The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-01 00:00:00

SIMONY.

Mr. R. PHILLIMORE obtained leave to bring in a
bill to amend the law relating to simony.

PARISH VESTRIES.

Mr. EVELYN moved for leave to bring in a bill de-
claring the power of parish vestries to carry into effect
objects for the common good. The hon. member was
proceeding to enter into the objects of the measure,
which, he said, was merely a declaratory one, but was
met by loud cries of " Brotherton," and " Move," upon
which be said that he would reserve his statement for a
future stave of the bill.

Mr. FITZROY had hoped the hon. gentlemen would
have explained a little more than he had done the ob-
jects proposed by the measure. (No, no ?") At all
events, then, the hon. member would, perhaps, be kind
enough to lay the bill upon the table as soon as possible,
so that the house might have time to consider it. Both
the title of the bill and the abstract were unintelligible
to him, and the house must not, therefore, be consi-
dered as pledged in any way if the present motion of
the hon. member were assented to.

' Mr. HENLEY, as far as he understood the abstract
of the bill, though it appeared to give to parish vestries
unlimited power of taxation for any object they might
choose ; and he doubted whether it was a meaure which
ought to be allowed to be introduced at all.
Mr. EVELYN would read the title of the bill. It
was a measure " declaring the power of the parish ves-
tries to carry into effect objects for the common good."
(A laugh.)

Lea-ire :was then given to introduce the bill.
HIGHWAYS (SOUTH WALES.)
Sir J. BAILEY obtained leave to introduce a bill for
extending the time limited for putting into execution
the act of the 14th and 15th years of the reign of her
present Majesty for the better management and control
of the highways in South Walew.

NEWSPAPER RETURNS.
Mr. CRAUFURD moved for a return of the number of
newspaper stamps at one penny issued to newspapers in
England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, for the years
1851, 1852, and 1853 ; specifying each newspaper by name,
and the number of stamps issued in each of the above years
to each newspaper (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper,
No. 42, of Session 18:',2).
Mr. WILSON objected to the return on the ground of its
unfairness to newspaper proprietors. It had been refused
ever since 1839, and he hoped the house would support the
Government in refusing to publish the affairs of private
persons in a particular business.
Mr. CRAUFURD did not wish to affect injuriously pri-
vate interests ; but, he thought public interests should be
considered before private ones.
Mr. BROTHERTON moved the adjournment of the
house.

On a division, the numbers were—
For the adjournment
Against

... 35
... 66 -31

The discussion was therefore continued.
Mr. DISRAELI said—Sir, it seems to me very unwise to
oppose this motion. I cannot really understand on what
principle it is opposed. In the first place newspapers are
organs of public opinion, and I think the country has a
right to know, by ascertaining their circulation, how far
they influence public opinion. (Hear.) Their circulation
is a test by which the public can ascertain what is the best
medium at their command for advertising such informa-
tion as they may think it expedient to announce to the
world. Nor can I admit for a moment that there is any—
I will not say analogy—but any complete analogy be-
tween newspaper property with reference to its relations
to the stamp duties and other property subject to taxes.
It is a peculiar kind of property, the essence of which is
publicity, and I think NV.: have a right to know all respect-
ing the newspapers that the Government can communicate
to us, so far as that communication can be made by making
an avowal of what knowledge comes to the Government
through the influence of the law. As a general rule we
have a right to know upon that ground as much as we
can of the condition of a newspaper. But there are special
reasons why I think the house ought to support the motion.
Information of this kind does exist to a certain extent and
in a certain degree. We know, for instance, the circulation
of the newspapers in 1850 ; and what is the consequence of
that accurate and authentic information being before the
house with regard to the circulation of the newspapers ?
Why, you have the comparative circulation of all the public
journals advertised, the test of which is the return of 1850.
Therefore you have some information given you ; but it is
imperfect information, and I cannot admit the validity of
the argument of the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr. Wilson)
that we have no right to appeal to the return of 1850, now
on our table, although it is accurate and authentic, because
it was first given to a committee of this house. The House
of Commons, by an order that that return should be laid
upon its table for the use of all its members, took the
question entirely out of the sphere of the select committee.
By that order it announced that it thought it expedient
and advisable that the information should be given, and I
entirely disapprove of the resolution which the house came
to last year, that these returns should not be continued.
In my opinion there is no sound argument against this pro-
position. There are many arguments that I think quite
sound which may be urged in its favors The essence
of a newspaper is publicity, and by knowing its circulation
we can know its means of influencing opinion, and the
more we know of how it exercises that influence the better
it is for society. (Hear.) I shall, therefore, sir, support
this motion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said—l
have not much, sir, to complain of in the statement which
the right hon. gentleman has just made ; and as he says
that he does not see any reason why the Government should
object to the production of this return, it is right that I
should state a reason, and that is, the principle of justice
and of the fair consideration of private interests. (Hear,
hear.) Ido not at all deny that it would be a matter of
some interest as information to know what is the exact cir-
culation as far as the returns of stamps go, although that
is not a very exact teat, because a particular newspaper
that wishes at any time to make a large return can lay in
a large supply of stamps. Yet certainly, as far as the re-
turns of stamps go, it would no doubt be a matter of inte-
rest to know what is the return of each particularnewspaper.
And it would be a matter of considerable interest, and
would excite one's curiosity in a particular manner, sup-
posing the information collected by the special commis-
sioner. of income tax were laid before the house. (Oh, oh.)
Some hon. gentlemen may think it would not be a matter
of interest, but I maintain that it would be a matter of
peculiar interest to know what are the private affairs of
individuals, and those who do not think so are of course
at liberty to profess a different opinion. But the house
had this question recently under its consideration, and
it then determined that it would not call for this
information. The house is, however, now invited to
reverse that determination. The question is one be-
tween the great and the small traders. On the great
trader it would confer nothing but advantage that there
should be exhibited to the world, on a supposedParliamen-
tory authority, evidence of his success, and evidence of the
inferiority of his competitors. On the other hand, to the
small trader, no doubt, it would be a matter of considerable
inconvenience, and would tend greatly to his being further
distanced in the race in which he is already behind, if this
return were made. Now, that is pretty nearly the whole
case, and I think there is not much reason todoubt that this
is the whole question—that the publication of this infor-
mation would have an influence ou the course of trade,and
that its influence would be favourable to those who are al-
ready successful, and unfavourable to those who are some-
what in the rear. Last ypar it was the fashion to find fault
with the Government because a measure which they adopt-
ed was supposed, to be favourable to the greater newspapers
—I mean the measure with reference to the diminution of
the stamp duty on supplements to newspapers. The Go-
vernment adopted that proposal because they thought it
was just, and not because it was favourable to a great
newspaper—but they believed it would be of public
advantage whilst it was founded on justice, although it
might have an incidental effect of the character stated. On
the present occasion, I confess that I think, without pre-
tending at all to go the length of saying that the house has
no right to ask for this information—for such a doctrine I
do not at all maintain—yet I think this is information
which the house will do better not to call for, and simply
because it inflicts a hardship and difficulty on private indi-
viduals without the excuse of necessity, in any sense, for
the public interest. (Hear.) Although I freely grant there
is a certain amount of interest in the sense of information
attaching to these returns, I cannot at all allow that any
public interest is involved in the matter in the proper
sense of the term ; and I must observe that the general rule
dupon which you act is this—that when, through the inci-
ental operation of taxes laid upon the production of com-
modities, you have the means of ascertaining the relative
position of persses engaged in trade, you not only do not
produce, but you are most careful to
suppress the evidence
land information you obtain through the operation of your
aws. If you choose to tax commodities, and the tax itself
is a matter which the producer of those commodities may
consider a hardship, you may
contend that, inasmuch as
the money you levy for the support of the establishments
of the country, the tax is necessary, and therefore you