The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-16 00:00:00

'THE PERIODICAL PRESS.

Mr. M. GIB -ON rose at a quarter to 5, to bring for-
ward the following motion :—" To call attention to the
present unsatisfactory state of the law affecting the press,
and to move the following resolution : That it is the
opinion of this house that the laws in reference to the
periodical press and newspaper stamp are ill-defined and
unequally enforced ; and it appears this house, that the
subject demands the early consideration of Parliament."
He regretted that it should still be left to him to bring the
anomalies of the law affecting the press before the house.
It may be said this was an abstract resolution; but a glance
at the terms of the. motion would show that it was not ab-
stract, but that it asserted two facts—namely, that the
present state of the law affecting the press was unsatisfac-
tory; and next, that the law in reference to the periodical
press and newspaper stamps were ill-defined and unequally
enforced. (Hear, hear.) It might be said to him, why did
he not himself bring in a bill on the subject; but he replied
that the Government had so much greater facilities than he
had for such a purpose--they had the assistance of able
law officers, they could command the time of the house,
and they could do all this with so much greater
chances of success
.than he could hope for, that he thought
it would be unjustifiable in him to do so ' • and when the
Government should bring in a bill, if that they would do,
then he and gentlemen who entertained the same opinions
on this subject as himself should be ready to state their
opinions on it. This question, he felt bound to say, had
been hitherto treated by gentlemen of all political opi-
nions, not as a party question, but one of sound practical
utility, and it was in that spirit that he now again brought
the question before the house. The hon. gentleman re-
ferred to an interview he and other gentlemen had with
Lord Derby when he was Prime Minister, who declared
that, though he was not prepared to enter into all
the details of such an important subject, he saw
clearly that the law was in au unsatisfactory
state as regarded the newspaper press. The house
would recollect a law-suit that took place some time ago
respecting the publication of Mr. Dickens's Ilousehord
Narrative, on which occasion the judges, by a majority of
two to one, decided that the law was in favour of Mr.
Dickens ; but the Chancellor of the Exchequer refused to
accept this view of it, though at last the publishers were
released from further liability by the Board of Inland
Revenue. But what were the Government now doing?
Instead of bringing in a bill to settle the law on this sub-
ject, they had commenced a prosecution against the pub-
lisher of a penny periodical in Dublin, the Penny commer-
cial Journal, when, instead of singling out individuals to
settle this point, they ought to bring in a bill to settle it.
And what was the result? Why, that the Government had
been defeated at Dublin exactly as they had been in the
case of Mr. Dickens's publication—(hear, hear)— and again
the Chancellor of the Exchequer declared he would not
take the verdict in this case either as decisive of the law,
but that he would goon prosecuting the publisher. The
counsel for the Crown in this latter case said the stamp duty
or newspapers was kept up by the Government in order to
prevent the " liberty' of the press degenerating into "li-
centiousness;" but he (Mr. Gibson) maintained, with all
respect, that this was bad law, and he defied any one to
show that there was a word in any act of Parliament to
check "licentiousness." (Hear, hear.) The check was,
not upon licentiousness, for a mitn might publish
as much blasphemy, as much ribaldry, as much
"licentiousness" as they close without incurring the
penalty of the stamp duty. The thing they could not
publish without that duty was facts. (Hear, hear.) So
that we stood now in this way—that if he published on a
piece of paper that Admiral Dundas had bombarded and
taken St. Petersburg—if he published that as a fact with-
out a stamp duty, he should be liable to a penalty of
twenty pounds ; but if he published a violent
tirade against Admiral Dundee, and charged him with
being a traitor to his country, he should altogether escape
any penalties under the stamp acts. (Hear.) The hon.
member also quoted the case
of Mr. Novello's Musical
Times, and a Wakefield publication, as illustrative of the
unjust nature of the law on the press; and he said that
the Government in this matter had acted most partially,
and that there was one law for the opulent London pith-
Esher, there was another law as regarded the small
provincial publishers. After quoting several other cases in
point, he alluded to Lord J. Russell's celebrated Letter to
the Bishop of Durham, which was published. and sold by
Mr. Westerton, at Knightsbridge, at a price and of a size
less than that required by the act, to bring it within the
act ; and if the Attorney-General did his duty, Mr. Wes-
terton was now liable to an action for selling a pamphlet
commenting on Church and State without paying stamp
duty. (Hear, hear.)
LEFT SPEAKING.

THE LONDON GAZETTE•

(THIS EVENING.)

WHITEHALL, MAY 13.
The Queen has been pleased to nominate and appoint
John Deas, Esq., one of the Lords of Session, to be one of
the Lords of Justiciary in Scotland, in the room of Henry
Cockburn, Esq., deceased.
WHITEHALL, MAY 13.
The Queen has been pleased to grant the place of one of
the Lords of Session in Scotland to Charles Neaves, Esq.,
Advocate, in the room of Henry Cockburn, Esq., deceased.

WHITEUALL, MAY 16.
The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. John
Tohnie to the chorch Stroitian, in the presbytery of
Mull, and shire of Argyll, vacant by the death of the Rev.
Robert Stewart.
FOREIGN-OFFICE, MAY 15.
The Queea has been pleased to apron of Dfx, August=

OlLS.—Stock is on the increase of sperm, and the trade
operating with reluctance, prices have declined—mid to
fine quality selling at 105/. to 1091., and headmatter
1021. to 10 ;in seal many purchases have been made,
and the• market has a firth 1:48 Dee. Sales of pale
at 41/ to 431, coloured 371 to 401, dark 361 to' 371. Cod con-
tinues to be wanted, and realized 391 lOs to 40s. For
Cocoa Nut there is now a large demand • Cochin at 49s 6d
to 50s 6d, other sorts 47s 6d to 48s ; Palm is cheaper.
TALLOW. —Stock now exceeds that of last year by 11,000
casks, and deliveries show a decrease of 9,000, still rates
rule much above that time. There was a reluctance to operate
in tallow up to Friday for all purposes, and prices declined
to some extent, an impression gaining ground the supply of
Russian overland would be large amounting to 100,000 casks.
Tho rates accepted 9n the spot for first sort P.Y. Candle
were 61s to 61s 6d, June and July 62s to 62s 6d, and Au-
gust 63ds to 64s 6d. Since Friday speculators and the trade
operated more freely, and an advances has taken place; it
not being likely more than 50,000 cks can be received during
the season in an indirect manner. Prices now rule at 62s 9d
to 63s on the spot, and at 64s 6d to 64s 9d for August de-
livery. Home melted is plentiful, but now in good de-
mand at 60s to 60s 6d cash. In other sorts of Tallow pur-
chases have been on a lage scale since Friday ; Australian,
mid to fine mutton at 60s to 62s 6d, beef 59s to 60s 6d,
South American 58s to 635, and French melted 58s to 62s
per cwt.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE-THIS DAY.
Amsterdam ........ 11 141 i Gibraltar ..............
Ditto, three months .. 11 16 ~,cgliorn .............. 30 52%
Rotterdam ...... • • .... 11 1611 Genoa ................ 25 50
Antwerp .............. 25 22% Milan ................
Brussels .• .• .• •• ••• • • • 25 2e % Venice •• •• •• •• •• *a ••••
flamburgh ............ 13 5% Naples ................
Altona ................ Palermo
Paris— • • .... 24 97% .dessina ...............
Ditto, thrse months .• 25 30 Lisbon ................
Marseilles •• . • .... 25 32% Oporto ................ 53%
Bourdeaux ............ Rio Janeiro ............
Frankfort-on-Maine 118% Buenos Ayre5..........
Berlin . .............. ;New York, 60 days' sight
Vienna
Trieste •. •. • • 13 42 PRICES OF BULLION, PER oz.
+Foreign Gold in liars £3 17 9
Madrid ................ 501 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 o ++
Cadiz ... ............... 50 +A Mexican Dollars .... 0 5 0%
8arce10na......, New Dollars ...... 0 0 ++
Seville ................ iilver in bars ...... 0 5 1%

41%
1446;4
127