The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-22 00:00:00

tive, agitation, in which no considerable number of the
working men or of the educated of any class had joined."
(Oh, oh.) Why, there were several. thousands listening
to him (Mr. Bright) that evening. (Cheers.) The writer
had also said that Mr. Gladstone had made up his mind,
in consequence of the importunities of Mr. Milner Gib-
son, Mr. Cobden, and Mr. Bright; to put an end t
unrestricted free transmission through the post ; but he
did not mention the fact that the Government was at
the same time about to take the hand of death off a
number of papers that were now nearly destroyed in con-
sequence of this tax. He would now call attention to
what this gentleman said, when 20 years ago he was ad-
vocatieg the repeal of the tax, which at that time was
fourpence. Lord Monteagle, whets Chancellor of the
Exchequer, reduced the tax front fourpence to one penny
—and if some of the gentlemen who advocated the ques.
tion in Parliament at that time had been as earnest as
as his colleague (Mr. M. Gibson), the whole fourpence
would have then been given up. But what did the
Examiner say when the fourpence was brought down to
one penny ? He said, " This.is a considerable abatement
of the most impolitic impost that ever was devised."
He believed the paper still belonged to the same pro-
prietor, and was now under the same influence as it was
then. (Hear.) The writer proceeded to say:--"Every
restriction upon information is a sin against principle,
and to to the extent 'of its operation is unjust and
injurious." He then said :—"A. tax even so low as a
penny will keep the price of newspapers abovethe means
of many of the poor, and the question is why they should
remain excluded from the knowledge of the business of
the worli, which has been brought within the reach of
those above them in condition.' He then said that the
apprehension that the reduction would rivet the remain-
ing tax was! groundless, for, as the benefits of a free
circulation of intelligence were felt, it was hardly to be
expected that the demand for the removal of all impedi-
ments would die away. (Hear.) They were acting exactly in
accordance with that which the editor of the Examiner,
in 18313, wrote and advised ; and they were assembled
there that night to support the policy he had recom-
mender. (Cheers.) Some person said the Examiner WAS
growing older, and certainly they had had a great deal
to do with old people lately. (La ughter.) He believed
that this was the most important agitation in which he
or any of those around him had been engaged. For it
would elevate the working classes more than any other,
and would give far greater power, and a far wider di-
rection, to nublic opinion than it bad ever had before.
For the triumpbout_positiou..-Aolf_omgc,2_43l." _.,,,,,,.-;-• -:
~„ ..t.
attained they were deeply indebted to the age i . MMIN • . ,',..1.1_441.:4V77,
and keen logical power of his right hon. friend Mr.
Gibson, which could not rail to convince the House of
Commons that it was impossible to make a decent de-
fence for the newspaper laws as they at present steed.
Their gratitude was also due to another right hon. gen-
tleman. He heard that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
was no longer in office; and he regretted this, not be-
cause he agreed with that right hon. gentleman in all his
principles or in the whole of his policy, but because he
had always found him accessible to reason, to argument,
and to facts, and especially so upon tie very subject
they were then discussing. To Mr. Gladstone would
belong the credit that was due to Lord Metcalfe for
striking off the shackles of the press in India, for, at
that particular juncture, when public difficulties were
thickening around, and when the public voice was heard
in no very harmonious tones, the right hon. gentleman
I had dared to come forward to make the press of this
ceuntry as free as the platform, and to permit the
public intelligence, the public reason, and the public
voice .to dictate with increased power to Cabinets and
to Path:ea:lents. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. Dawserr, M.A., supported the resolution in
a humorous speech, in which he denied that the
press was either "ribald" or venal. He considered it as
unjust to charge th,' newspapers with supporting the
war because it brought them more fivepences, as it would
be to accuse the grocer 01 Advocating an inglorious peace
because it enabled him to sell more tea and sugar.
Neither was he very fond of the American newspapers,
the type of which was very bad, and its matter just now
very disgusting, because it laughed at England, the old
bald-headed dad, from which the child derived all the
good it possessed, and all its Saxon bone and muscle and
sinew. He advocated the freedom of the press, because
it would tend to make every man a politician, and put
an end to the rule of routine and red-tapery which had
just now brought the country so low in the eyes of the
world. (Cheers.)
The second resolution having been put and carried
unanimously, a vote of thanks was then passed to the
chairman, and the meeting separated.