection to the change
was cf a much more serious character. It was said, in-
deed, that it would open the flood-gates of sedition,
blasphemy, and private scandal, but he did not believe
that, because the existing cheap publications were quite
free of such a taint, thus showing that the taste
of the multitude did not run in the direction which
those who urged this second objection supposed.
To go into details :—There were many publications un-
stamped which were sold at a low rate, and circulated
among a poorer class of readers. One of these was a
penny weekly periodical, called the London Journal,
whose circulation amounts to more than half a mil-
lion per week. The circulation exceeds by ten millions
that of the Times. It is one of the model of the old
Penny Magazine, and may not be very instructive, but
its contents are not of the low character so much
dreaded by the objectors to this measure. Then there
was another publication, the Fancily Herald, the circu-
lation of which amounts to 123/4 millions per
annum. Now, these are indications of a taste
in the lower class of readers for innocuous publi-
cations. But, as the reverse of this, there were a series of
publications of a lo ,yer class, which were now foi tu-
nately extinct ; and others, such ae the Age, the
Satirist, and others, have ceased to exist ; and it
may be said that no offensive or injurious publication
enjoys a very long existence. Now, to a certain ex-
tent, there were newspapers enjoying a large circulation,
which we published at a cheaper rate than the ordinary
daily and weekly publications, which enjoy a large cir-
culation amongst the lower class of readers. Two of
these were the News of the World and Lloyd's 11, eddy
Newspaper, which enjoy the largest circulation of any
weekly newspaper, and were published at 3d. Now, it
might be questioned whether there was anything
to regret in this. If the means of the people preclude
them from obtainirg papers of higher price, and if they
were moral in their tendency, there could be
nothing to object to them. (Hear, hear.) The pre-
sent necessity of imposing a stamp on every copy of
a local newspaper is very frequently attended by detri-
mental effects ; and he would take the opportunity of
reading an extract from a letter from the pen of the hon.
member for Lynn (Lord Stanley) in regard to this subject.
Now, under the measure he proposed it would be op-
tional in a local newspaper proprietor to issue his paper
stamped or unstamped, according as he found it desir-
able. No newspaper could attain any considerable suc-
cess without a good number of advertisements. Now,
a small local newspaper would never become a favourable
medium for advertisements, and consequently it never
could become a very flourishing or extended newspaper,
and would never be able to compete with larger
newspapers with resources derived from nume-
rous advertisements. But if any demand for a
new class of newspapers should exist, the facility
for their establishment would be afforded by the pro-
posed abolition of the present restrictions. If at the
present moment they had not a surplus fund in their
Treasury, and the income of the country did not exceed
its expenditure, the newspaper stamp would have a just
claim to abolition. But, the case being different, he
considered its claims were still more urgent in this par-
ticular, and were entitled to due consideration. At the
present time the income derived from the newspaper
stamp was 400,0001. per annum, and, considered as
a question of revenue only, the loss to the country, by
the abolition of the stamp, would occasion a loss
of at least 200,0001. per annum to the revenue. The
right hon. gentleman next adverting to the book post,
he observed that the Government had determined to re-
duce the charges upon publications transmitted through
the post ; but, for various reasons, deeming it proper that
the two questions should be kept separate, ho should
deal with that measure at another period. Having now
explained his plan relative to the newspaper stamp, he
begged leave to submit the following resolutions :
" That it is expedient to amend the laws relating to the
stamp duties on newspapers, and to provide for the trans-
mission by post of printed periodical publications.
"That any periodical publication, to be entitled to the
privilege of transmissive and retransmission by the post,
shall be printed on paper stamped for denoting the stamp
duty imposed by law on a newspaper, printed on the like
number of sheets or pieces of paper, and of the like dimen-
sions with respect to the superficies, of the letterpress
thereof.

" That printed nowspapers(British, Colonial, or Foreign)
shall be transmitted by the post between places in the
United Kingdom and her Majesty Colonies or Foreign
Countries, or between any ports or places beyond the sea
(whether through the United Kingdom or not), either free
of postage or subject to such rates of postage, not exceed-
ing two pence for each newspaper, irrespective of any
charge for foreign postage, as the commissioners of the
Treasury, or her Majesty's Postmaster-General with their
consent, shall from time to time think fit."

Mr. GLADSTONE quite agreed with his right hon.
friend as to the propriety of hie bill being printed and
submitted for the consideration of the house before insti
tuting any comparison between it and the one he had
had the honour to propose, or, indeed, of expressing any
opinion upon the contemplated change. He was glad when
his right hon. friend say that he was not indisposed to
introduce into his bill a plan for the transmi,sion by
post at a cheaper rate of printed matter in general.
This he conceived would not imterfere at all with
the principles of his measure, for he saw no rea-
son why the benefit should be confined to publica
tions which were published at intervals of 31 days-
exclusively, and not extended to all publications in
which the writers were desirous of giving the public the
benefit of their thoughts. There was every necessity for
alteration in this respect. Redid intend to enter at length
into the question of periodicals, but lie would only say at
present that ho did not altogether agree with his right
at present a law
ithat: friend's definition of that term, and he thought
garpdoittr‘vegoiusld
arteioqi?iet
was quite
t ec consideration. ertahteiroen
is
With
rteising publeiexait'itirg requiring the registration of adver-
blasphe‘moZiss, and securities that it shall not con-
tainof the anornalie.smaotlier. But this he regarded as one ,
able friend proposing to
heard of his right
homoderu law ; and when he I
embody the regnlia4oluiirerrecihuiring securities, he
transrnisusliosswna
was disposed to
of retaining a requiroment founvilecelre suchtil ea
policybasls
ooff newspapers ,
copyright or
what bad it to do with the
paricseld to
by post. With regard to the proteetiownnas
liteiary property in publications, he
find his right hon. friend bad not introduceudr
upon that subject. He was aware that it wad rather
a difficult matter to deal with, but, at the same timeer
he thought that it was one which required especial
attention. (Hear.) He had understood that the great
anxiety of those who were interested in the question
was not so much the right of what they called their
views as protection to their literary compositions, such
as leading articles, The quegtpn, tie would rewind the