The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-03 00:00:00

Post-effice Mr. Nangle did not well know what to do.—
(" Hear," and laughter.) The parties at the Post-office must
have known that the paper had passed for eight months before
by the consent of the Stamp-office ; and it was rather
harsh to take the sudden step of which complaint was made.
—(Hear, hear.) He (the Earl of Wicklow) hoped that it
would be stated not only on what authority Mr. Godby had
acted, but from what quarter the information had beenreceived on which the Post-effice had acted against the
paper.—( Cries of " Hear.") For he (the Earl of Wicklow)
suspected that a certain party was concerned in it, from wharet
the paper had already received great opposition. The indi-
vidual who illegally called himself the Archbishop of Tuam
had long been opposed to this unfortunate gentleman. The
Act under which the Post Office had proceeded was one of
great severity; and whatever interpretation might be given to
it by the Post Office or the Lords of the Treasury, the
framers of it never meant to establish a censorship of the
press, but carried into execution in this way it amounted
to nothing else. By the Act the Postmaster General,
with the approbation of the Lords of the Treasury, had
the power to suppress any publication which they
considered not to bear the character of a newspaper. He
trusted when this case was understood, the public press
would never tolerate so arbitrary an act on the part of
the Government. The press had the power to control
any such proceeding, and if the directors of the press only
acted firmly together they would always be able to maintain
themselves against any arbitrary enactment. But the Noble.
Lord threw the blame of this transaction on what he
considered neglect on the part of Mr. Nangle, and said
that if he had, in the first instance, sent a copy to the
proper authorities, this would not have occurred. He would
now read a paper which had lately been issued from the Post
Office, containing this clause—_" As it does not appear to be
generally known that the mere affixing a newspaper stamp to
a periodical publication will not entitle it, as of course, to
pass free by post, it is recommended to those about to pub-
lish such papers to submit a copy in the first instance to the
Postmaster-General in order that he may determine whether
it is such to entitle it to pass free of postage." The date of
this order was subsequent to the proceedings adopted against
Dr. Nangle. He therefore thought the case one of great
hardship, and, under the circumstances, he should more for
a copy of the correspondence between the Rev. Edward
Nangle and the authorities of the Post Office, relative to the
passage of a paper through the Post Office called the Achill
illigsionaruThratir _ _ _

The Earl of LICHFIELD could not help feeling that
what the Noble Earl had stated as to the motives which had
influenced the conduct of the Government constituted the gist
of the attack of the Noble Earl. This he should dismiss,
however, with the bare assertion that, instead of being in-
fluenced by such motives, when he (the Earl of Lichfield)
heard such an imputation thrown out, he thought they
could only arise in the minds of those who, under similar
circumstances would adopt them. He did not object to
these papers, but if the decision were favourable to the view
taken by the Noble Earl, perhaps the Noble Earl would be
satisfied without their production. The facts of the caso
were these. Early in March some of these papers were circu-
lated through the London Post-office. By some mistake they
had been permitted to circulate, and when they came into the
inland office their existence became known. The superin-
tendent of the inland office thought proper to charge them
with postage. The parties to whom the papers were di-
rected then addressed him (the Earl of Lichfiel) as Post-
master-General on the subject. According to the law he had
no power to say that they should pass free of postb:Efe, and ,
therefore he was obliged to have the decision of the Lords of
the Treasury. At the same time he wrote to Mr. Godby, the
Secretary to the Post office in Ireland, to charge the papal;
with postage. Now in this Achill Herald there was no fie--
count of births, deaths—no reference to the politics of the day
—no public intelligence. It was purely a polemical publica-
tion : but, notwithstanding this, his (the Earl of Lichfield's)
impression was that it should pass free of postage. So far
from the Stamp-office hating given any authority for its being
a newspaper, in answer to a communication which he addressed
the solicitor to the Stamp-office wrote back to this effect, that
the paper inclosed could not have been legally published with-
out a stamp, but that had he believed Lad it been published
without a stamp they should not have thought it right to bring'
die question before a jury for the penalties, as they did not
consider the question without doubt. In consequence of a re-
commendation which he (the Earl of Lichfield) made on tho
21st of this month, on the 26th the question came before the
Board, and the decision come to was that the papers should
pass free of postage. Under these circumstances he trusted
the Noble Earl would not persevere in his motion, which, 35
the object had been attained, could only entail unnecessary
and needless expense upon the department.
The Earl of WICKLOW should rather see the returns,
and as they were very brief, they could be obtained with little
expense. It should be remembered that the order read by the
Noble Earl was only published after this gentleman's paper
had been eight months in existence. Dr. Nangle, too, had
informed him (the Earl of Wicklow) that the Stamp l'Ouire
ce
had told him that his paper was of such a nature as to req
a stamp, and that if he did not affix one he would be Prose-
cuted. The Noble Earl had shown a letter from the Solicitor_
of the Stamp Office which appeared to qualify the assertion or
Dr. Nangle ; but he (the Earl of Wicklow) had no hesitation
in saying that he believed the statement of Dr. Nangle.
The Earl of LICHFIELD said that the Stamp Office di.'
not undertake to give a decision as to what entitled a news-
paper to pass free of postage.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said that the whole clues"
tion turned upon the notice from the Stamp Office. It ap-
peared that this gentleman resided on an island on the west
coast of Ireland, and the Noble Earl opposite (the Postmaster-
General) relied upon a statement made through the Post Of-
fice in London. The Noble Earl behind (the Earl of Wicklow)
stated that Dr. Nangle bad had communication with the Stamp
Office, and that he had been informed that there was no
doubt that his paper, as a newspaper, was liable to a stamp'
Now he might have had communication with the Stamp Office,
in Ireland at the same time the Noble Earl (the Earl or
Lichfield) had communication with the Stamp Office in Lon-
don : but there was no doubt, as the case appeared at present,
that he had been very ill used. Under these circumstances he
(the Duke of Wellington) thought he ought to have some.
compensation, in consequence of the one branch of the P°66
Office having corns to one decision and the Noble Earl to
another.
The Marquis of SLIGO said that, as the owner of the
island of Achill, he could say that there was not a newspaPer
reader in the whole island.
The Bishop of EXETER suggested to the Noble Earl
t
(Wicklow), in addition to the words " authorities of the Post
Office," the insertion of the words "and the authorities of tiles
Stamp Office."
The Earl of HA DDINGTON bore testimony to the very
excellent character and most disinterested conduct of Dr'
Nangle, who was called a missionary to the island of Achill.
He was a Clergyman of the Church of England, and his ob-
ject in going there was to disseminate religion and morals
amongst the population of that wild part of the country.
The Earl of WICKLOW said that he willingly complied
with the suggestion of the Right Rev. Prelate, and that 117
had cast no imputation on the conduct of the Noble E3r6
opposite, or on any portion of her Majesty's Government,'
but upon the Post Office in Ireland, which, as he considered,
had acted under the dictates of those who were opposed t°
this clergyman.
After a few words from Lord Holland, the Earl of Hadding-
ton, and the Earl of Lichfield, the motion was agreed to.
On the motion or Lord KEN YON, the First Fruits 13"
passed through Committee. The report to be brought up to-
morrow.
The Earl of FALMOUTH presented two petitions from
places in Cornwall, one in favour of the immediate abolition
of slavery, and the other in favour of a reduction of the rates
of postage.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid on the table certain
returns relative to the state of crime in Ireland during the Pre-
sent year.—Adjourned.