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

must continue to exact it 7 • but surely when you have done
that your measure ought to stop there, and you ought not
in prudence to go beyond it. That then is the case—l hold
no suchl doctrine sa that the house is not entitled to call
for any information that it pleases. This is not a question
as to the abstract right of the house, but of the indulgence
and forbearance which the house commonly shows in the
exercise of that right. Without in the least degree pre-
suming to dictate to the house, the recommendation
Which I humbly venture to make is that it should show
that indulgence and forbearance in the present instance;
and there being no object of public interest or im-
portance involved, that the house should refrain
from subjecting parties who are now taxed to the
further evil which the publication of their private con-
cerns would entail upon them. The hon. gentleman who
made the motion referred to something which I certainly
did not clearly understand, but certainly it was not of that
important character as connected with the main subject of
interest in this matter—viz., the circulation of the greater
journals. I understood him to say that he was anxious to
know in what proportion certain publications divided their
circulation between stamped and unstamped copies, and he
connected this question with the operation of the stamp
law as a restrictive law ou the press. Why, unfortunately,
that information it is not in our power to give. I fully
acknowledge his right to ask for it if we had the power to
give it, but we have no power, because, although we may
ascertain how many copies the Athenaum, or any other
like journal, has stamped, it is not in our power to
say how many copies are printed without the stamp.
If it were in our power, we should be glad
to give this information ; but it is not in our
power. And as to the information which relates
to the gigantic circulation of the Times, and the compara-
tively insignificant circulation of the other London jour-
nals, it is in the power of the house to obtain it if it
pleases. It has been given in former years. Upon fur-
ther consideration, the house refused to ask for it last
year, and the question now before us for consideration
is, not the question of your right to call for it, but
I think you will ozercise your right more wisely
if you refuse to make tire' demand in the present in-
stance. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. M. GIBSON thought the right honourable gentle.
man (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was under some mis-
apprehension as to what took place last year. The hon.
member for Salford (Mr. Brotherton) moved for this return
himself—(a laugh)—but the motion was withdrawn, and
the house therefore gave no decision on the question. He
(Mr. Gibson) had the honour of being chairman of the
committee which called forthis return, and it was submitted
to Parliament for a series of years up to 1850. The com-
mittee took this matter into consideration—how far
privat.. interests might be injured by the production of
this return, and the committee unanimously decided that
it was desirable thati the return should be made, and it
was ordered, and subsequently it was moved for in an
amended form, for the very purpose of being laid before
Parliament by a member of the Government. He thought
there would be considerable public utility in this return
being laid before the house, and he should certainly sup-
port this motion. The hon. gentleman bad a public ob-
ject in view in making the proposition, and if, incidentally
to the attainment of that public object, particular in-
terests were affected by the disclosure of facts, why the
truth only would be told, in which case it could not be
avoided with regard to those interests.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that,
seeing the feeling of the house to be evidently in favour of
the production of the return, he, should not further op-
pose it. _ _ _

The return was therefore ordered.
CHURCH BUILDINGS ACT CONTINUANCE BILL.

Mr. FITZROY moved for and obtained leave to bring in
a hill for continuing for another ten years the powers of
the Church Building Commissioners, which were originally
conferred in 1818.