The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-18 00:00:00

trolling further outlay, the directors, before incurring
any further liabilities, obtain the approval of a general
meeting, or a special general meeting, of the proprietors.
(Hear, hear.) The closing of the capital-account would
enforce economy, create confidence in the financial posi-
tion, of the company, and enhance the value of its pro-
perty. He did not object to the five new schemes, be-
cause he thought them wise and prudent measures, but
before incurring any new liabilities, he thought the di-
rectors ought to follow the course he had pointed out.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. XPLABEN seconded the motion, which was car-
ried unanimously.
A. resolution declaring a dividend of Hs. per 301.
stock was then declared.

The meeting then proceeded to the election of three
directors in the places of Mr. John Bradshaw, the
Honourable James Byng, and Mr. John Charles Jack,
who retired by rotation, the two last-named gentlemen
offering themselves for re-election.
Mr. W. READ proposed Mr. Coles Child; whose no-
mination was seconded by Mr. JOSLili WILSON.
Mr. Alderman ThomPsart, M.P., proposed Captain
Warren, whose nomination was seconded. by Mr. LEVY.
Mr. J. WILSON, seconded by Mr. G. SMITH, proposed
the Hon. Mr. Byng.
Mr. HAYES proposed Mr. John Charles Jack. The
nomination having been seconded by a Proprietor,
Mr. JAMES WILATMAN, M.P., whose name had been
mentioned as a candidate, said he did not will to be
proposed in opposition to Mr. Warren. (Hear.)
Mr. HAYES demanded a poll on behalf of Mr. Jack,
but did not persist in his intention, Mr. Jack expressing
himself willing to abide by the decision of the meeting.
A discussion arose as to the appointment of an audi-
tor in the room of Mr. Coles Child, and it was ultimately
agreed that the consideration of the question should be
postponed until the next meeting, the directors being
requested to frame a by-law, providing that due notice
be given in future of the names of the candidates to be
proposed for the offices which may become vacant.
A resoltition was then passed authorising the for-
feiture of the shares in arrear ; and a committee of five
proprietors was appointed to confer with the directors
on any new measures that may be proposed, the com-
mittee, consisting of Mr. John Morgan, Mr. Ivylea.4
Mr. George Smith, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Pilkinson.
The usual vote of thanks having been given to the
chairman, the meeting separated.

UNSTAMPED PUBLICATIONS.

- . •-

Yesterday at the Bow-street Police-court Mr. Edward
Truelove, of 240, Strand, appeared before-Mr. Henry,
• upon an information, laid at the instance of the Commis-
• sioners of Inland Revenue, under the 6th and 7th of
William IV. chap. 76, charging him with having know-
ingly and wilfully sold a certain newspaper, printed on
paper not duly stamped according to, law, and called
The Potteries Free Press, and Weekly Narrative of Cur-
rent Events.
From the copies of the periodical exhibited in court; it
appeared that four numbers had been published, at ld.
each. They were printed at Stoke-upon-Trent, "for
the proprietor, Collet Dobson Collet," the Secretary of
the Society for the Abolition of Taxes on Knowledge,
and avowedly (as inserted at the head of the paper) "in
conformity with the practice of the Stamp-office, which
permits records of current events, and comments thereon,
to be published, without a stamp, in the Athenceum,
Builder, Punch, Racing Times, &c." The defendant is
one of the London agents for the sale of the paper, the
leading articles of which invite a Government prosecu-
tion of the journal, "in order that a jury of Englishmen
might determine what description of news is to be en-
titled to exemption from the penny stamp."
Mr. Phinn, M.P., the Standing Counsel for the In-
land Revenue, appeared in support of the information ;
and Mr. Humphries Parry represented the defendant.
Mr. Wood, Chairman of the Inland Revenue, Mr.
ScholefieldrM.P., and Mr. Ricardo, M.P., were present
during the investigation.
Mr. Phinn, in opening the case, drew attention to the
17th section of the act, which enacted that any person
who shall " sell, utter, or expose for sale " an unstamped
newspaper, shall forfeit a sum of 201. The object of the
act was to amend the laws relating to the duties on
newspapers, and in schedule A definitions were given of
the kind of papers liable to the stamp. The first clause
of the schedule defined it to be ".any paper containing
public news, intelligence, or occurrences printed in any
part of the United Kingdom, to.be dispersed and made
public." The third clause of the schedule added, "and
also any paper containing any public news, intelligence,
or occurrences, or any remarks or observations thereon,
printed in any part of the United Kingdom for sale, and
published periodically, or in parts or numbers at inter-
vals not exceeding 26 days between the publication of
any two such parts or numbers." Now he (Mr. Phinn)
presumed that no person who looked at the paper_ in
question could have any doubt that it came •witbin the
class here described, for it contained all the information
of an ordinary newspaper. It was true that a recent
decision in the Court of Exchequer, limited the definition
of a newspaper to certain conditions relative to size, in-
terval, and price.

Mr. Henry—Do you think the decision went so far as
hat ?

Mr. Phim—That was the construction which had
been put upon it, and he was wilting to give it its ;widest
interpretation for his present purpose, although he
might state that the Government and the Stamp-office
had always contested that decision, and that application
of it ; and that Baron Parke dissented from the judg-
ment of the other judges. He did not consider, how-
ever, that the question could arise in the present in-,
stance, from the obvious difference in the character of
tho two papers.

James Nituldett, a messenger attached to the Inland
Revenue, proved the purchase of a copy of the Potteries
Free Press, of the 23d of February, at the shop of the
defendant. He obtained it from a woman in the shop,
but on previous occasions he had purchased numbers of
Mr: Truelove himself.

Mr. Parry—On what number of the paper is this pro-
ceeding founded ?

/klr.-Phinn—The one publ'shed Feb. 23.
Witness cross-examined—I do not know anything of a
paper called the Ath,enceuna. I never saw it, or heard of
it. (A laugh.) I know nothing of the Builder either.
Mr. Parry--Nor any other newspaper, I suppose ?
Witness—l don't know.

The copies produced having been handed up, to his
worship, Mr. Phinn stated that this was the case for the
Crown.

Mr. Parry took a preliminary objection to the sum-
mons, on the ground that the act required proof of the
actual and manual sale of the publication, whereas it had
been shown that the purchase was made of a woman in
the shop.

Mr. Henry did not allow the objection, as it was
proved that other numbers of the same work had been
obtained from the defendant.
Mr. Parry wished it to be understood that he had
taken this objection upon his own responsibility. His
client had no desire to get rid of the case by a quibble,
but he (Mr. Parry) had suggested the point, because it
would certainly be raised hereafter, as the question would
not be finally disposed of here. The learned counsel
then addressed the court at great length in condemnation
of the conduct of the Inland Revenue in selecting a
penny paper of the description produced for prosecution,
while suffering such periodicals as the Athenceum, the
Builder, and Racing Times to escape their notice. The
real difficulty of his client had been to ascertain what
constituted a newspaper ; and, in order to try the ques-
tion, he had taken upon himself the responsibility of the
present publication. When he spoke of his
he wished it to be understood that the pro-
prietor of the paper (Mr. Collet) was the real defendant
in this matter, and that he had published this paper
on his own account, and not in connection with the
society with which he was associated. When he re-
solved upon its publication, he made the officers of tlo
revenue fully acquainted with his intention, said duly
transmitted copies of the paper for their inspection, and
the assessment of the advertisements. Then, why was
he not at once informed that his paper would be pro-
hibited ? No proceedings were taken, and several num-
bers were .permitted to be issued. By the 24th section
of the act, all persons having printing presses were com-
pelled to give returns of the purposes to which they were
applied. These conditions had been complied with by
Mr. Collet, and it was not until now that prodeedings
were taken against him ; but the course they had pur-
sued would not prevent the final discussion of the pies.
rr mcnesre, wadereeepveroracleeedxintrgaeutnsmfroolmestrhe
ques-
tion before a jury. He had never been apprised of the
illegality of his paper, although it was duly registered ;
and meanwhile other journals unquestionably containing
The
erntrntioend ofoccu
counsel
relative to the fine arts, Athenceum. and Builder, which contained weekly in-
formationscientific disco-
veries, &c.—information he would say,
deference to the Legislature,
of
public importance than the debates in with great
mpaori imnenterte. st
Theand
Atheneum also contained particulars of news, such as the
r ce t
oppression exercised towards the English tem for
the press on the Continent, and the
of a man in Paris for laughing at ean nugaly portraitre of
Louis Napoleon in one of the
sho windows of Paris.
These papers had constantly been pbroughrtPe pPuonrdheern sti :me
consideration of the Inland Revenue, but they had de-
clined, from fear or otherwise, to take notice of them,
and had capriciously selected the defendant's paper.
At the close of his address Mr. Parry called Mr. Joseph Timm, solicitor to the Inland Revenue,
.e
to prove that intimation had been dulY,,,ree '
pnesZg've rwim ofcopies
the intention to publish the Potteries .11"
of which were duly transmitted to
instituted against the
no prosecutions had ever been h papers. Mr.
' Journal, or suc
A thenceum Chambers 's the office ; and that
directed against himself,
that the prosecution might
d adopting this course, consider-
ingTimm stated that Mr.
but that he had decline
against him would be insufficient.
Collett had had written to request
that the evidence
papers which relate to a special or mass
been to allow
exempt from the tax, although a paragraph
subject to be ht be occasionally inserted.
By Mr. Phinn—The rule of the Inland Revenue has
of information
Mr.
the paper ivoyvedly to test the question, and that he was
• should decide
to discontinue ita jury against
Collett was called to prove that he had published
prepared if
him.
After a words in reply by Mr. Phinn, who relied upon
the internal evidence presented by the; paper itself; as
to its true character, differing widely from the other
journals cited,
Mr. Henry announced his intention to reserve his de-
cision upon the case, with a view of taking time to look
through the papers produced.

The summons was then adjourned until his worship
sits again.

THE LATE DIIEL AT CIiERTBET.---Yesterelay afternoon
the four Frenchmen, Baninet, Allain, Bartlemy, and
Momet were removed from Tiorsernonger-lane to Jr.mg-
ston, previous to taking their trial at the assizes, The
trial is expected to take place on Saturday,

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