The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-06 00:00:00

MR. OWEN AND THE PUBLIC PRESS.

Yesterday a meeting, comprising, towards its close,
some seven or eight hundred persons of both sexes, took
place in the large room of the Freemasons' Tavern, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the present wretched
state of the public Press in England'; and for devising the
best means of giving real knowledge to the people.
The meeting was called by Mr. ltoaxav Owaw, and
soon after one o'clock that gentleman took the Chair, and
addressed the assembly at considerable length. ; He began
by saying that the present state of the Press was a subject
of the deepest interest to 411 parties. The lecturer then
detailed the leading characteristics of the Daily Press pub-
lished in London. He observed, that the Morning Ad-
vertiser was a fairly conducted Paper, purely commercial,
written for and supported by particular commercial ante-
rests, and it cannot be-expected that Ps columns can be
occupied with anything in opposition to its interests. The
whole of the Evening Papers he characterised as " mere
commercial establishments," each under the influence of
some particular party, by which it is chiefly supported.
Of the Courier, Mr. Owen facetiously observed, that it was
conducted on principles which he did not undealeand.—
(A laegh.)—lt seemed, he continued to say, to have
no regard to any thing but the promotion of its own
party views, without the least, consideration of justice,
or equity, or fair' dealing among men. The speaker
proceeded at same length, and with considerable energy, to
animadvert on the conduct of the proprietors of the paper
aboie-oamed, in promising time after time to insert a reply
to some gross misrepresentation relative to him, which had
appeared in its columns, but never fulfilling suA pro-
mises ; and he (Mr. O.) added, that he now publicly
called upon the proprietors of the Courier to contradict
the ignorant and unmeasured abuse with which that paper;
was filled relative to him (Mr. o.)—(Applause.),—With
all its draWbacks, however, Mr. Owen proceeded to
observe, the daily press was by far the best medium ever
yet discovered through which to disseminate the most
useful knowledge in the shortest period, and to relieve the
multitude from the innumerable evils which necessarily
premed from ignorance and crime.,—(Hear,
Upon the important subject of the facility with which in-
struction was published by means of the newspapers, Mr.
Owen observed that he spoke from experience, when he
said, that by means of the daily press in 1817, he disse-
minated preliminary knowledge relative to the science of
society more generally in two mouths than he could have
done by the usual mode of hook publication in twenty
years, or more probably in. one or two centuries.--(Apr
plause. )—ln that short petite!, at an expense of about
4,000/, his principles were circulated among the educated
and influential characters throughout every parish in
Great Britain and Ireland, and wherever English news-
papers were read in other parts of the world. After allud-
ing to the taxes which p. eased so heavily on the news-
paper press of England, Mr. Owen proceeded to say of
America, that it gave every facility to the diffusion of
knowledge through its wide extent of territory ; it had no
lax of any kind on writing or printing materials.—(4-
plause.) The charge of carrying a newspaper in the
'United States, without stamp or any Government charge
whatever, was about throe farthings for 8,000 miles.—
(Immense applause.) After dilating at considerable length
on the grievances resulting from the taxing of newspapers,
the speaker recommended that the new Parliament should
be petitioned to remove all obstacles in the way of giving
knowledge to the people, and especially to repeal the taxes
upon newspapers, and to pass laws for the ci eap convey-
ance of knowledge over, the British dominions.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Owen then moved as a resolution—" That the meet-
ing do address his Majesty, and petition both Houses of
Parliament to remove every national obstruction now in
the way of giving the population of the British &Minions
real knowledge, and especially upon subjects of the deepest
interest to their well being and happiness ; and, also, to
give every national facility, by cheap conveyance of news-
papers, pamphlets, and magazines, to the diffusion of know-
ledge throughout the empire."
Previous to putting the Resolution, Mr. thyme read an
Address to the King, as well as a Petition to both Houses
of Parliament; these were respectively greunded on the
above resolution.

Mr. ROSSER seconded the resolution.
After a desultory and rather tumultuous discussion, in
which several individuals took part, the Address to his
Majesty, praying for a removal of the fetters which hound
the Press, was carried.
The petitions to i►oth Houses -being negatived, Mr.
Owcx then proposed to hold public Meeting!' every six,
eight, or ten days, to explain the practical 'measures be
had in contetnplation, and which resolution was carried
with the greatest enthusiasm.
The CHAIRMAN again presented himself, and urged the,
necessity of co-operation in the cause for which the meet-
ing bad assembled. Thanks being voted to him, the ►ueet-
ing soon after separated.

On Sunday was picked up the body of Lieut.
HARRISON, late in the command of the Starling, tender
to his Majesty's ship Ganges', who was unfortunately
drowned by the upsetting of a hoat in the Downs on the
24th ult., whilst proceeding from the tender to the shore ;
and on Monday an ;ropiest was heldupou biy remain* at
the Naval Hospital at D,al, when a verdict of a Acciden-
tally drowned" was recorded.