The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-11 00:00:00

:OUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY. )

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Cork and Bandon Railway, East Kent Railway,
Gorbals Gravitation Water (No. 2), St. Helen's Canal
and Railway, Warrington and Altrincham Railway
(Stockport).
The reports upon the following bills were considered
and agreed to, and the bills were ordered to be read a
third time :—Halifax Waterworks and Improvement,
Shipley and Bramley Road, Spalding Improvement,
West Harptry Road, and Whitechapel Improvement.
The Battersea Park Bill was read a second time.
NEWSPAPER STAMPS.

Mr. GIBS& wished to ask the right hon. gentleman
the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he could really
let the public know wllat his intentions were with respect
to the advertisement duty and the stamp upon supple-
ments. Resolutions had been placed on the paper which
were still in the hands of hon. members, but it was
generally understood that they had been withdrawn, and
the public were naturally anxious to have the new plan
before them, that it might be well considered previous to
its being submitted to Parliament. Leave had been
obtained to bring in a bill to define what a newspaper
was, in order to pit an end to the vexatious litigation
which had existed on the subject, not less than six
months ago ; and repeated ai:surances had since been
given that the bill would be laid before the house. He
did not ask not ask the Government to carry that bill a
stage at present, knowing the importan business before
the house ; but he asked them, inasmuch As he knew it
was ready, to lay it on the table.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied,
that with regard to the question of the right honour.
able member respecting the resolutions on the adver-
tisement duty and the supplement duty, he hardly
knew whether the right honourable gentleman was cor-
rect in stating that it was generally understood they
had been withdrawn, but this he could say, that he
at least had given no authority whatever- for such a
rumour. He had, indeed, intimated from the very first,
that they were open to reconsideration, and that the
Government would take ample time to inform them-
selves respecting them from all quarters, and to inquire
what were the views of those best informed on the sub-
ject. He quite concurred with the right hon. member,
that the time was come, for the convenience of all
parties, ethen he ought to acquaint the house with the
intentions of Government on the subject, and he might
say also that he proposed, even if the right hon. gen-
tleman had not put this question, to lay the definitive
resolutions in an amended form on the table next Mon-
day. With respect to the bill for the definition of what
was a newspaper, he must observe that, though the
right hon. member might be quite correct in stating that
six months had elapsed since leave had been given to
introduce it, he must do the Government the justice to
remember that it was not their measure, but that it.
had been prepared by the law officers of the late
Government. The delay alluded to had arisen from
the fact that the bill in question had considerable re-
lation to the duty on advertisements, and that in the
present state of public business it was entirely
out of the power of the Government to assign
anytime for the discussion upon such a bill. He was
afraid that some days—perhaps one or two weeks—
might still elapse before the state of public business
would allow the Government to lay the bill upon the
table of the house, but he would take care that due
notice shrrald be given with respect to it, and he did
not think a longer time would elapse before he was
enabled to put the right hon. gentleman and the house
in possession of the measure. (Hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT said, it had been understood that the
bill proposed by the late Governmit was one which
the present Ministry would be likely t:;.% introduce. If
they did intend to introduce it it would be great conve-
nience to a large class of persons to lay that blil upon the
table of the house, so that something definite might be
known as to what was proposed. (Hear.) -
The motion for the adjournment of the house was then
agreed to.