The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

CORRUPT BOROUGHS.

shouldM. PEACOCK gave notice that, on Thursday, he
explain
move that Mr. Coppock be called to the bar to
Electiona statement which he made before the St. Albans
Commission on the subject of corruption in
.‘ pocket" boroughs.
COUNTY FINANCIAL Sir J. pARIN BOARDS.
GTON wished to ask the right hon.
membergentleman,thel for Manchester, if he was dis-
posed to postpone iie
after
rill on the subject of county
financial boards until
Mr. M. GIBSON coulclEastter.
accede to this request,
as any member unconnected with h
after
Government could
not hope to get such a bill o Easter.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
Sir R. H. INGLIS said as iOl
Reserves
to-
(Canada) Bill and the Jew Bill stood
it was
committalatlas intended to
be any to
night, he should be glad to know if
Easter?
take the
take both, and if it was, would there
postpone the third reading of the latter
night, and
Lord J. RUSSELL said it was not intendedt
committal of the Clergy Reserves Bill until Friday
he should move the omission ,of the third cian,e: When
committal of the Jew Bill would be taken to
the third reading on Friday.
AUSTRIA AND TURKEY.
Mr. DISRAELI wished to ask the noble lord
the member for the city of London a ques-
tion relative to the relations that now subsist
between Austria and the Sublime Porte. It was re-
ported in a well-informed journal that in a dispute
which had arisen between Austria and Turkey, an ulti-
matum was offered to the latter by the former which
had been acceded to by Turkey, although, in some
degree, it appeared to threaten the independence
of Turkey. Two of the conditions contained in the
ultimatum were—first, the Turkish troops were to
evacuate Montenegro ; and, secondly, Turkish ports
were to be closed in the Adriatic, which had hitherto
been open to English commerce. Now, he wished to
ask the noble lord whether the Government had re-

ceived any official intelligence of these circumstances,
eumtstatend nceis,
and, if they had, was it to the same effect as
the journals, and, lastly, would the noble lord have
onathnye objection to produce the papers which had passe
p suiject.
.ordJ.RISSSELL said the Government had received
,fficial intimation of the final arrangement of the dis-
between Austria and Turkey, andi two*of the con-
les in the ultimatum were in spirit the 541318 as those

stated by the right hon. gentleman, but the British
Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople had re-
ceived a notification that the latter would not
be carried out, or, at least, no change would
be made in the ports of the Adriatic open to Bri-
tish commerce until her Majesty's Government had been
consulted in the matter. It would be unusual to produce
the papers, as they related to a matter in which this coun-
try was not directly concerned, and with the settlement
of which our ally was satisfied.
IRISH ADVERTISEMENTS. .

Mr. FRENCH wished to ask the Secretary of the
Treasury, if directions had been sent to Ireland by any
Government authority in this country, to discontinue
the expense of inserting in the Dublin newspapers the
usual notice of levees about to be held by the Lord-
Lieutenant.
Mr. WILSON said that the late Government had
issued an order to discontinue certain advertisements in
Dublin newspapers under these circumstances :—ln the
course of last year a bill for advertisements came under
the consideration of the Treasury. On the bill being
examined it was found to refer to three classes of adver-
tisements—the first published by direction of acts of
Parliament, the second advertisements relating to mat-
ters of public interest, and the third advertisements re-
lating to levees and balls. The bill amounted to
3301. 13s. Bd. Of this sum 71. 3s. 4d. were charged for
advertisements of the first class 41. 10s. 10d. for those of
the second class, and 3181. 19s. 6d. for those referring
to levees and balls. The advertiseme its for one levee
were in number 17, and chars-3d 35/. Vs. 2d., and for a
ball which took place immediately after they were in
number 61, charged 491. Under these circumstances,
the late Government determined on abolishing the prac-
tice of advertising the Lord-Lieutenant's balls and
levees. (Hear, hear.)
NAVAL COMMITTEE.

Capt. SCOBELL wished to ask Sir J. Graham, when
it is probable that the report of the Naval Committee, ap-
pointed by the late Board of Admiralty, will be laid on
the table of the house.
Sir J. GRAHAM hoped to be able to lay the report
on the table immediately after Easter.
COPPER COINAGE.

Mr. GLYN wished to ask the Secretary of the Trea-
sury whether any steps had been taken to secure a suffi-
cient supply of the copper coinage.
Mr. WILSON said the demand for gold and silver
was so great that the Mint could devote no attention at
present to copper coinage, but the Master of the Mint
was about to contract with private parties for the coin-
ing of five tons of copper.
C TAASGOW POST-OFFICE.

Mr. HASTIE wihed to ask Cie Scs.:;2etary of the
Treasury, when it was intended to proceed with the erec-
tion of the ne w Post-office at Clasgow, for which ground
was bought about three years ago, in conseq.-elce of the
present building being pronourced unsuitable for the
extent of business, and in a ruinous and unsafe condition
for the inmates ?
Mr. WILSON said negotiations were now going on
for the purchase of additional ground, and when these
were closed the Post-office would be proceeded with.
COAL MINES.

Mr. SANDARS wished to ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department, whether it is the intention of
her Majesty's Government to increase the number of in-
spectors in coal mines, or take any other steps for the
prevention of accidents therein.
Lord PALMERSTON said the whole subject of coal
mines was one of great difficulty and importance, and he
had not yet been able to arri% e at any decision upon it.
WA RDENSHIP OF THE CINQUE PORTS.

Mr. HUME wished to ask the noble lord, the mem-
ber for the City of London, if the Government would
lay upon the table any papers relative to the office of
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports?
Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to lay such
papers on the table.
On the motion of taking the orders of the day,
Mr. NEWDEGATE complained of the way in which
the noble lord the member for the city of London con-
ducted the public business. The noble lord was taking
an unfair advantage of gentlemen on his side of the
house. He complained of the noble lord wishing to force
on the Jewish bill before the recess. (Hear, hear, from
the Opposition.) To endeavour to force on this measure
now was a tyrannical proceeding ; it was an attempt to
stifle the general feeling of the country. A measure of
such a description ought not to be brought in and read
a third time the night before the Easter recess.
Sir J. PAKINGTON considered that in general the
noble lord had studied the convenience of the house, but
in the present case he was obliged to coincide with the
hon. member for North Warwickshire. He hoped that
the noble lord would postpone the measure.
Lord J. RUSSELL considered that the course he had
adopted was the fairest one towards the house. With
regard to the Jewish Disabilities Bill, the subject was
nearly exhausted, and he did not see any reason for post-
poning it.
Mr. CAYLEY hoped that the noble lord would post-
pone the third reading of the Canada Clergy Reserves
Bill until after the recess.
Mr. M. GIBSON would call the attention of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to the taxes upon the means
of diffusing knowledge.
UNSTAMPED PUBLICATIONS.

Mr. M. GIBSON said, this being a revenue bill, he
wished to call the attention of the house to the unsatis-
factory state of the law in reference to the tax imposed
on a certain class of newspapers. (Hear, hear.) The
Attorney-General of the late Government (Sir F. Thesi-
ger) stated, on the 6th of December last, that immediate
legislation was necessary upon that subject, and +he
right hon. gentleman obtained leave to introduce a bill
with reference to it. Since that time, however, no fur-
ther proceedings had been taken on the matter. In
November, 1851, a suit for penalties against the pub-
lishers of the household Narrative of Curren L'eents was
instituted in the Court of Exchequer, which was decided
in favour of Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, and against
the Board of Inland Revenue. That board, however,
declined to acquiesce in that decision, and the law offi-
cers of the Crown were instructed to appeal to the court
of the Exchequer Chamber. Subsequently there was a
change of Government, and the law officers of Lord
Derby's Government advised the Crown that the decision

of this Court of Exchequer was contrary to law, but that
to prevent future litigation, a bill ought to be introduced
on the subject. Lord. Derby's Government went out ;
this was now 1853, and this simple matter was now hung
up in suspense. (Hear, hear.) That state of things
was not only inconvenient to the parties concerned, but
was somewhat oppressive ; and he had now to ask the
Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he would promise
to use all convenient and possible speed to bring this
matter to a termination ? (Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, if
any weight was due to the opinions of the legal autho-
rities with whom he had an opportunity of conversing
on this question, it was not so simple as the right hon.
gentleman seemed to suppose. The great difficulty was,
to give relief to the parties who appeared to be entitled
to it, and atl the .same time to exclude from such relief
those whose publications clearly came within the mean-
ing of the existing statute. He believed that the opi-
nion of the law officers of the Crown would be in the
possession of the Government in a day or two, and no
time should be lost in coming to a decision on the ques-
tion after that opinion had been received.
Mr. HUME would suggest, as the easiest mode of
getting rid of the difficulties connected with the subject,
that the tax should be repealed altogether. (Laughter.)
If the Chancellor of the Exchequer would permit the
publication in question to be printed without the tax,
and only charge those with the duty which were trans-
mitted through the post, the right bon. gentleman in
twelve months would receive an amount of postage
equal to that which he remitted.

Sir F. THESIGER said the case was not so free from
difficulty as the right honourable gentleman (Mr. M.
Gibson) seemed to suppose. When the last Govern-
ment came into power there had been a decision in the
Court of Exchequer in favour of the exemption of the
duty ; but the other law officers of the Crown and him-
self were rather disposed to think that Baron Parke,
who dissented from the rest of the court, was in the
right, and that the decision of the court should be ap-
pealed against. With the view, however, to prevent future
litigation, the late Chancellor of the Exchequer was of
opinion that without any detriment to the public interests
he might introduce a bill, by which publications like
the Household Narrative might be exempt from duty ;
but the difficulty was that unless they were extremely
careful in wording the bill they would exempt from duty
a great number of publications which were clearly liable
to be charged under the existing law. A bill, however,
was prepared, and he (Sir F. Thesiger) asked leave to
bring it in, but it was objected to by the right hon. gen-
tleman (Mr. M. Gibson) on the ground that, being a bill
affecting the revenue to some extent, it could only be
considered in a committee of the whole house. He (Sir
F. Thesiger) did not therefore attempt to introuduce the
bill. The more he' looked at this question the more he
felt it was surrounded with difficulties. The honourable
member for Montrose had certainly suggested a very
ready way of solving those difficulties, but he (Sir F.
Thesiger) should be much surprised if the Chancellor of
the Exchequer acceded to such a proposition.
Mr. COBDEN said it did really appear to him that
the house was placed in a most humiliating position.
They had three Governments bringing their ingenuity
to ' bear on this subject, with the view to prevent the
free diffusion of knowledge. (Hear, hear.) And under
what circumstances ? At the very time when all parties
were agreed to extend the rights of the people in the
matter of the political franchise. The house was going
to enlarge the franchise, and yet, at the same time, they
were exercising all their ingenuity to prevent the people
obtaining political knowledge. Such conduct appeared
to him to be wholly indefensible. Now they could not
f3:',°mara themof
define what news was. He had an opportunity of
cross-examining-examining the law officers and the Secretary of
the
iwfasthenews. whatlnla newsndß Revenue, and. heH He would
to find
out
give
the housgenaeneni,s illustration' Those gentlemen were asked
Theyspreeeperhiedatthtahteitopweasni.ng
Tohfenthtehey weresession
asked if the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
in opening his budget
not news, and that it 1113ews ? They said that was
(Amightlau
he published in a newspaper
without a stamp.
deny that there was far more .) Now, could anybody
public interest interest of import-
ance attached to the budget est)
suggested, the only
Ex-
chequer than to a Queen's speech2,n2cellor of the
gp
The thing
not be
honourable friend (Mr. Hume) d • Now, as his
question was, whether or not the stamp
abolished altogether? (Hear, hear.)
news, but
being practically done already, for they had sommeg„wrtas
publications in London, including such papers fort
publications the
A thenteum and the Builder, all publishing
which were stamped or not, just at the option of their
proprietors. Now, on considerations of revenue, he
thought this was a subject which might fairly be left to
the disposal of Mr. Rowland Hill and the Post-office
_
and if that were done—if newspayere were only subject

to a tax on passing through the Post-office, he had no
doubt that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would lose
very little in the end, whilst he would get rid of a prac-
tice which was a stigma and a reproach to the age they
lived in. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT begged to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether it was his intention to repay Messrs.
Bradbury and Evans their costs in the action in which
the Government was defeated ? The event proved that
the Government was wrong in the suit they instituted
against those gentlemen, and that being so, he thought
the Government should pay all the costs in the ordinary
way.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, in
reply, the subject which the hon. gentleman had just
opened was entirely new to him (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer), and that any application of that kind would
have to be considered on its own merits. The whole
subject was now under the consideration of the Govern-
ment, but it would require an alteration in the law to
carry out the principle which the hon. gentleman had
suggested.
Mr. RICARDO said it was somewhat remarkable that
three successive Governments had confessed themselves
unable to deal satisfactorily with this question ; and, as
the only way of getting rid of the difficulty attaching to
it, the present Government was now about to obtain a
judgment in the case from a police magistrate. (Hear,
hear.) A constituent of his published a paper called the
Potteries Free Press, and—overlooking the Racing Tele-
graph, Punch, and various other publications—the Go-
vernment was about to summon that unfortunate man
before a police magistrate, with a yiew to mulct him in
a penalty of some 201., or to imprison him. That was
the case which was to brought to a hearing on Thursday
next, and a Bow-street magistrate was to decide a ques-
tion which had puzzled the law officers of the Crown in
three successive Administrations.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the honourable
gentleman (Mr. Ricardo) was entirely mistaken in sup-
posing that the cause of his constituent and that of
Messrs. Bradbury and Evans were at all similar. The
question in the case of the Household Narrative was,
whether it was published within an interval of not less
than twenty-eight days ; but the Potteries Free Press
was published every week, contained regular statements
of public news, and was, therefore, a clear infraction of
the law. Whether or not it was desirable to repeal the
existing law was one question ; but so long as that law
remained on the statute-book, he apprehended it was
clearly the duty of the Government to enforce it.
Mr. EWART though it was possible to establish a
system of postage duties on newspapers passing through
the post, by which, whilst the revenue would not be
prejudiced, the numerous evasions of the existing law
would be prevented.
The conversation then dropped, and it was agreed that
the bill should be read a third time this day at half-past
four o'clock.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS (REPAY-
MENT OUT OF THE CONSOLIDATED FUND)
BILL.
On the motion that this bill be read a third time,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS wished to obtain an assurance
from the Commissioner of Works, that the Crown rents
arising out of the public improvement in question would
be sold without delay.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said so soon as the Govern-
ment could get the full value for those Crown rents, they
would be ready to sell them.
In reply to a question from Mr. HUME,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
as regarded the enactments of this bill, he should be the
last man to propose to the house to put any charge on
the Consolidated Fund to the detriment of the public.
The pecuniary liabilities to which this bill related were
already settled so far as the public were concerned ; and
the whole question was, whether they should pay off the
whole debts, on which they now paid interest, while
they had a large balance at their bankers, or whether
they should apply that balance in discharging those debts
and interest, and put the surplus into the pockets of the
public, (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE wished to know—supposing it ap-
peared to the lenders of the money that the London-
bridge Approaches Fund was insufficient to guarantee
them the repayment of the money they had lent—whe-
ther his right hon. friend was perfectly certain that by
putting this charge on the Consolidated Fund, and re-
leasing altogether the land revenues of the Crown, which
ought never to have been charged—(hear)—the whole
principal and interest were likely to be paid.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
felt the greatest possible certainty on the subject. The
population of London might be decimated—for they did
not know what calamities might not occur—but advert-
ing to the rate at which the coal fund now yielded,
nothing to his mind was more plain than that the " Ap-
proaches Fund," and the other assets which were liable,
would be amply sufficient to guarantee the whole of the
debt and interest.
The bill was then read a third time ; and, on the ques-
tion that it do pass,
Sir W. JOLLIFFE moved the addition of a clause,
providing that an annual account should be rendered by
the Treasury of the sums paid into the Consolidated
Fund, and of the disbursements therefrom under the
authority of the bill.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
had no objection to the clause. He wished to say, in
correction of a statement he made the other night, that
the whole proceeds of the present act were pledged.
First there came a charge of 88,0001. to the corporation
of the city of London, for past improvements, and then
another charge which would absorb the whole surplus
for certain other improvements not yet defined.
After a short conversation the clause was agreed to,
and the bill was passed.
JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL.

The house having gone into committee on this bill, Mr.
W. Patten in the chair,
Admiral WALCOTT objected to the principle of the
bill, on the ground that its obvious result would be to de-
prive the Legislature of its exclusively Christian character.
He protested against the admission of a class of religionists
into Parliament, who, unhappily for themselves, disbe-
lieved in the divinity of the Son of God.
Mr. VANSITTART characterised the course which the
noble lord (Lord J. Russell) proposed to take with regard
to this bill as most unfair, inasmuch as it would effectually
prevent a full expression of opinions on the third reading.
He complained of the Clergy Reserves (Canada) Bill hav-
ing been postponed without notice, by which many mem-
bers were taken by surprise. He urged that the third
reading of the present measure ought, in common justice,
to be deferred till after Easter.
4 Lord J. RUSSELL said he had only postponed the
Clergy Reserves (Canada) Bill for the purpose of making
alterations in it. The course he had taken would, in his
opinion, facilitate public business ; for if the third reading
of the Jewish Disabilities Bill were postponed till after
Easter, it might happen that there would not be enough to
occupy the attention of the house the whole of Friday
evening. The subloct had been so thoroughly discussed
that he could not anticipate any new arguments upon it.
Mr. WALPOLE had himself no objection to the bill
passing through committee to-night, nor to the third read-
ing taking place on Friday ; but it would undoubtedly be
more satisfactory to his friends around if it were postponed
till after Easter.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he could not consent to postpone
the bill, but he would undertake not to bring it on at a
late hour on Friday. He would not bring it on after ten
o'clock.

Mr. NE WDEGATE could not understand what the ro-
ble lord would gain by pressing the bill through its remain.
ing stages so rapidly as he proposed. He would remind
the house that if he succeeded, the measure would have
gone through three stages within one week. This was not
the ordinary course of business with bills of so much im-
portance. He supposed, from what he had heard, that he
was not to hope the noble lord would consent to postpone
the bill till after Easter ; but if he did not, he would be
accepting the division on the second reading as evidence
of a feeling which did not really exist. As for the argument
of economy of time, there was nothing in it, for there was
plenty of business which might be taken on Friday instead
of this bill, by which no time whatever would be lost.
Under such circumstances he trusted the noble lord would
not be guilty of what appeared to him a manifest disre-
spect to the feelings of the country by pressing the bill.
He assured the noble lord that the feeling in the country
was growing on the subject the more it was debate-d
the greater would it be shown. He could see nothing
likely to create greater jealousy of the conduct of the Go-
vernment than an impression that they were attempting
to thrust this bill through the house contrary to the ex-
pressed feelings of the country.
Mr. MILES urged the noble lord to postpone the third
reading till after Easter. Easter came this year very early;
and it must be remembered that after the holidays Go.
vernment proposed to take another day, so that they might
select their own time for the third reading.
Mr. HUME deprecated any further delay. Not a single
individual could bring forward a single new argument on
the subject, so that any, postponement would be only a
waste of time. He thought the noble lord had exercised a
wise discretion in endeavouring to get rid of the question.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. M. SMITH, as representing a large and impor-
tant constituency upon the verge of the metropolis, who
entertained strong opinions upon this question, implored
the noble lard to pause before he proceeded furtherf with
the measure, until the feeling of the country had been as-
certained.

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