The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-14 00:00:00

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LONDON,
MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 14, 1836.

We understand that the. Stamp Duties' Reduction
question will come on positively to-morrow evening,

We have just received a very excellent Pamphlet on
the subject of the Newspaper Stamp and Paper Duty,
published by that most indefatigable advocate of cheap
knowledge—Mr. CHARLES KNIGHT. The lateness
of the hour at which it has been put into our
hands must prevent us from entering fully into
its details ; but as the subject is likely to be
brought under the notice of the Legislature to-mor-
row evening, we consider it an imperative duty to
collate a few extracts from it. Those who may
take the trouble to look carefully throug h this Pam-
phlet, will not require to be informed, that it is writ-
ten by a person well acquainted with the subject of
which it treats—that it combines the minutest prac-
tical details with a theory which is only objected to
on practicable grounds—and that it embodies the
opinions of a writer who has had the good sense
to judge for himself, instead of sitting down
to string together the common-places, either for
or against the Repeal of the Newspaper Stamp-
duty. It is well known that the opponents of the re-
duction of a tax, which has for its especial object the
perpetuation of ignorance among the working classes,
have ever been the foremost in denouncing the un-
stamped Press—not as being injurious to the fair
trader, but as the natural food of treason and infide-
lity. These persons pretended to discover in the readers
of unstamped Newspapers, not defrauders of the re-
venue, but infidels in• religion, republicans in Govern-
ment, and the levellers of all social rank. Mark how
differently the writer before us disposes of this bug-
bear :

The existence of the heavy stamp duty upon legalized pa-
pers is the bounty that has given so large a circulation to the
illegal unstamped papers. It. is not that their opinions, as
some persons have represented, (and truly so, with reference
to the unstamped papers published a few years back), are
so captivating by their violence, that they are eagerly read
by a multitude desirous of anarchy and plunder ; but it is,
that the poor man, desirous of knowing what is passing
around him, can, through this channel, obtain for twopence
that for which he must pay sevenpence through the channel
sanctioned by Act of Parliament. It is very natural, there-
fore, that the poor man should prefer the Weekly Police
Gazette and the Twopenny Dispatch to the ✓Sunday
Times, or even to the Life in London. The unstamped pa-
pers have now a large monopoly, and that monopoly enables
then to be sold as low as twopence. Their monopoly—that
of the power of publishing without a stamp in defiance of the
law—enables them to rely upon a much larger body of cus-
tomers than newspapers in general can count upon, for their
remuneration and their profit. If there were not remuneration
in most cases, and profit in some, they would not exist. They
stand thoroughly upon commercial grounds."

Our readers may not have observed that a love of
economy is a standing test of irreligion in England.
None but infidels desire a reduction of the Revenue ;
and Atheism is the necessary concomitant of a fond-
ness for reduced taxation. To be a thorough-going
member of the Church militant, it is abso-
lutely requisite to patronize by extensive pur-
chase the most highly-taxed articles, and to
be ready, on all occasions, to denounce cheap-
ness as the dry-rot of our glorious Constitution in
Church and State. But it happens, somehow or other,
that this doctrine is fast falling into disrepute among,
otherwise, very sensible people. Many talk of News-
papers as they would of cheese and bacon, plainly in-
timating that if people are unable to purchase the
highly-priced and better article, they must make up
their minds to do with that which is cheaper. We have
ourselves talked to several persons who have been most
active in the circulation of the Unstamped Press, and
they have all agreed that their readers would prefer
even the Tory Standard to Cleave's Weekly Police
Gazelle, if they could purchase both papers at the
same price. It is pence, and not principle, that de-
cides the choice of the labouring purchaser.
The next extract which we shall make has reference

" But there is a circumstance in the comparison of the
newspaper circulation of the United Kingdom and of the
United States, which, we apprehend, has not been sufficiently
regarded. It has been made a matter of reproach to us, and
alleged as a proof of the injurious effects of the newspaper
stamp, that whilst America possesses 1,265 distinct news-
papers,—that is, about one distinct newspaper for every
10,000 of the population, the United Kingdom possesses
only 356 newspapers,—that is, one distinct newspaper for
every 70,000 of the population. There is, however, another
point of view in which this difference is to be regarded.
Of the 356 newspapers of the United Kingdom, a total of
thirty-six millions of copies are annually circulated, which
gives a circulation to each paper of 100,000 annually. Of
the 1,265 papers of the United States, about 'seventy-five
millions are annually circulated, which gives a circulation
to each paper of less than 60,000 annually. The average
circulation, then, of an American newspaper, is not quite
six or ten, compared with the circulation of an English news-
paper. If these seventy-five million American papers were all
weekly, we should see that there was an issue of 1,134
papers upon each publication of each separate paper. But
90 of the American newspapers are daily ; and these, with-
out doubt, have the larger circulation. Assuming a circu-
latio■ only of 1,500 for each daily unstamped paper in the
United States, their 90 daily papers would consume forty-
two millions of sheets of paper out of the seventy-five mil-
lions ; and the remainder would shew a circulation of about
540 copies each for the remaining 1,175 papers. The
English newspapers (we mean of course the stamped) have,
with a few striking exceptions in London, and still fewer in
the country, an average circulation, under 1,000 of each num-
ber. The returns of stamps supplied to our provincial papers
shew 800. We shall be able, by another process, to arrive at
the same conclusions with regard to the sale of the American
papers. There is no doubt that the average sale, with all the
advantages of low price, is less than our own, of separate
papers in the United States."

In all this, nothing is said of the relative intrin-
sic value of an English and an American Newspaper.
Now, no person acquainted with the Press of both
countries, but must acknowledge that there is more
talent, more sound information on questions not
merely of a temporary nature, in one London Jour-
nal, than there is in any ten Newspapers in the
whole of the United States. The class of per-
sons who conduct Newspapers in America would
not be employed in the lowest departments on
the London Press. It is the conviction' that Eng.
fish Newspapers can never become what the American
Journals are, that induces us to advocate so strongly the
reduction of the Stamp Duty.
There is one very material point in which we en-

tirely agree with the writer of this Pamphlet. He con-
siders that a large reduction of the duty, retaining as a
stamp-tax the sum required for postage, would
be much better than the total abolition. Here
we entirely concur with him. We are persua-
ded, upon the maturest deliberation, that the
total repeal of the duty, leaving the postage of all
Newspapers to be collected in the same way as the
postage on letters, would be extremely inconvenient to
all parties. Besides, the postage would be constantly
evaded by smugglers, and the litigation consequent
upon such a state of things would be equally endless,
vexatious, and oppressive. With the following ob-
servations on the amount of the reduction, we shall
conclude our present notice of this very able Pam-
phlet :
" If the financial minister of the day should determine, of
which there can be little doubt, to make an important change
in the newspaper duties, and should hold to the principle
which we consider not only advantageous to all engaged in
newspaper property, but to the universal public, of retaining a
stamp duty that shall cover 'all charges of postage, he will, no
doubt, in the first instance, determine the amount of that duty
by financial considerations. The present duty is 3 1-sth, pro-
ducing an annual revenue of 534,000/. With a penny stamp,
newspapers, we think, would be speedily doubled in quantity ;
and we further think they would be trebled in two years. But
a very small reduction of the stamp, such as to 2d. net, would
not be of the slightest use to the public. It would not
put newspapers within the reach of the many, for they
would still mostly be sold at 6d. A reduction to a penny,
with the privilege of free postage, would, however, be
a great, if not a final step. Such a reduction would
allow newspapers, equal in all respects to the present
newspapers, to be sold at fourpence. There is a no-
tion that a total abolition of the stamp would allow news-
papers of average size and carefully conducted, to be sold a
twopence. We are satisfied that such an opinion is entirely
groundless. The opinion is, indeed, supported on the surface
by the existence of the present twopenny unstamped papers,
which are of large size, are well printed, and not edited with-
out talent and industry. But they have a real monopoly. The
stamp duty gives them thousands of purchasers, which, upon
the abolition, or large reduction of the duty, they would in-
evitably lose to a great extent. With a sale of 10,000, which
is far above the average sale of a newspaper, they would pay
their expenses at twopence. With a sale only of 4,000, they
must be sold at threepence to pay their expenses."

There was a remarkable evening in the House of
Commons on Thursday. In the early part of that
evening the House was occupied by the very interesting
subject of the Church. The Ministerial' scheme of
Church Reform sanctioned by the authority of the
Church Commissioners was propounded, and met with
universal approbation—Sir ROBERT INGL is per-
forming the part of the exception, necessary as it is
said in all cases to prove the rule. The House was
very unanimous—very quiet—and somewhat dull.
From the Church they adjourned, as we are afraid too
many idly-disposed persons are wont to do, to the public
houses. They then became more lively—greatly more
uproarious, and proportionably discordant. The dis-
cord, however, was not of a malignant kind, or very
important in its effects. The CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, in resisting Mr. DIVETT'S motion,
neither yielded nor dictated ; he reasoned calmly with
those who were not inexorable, or too deeply pledged
to spend the surplus money of the nation on drink,
and succeeded in making many converts to his propc.
sition, that the representatives of the people, and the
guardians of the public purse—aye, and of the public
morals—should at all events pause a while, and see if
they could not find mile commodity subject to our all
pervading system of taxation more worthy of relief
than gin—be the same Cordial or Ohl Tom. The
consequence was a division which displayed a most
curious mixture, as we read over the names in the
votes. There are almost all the honest thorough-
going Reformers—men like GROTE, WARBURTON,
HUME, MOLESWORTH—voting with some of the
more conscientious of the Conservatives—such as Mr.
PUSEY, Mr. GOULBURN, Colonel CONOLLY, Lord
STANLEY, Mr. YORKE, and Mr. BRAMS TON, in fa-
vour of the reasonable proposition of the CHANCEL-
LOR of the EXCHEQUER. Sir:G. SINCLA IR and SirJ.
'GRAHAm, from pious motives perhaps, but not the
less meritorious, concurred in resisting the spirituous
proposition of a minority composed chiefly of the
desperadoes of the Tory party—men who failing all
claims upon other classes of their constituents, in their
despair, are seeking for a better popularity among the
publicans. These, the Flemings, the Beeketts, the

This SAMUEL SCOTT is one of the two Church-
wardens who originated the proceedings, and sent his
neighbour, Mr. CHILDS, to jail for contempt !
(faugh ) of the Ecclesiastical Court, for subtraction
of a Church-rate 17s. 6d., although there was a short
and e3sy mode before the Magistrates of obtaining it.
What are they to consider ? They can only have to
consider, as is observed by our old correspondent
ZENAS, in his letter to which we call attention,
whether they shall send their dissenting brethren to
jail for not gilding the Established shrines, and sup-
porting that worship which the Established sect are
too lukewarm to pay for themselves. The ministry
ought to have been ready with some distinct intima-
tion that this unjust impost should no longer be ex-
acted from those who dissent from the worship they
are thus obliged to uphold. It is perfect madness in
the friends of the Establishment thus to uproot by
their excessive demands the disposition of the Dis-
senters to suffer and bear. Every act of injustice is
an additional nail in the coffin of the Establishment.

If the Vestry acted correctly, and like Christians,
before, they can have nothing to consider now : the
Churchwardens are under the same oath of office—
they have the same Archdeacon—the same Ecclesias-
tical Court—(at present) the same proctor—the same
officer—the same Ipswich gaol—the same gaoler—the
same cells—the same bars and bolts—the same iron
bedsteads—the same " take no bail " warrants—and
what more can the men who say they are bound to
execute the law require?
If these are not enough to convert the Bungay
Dissenters, we recommend the friends of the Church in
Bungay to try what the equitable principle of defraying
the expenses of their own worship out of their own
pockets will do. Remove the cause, and the effect
will cease. Take away the injustice, and you will have
peace.

The forcible occupation of Cracow by the troops of
Russia and her subservient allies, is one of the most
flagrant violations of the law of nations, that even she
has yet dared to perpetrate. Of what use are treaties,
when they can be thus openly set at naught ? In the
strictest and most explicit sense of the term, the inde-
pendence of Cracow was guaranteed to her at the
Congress of Vienna ; yet now we find the very
Powers who guaranteed that independence, avail-
ing themselves of the first flimsy pretext that offers,
to set it aside. If Ministers do not presently be-
stir themselves, and to some purpose too, in this
black affair ; if they do not insist on satisfactory
explanations from Russia, as also from her despotic
colleagues, so as to bring them at once to their senses,
and scare them from any further proceedings of this
sort, we shall say that they are less jealous of the na-
tional honor, than, as men freely chosen and supported
by the people, they should be. England has borne
much from Russia ; she has endured her open taunts
and secret insinuations with extraordinary meekness ;
she has seen her trample on the treaty of Vienna in
the case of Poland ; and on all the laws of right in
that of Turkey, without venturing beyond a whisper
of remonstrance ; but really the time has at length arrived
when Russian arrogance and duplicity can be submitted
to no longer. Already she has destroyed the balance of
power in Europe, there being but one predominant influ-
ence now existing on the Continent—namely, her own.
Prussia and Austria are at her beck, whether reluc-
tantly or otherwise, it is of no consequence to inquire.
France fears to say or do aught that may displease
her. Turkey is all but within her clutches; Persia dare
not so much as whisper a syllable of remonstrance
against her recent encroachments, or make provision
against her meditated ones. Poland, for a season only,
we trust, is extinct, the last faint vestige of her inde-
pendence being destroyed by the occupation of Cra-
cow ;—and yet, despite these undeniable tokens of over-
whelming power, we arc gravely assured by more.than one
Ministerial adherent, that we need entertain not the
slightest apprehensions of Russia, for that she has
only the semblance, not the substance of authority,
being in reality just as weak as she appears to be omni-
potent ! We trust we shall hear no more of this silly,
puerile language, but that Ministers will at once as-
sume that bold, decided attitude, which can alone
check the designs of Nictumns, and reduce his ambi-
tion to its fitting level. They can never have a better
opportunity of speaking out their sentiments, than on
this affair of Cracow.

We have received the whole of the Paris Papers of
Friday and Saturday. The Moniteur states that on
Wednesday the police discovered an illicit manufactory
of gunpowder in the Rue de l'Oursine. Six indivi-
duals were found at work, who were immediately taken
into custody. The quantity of powder found on the
premises did not exceed 130 pounds ; but from the
appearance of the place, and the apparatus employed
in the manufactory, the business carried on must have
been- very extensive. The same journal adds that
on the following day four boxes filled with carbines,
muskets, and horse-pistols, and eighty packages of
cartridges, were seized at a house where they had been
deposited some weeks since in the Rue de Beaune.
In consequence of these discoveries several arrests have
taken place, and the Minister of Justice is engaged in
investigating the ramifications of a plot which is sup-
posed to have been hatched with a p;,7w to the assassina-
that Lo s
tion of the KING. It is g
PHILIPPE has excited the hatred of a bony' of men
whom persecution has rendered desperate, and tt,:t
without the adoption of more liberal measures the pc,-
lice may one day or other be found wanting in vigi-

The Courrier Francais makes a most curious, as
well as a most important statement. It asserts that
Count PAHLEN, the Russian Ambassador, com-
municated to M. DE BROGLIE, the late French
Minister for Foreign Affairs, the intention of the
three Northern Powers to occupy Cracow, a
month at least before that event took place,
and that the French Cabinet declined taking
any measures to prevent such an infraction of the
Treaty of Vienna I It further states that M. THIERS
holds himself responsible for the negligence of his pre-
decessor in the Foreign Office. This, too, is passing
strange, especially as M. THIERS always took credit
to himself for opposing the insidious designs of Russia.
A few, days will serve to throw some new light on this
affair.

The accounts from Bayonne are to the 9th instant.
The QUEEN'S troops were making preparations for
carrying on the war with renewed energy. The line
of operations proposed by CORDOVA is now on the
eve of completion, and as French reinforcements are
about to be poured into the country in various direc-
tions, there is reason to believe that the war will ter-
minate in a few months.
PARIS, MARCH 11.-Letters from Milan positively affirm
that an amnesty will be proclaimed on the 12th April, in the
kingdom of Lombardy and Venice. It is said that twenty-
five persons will be excepted, and that these will be all the
persons condemned for political offences previous to 1830.
The individuals implicated since 1830 will all be pardoned.
It is added, that this measure of reconciliation will serve as an
example to the Pontifical Government, and to all the other
states of Italy.
PARIS, MARCH 12.-It seems that some indications have
been received at Paris respecting facts, of which no mention
is made in the letters and journals that we have seen. The
French Government is said to have been informed by the Le-
gation, that the man-cook of the Charge d'Affaires of Den-
mark had been assassinated in the streets, as well as the lady's-
maid of Madame de Rayneval. We would rather doubt the
authenticity of these facts. If true, we should be more in.
dined to credit the report that M. de Rayneval has requested
to be recalled from a country, where he does not think his
person in safety.
A letter from Frankfort says, that the Poles, who are des-
tined to be conveyed to America, have addressed a petition to
the Emperor Ferdinand, which they conclude by soliciting,
that, instead of being sent to America, where they would have
no resource, they may be allowed to go to France, where they
might soon obtain means of gaining a livelihood. It is aids
that the Emperor Ferdinand has acceded to this petition, but
we cannot answer that this is fact ; and, at all events, the con-
sent of the French Government must first be obtained.-Mes-
sager, March 12.
FRENCH FUNDS.-Psats, MARCH 11.
Five per Cents., 107 f. 70c. 6.5 c. 60c. 50c.
Four per Cents., 102 f.
Three per Cents. 81f. 10c. 81f.
Bank Actions,2,l7of. 2,165 f.
Heine de Naples, 100 f. 25c.
Roman Five per Cents., 103%%•
Spanish Actives, 43 i%t/i 43.
Spanish Differes, 21141§.
Spanish Passives, 1454%35.
Belgian Loan. Five per Cents., 103% 101.
Portuguese Loan, Five per Cents., 764.
Portuguese Loan, Three per Cents, 47 y 4 47 46%.
Dutch Two and a Half per Cents., 56f. 75c.
EXCHANGE ON LONDON.
One month, paper, 25f. 471,4 e. ; money, -t
Three months, paper, 25f. 32%e. ; money, 25f. 32%c.
-fours Authentique.
FRENCH FUNDS.-PARIS, MARCH 12.
Five per Cents., 107 f. 30c. 35c. 30c.
Four per Cents., 10•2 f.
Three per Cents., 83f. 95c. Slf.
Batik Actions, 2,170 f.
Rente de Naples, 100 f. 25c. 30c.
Roman Five per Cents., 103,k4.
Spanish Actives, 43 42%.
Spanish Differes, 20.
Spanish Passives, 14 13%.
Route Perpetuelle, 33.
Portuguese Loan, Five per Cents , 76%.
Portuguese Three per Cents. 47 474 x.
Dutch Two and a half per Cents .57f.
Haytian Loan, 3901.
EXCIIANGP. ON LONDON.
One month, paper, 25c. 4756 e. ; money, -f. -c
Three months, paper, 25f. 3334 c. ; money, 25f. 32%e
-('oars Authentivie. -

BOURSE, TIIREE o'CLocK.—The French Funds are a little
worse, some eminent brokers having endeavoured to effect con-
siderable sales.
The Spaniih funds, particularly the Actives, have declined
materially in price. The opening quotation was 43 ; after-
wards they went down to 414, then rallied to 421, and after-
wards receded to 42. No particular reason is spoken of as
having occasioned these fluctuations in Spanish stock.
QUARTER TO FOUR.—Five per Cents., 107 f. 60c. ; Three
per Cents., 81f. 10c. ; Five per Cents. Spanish, —; Three
per Cents. Spanish, —; Cortes, —; Coupons, ; Gueb-
hards,' —; Differes, 15-1; New Loan, —; Actives, 421;
Passives, 132 ; Ducats, 100 45 ; Romans, 1031- ; Pedros, 76a ;
Belgians, . Dutch, —f. —c. ; Haytians, 390 f. —c. ;
Miguels, —; 'Brabant Bank, —; Belgian Bank, —; Con-
tinuation, —c. ; New Differes, 20; Five per Cent. Pcrpe-
tuelles, 331 Royal Loan,