The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-12 00:00:00

TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.

A numerous deputation, headed by Dr. Birkbeck
fined chiefly to Members of the House of 'out con-
fined mmons, wad
yesterday at two o'clock upon Lord
.I::ielbeurnoe, to ask forite the
entire abolition of the News,;dpei, Stamp.
The following gentlee„en composed the deputation :—Mom
hers—Messrs.Dutton,Hume, Grote, Oswald, Bowring,
Roebuck, Aglionby, Thompson, Williams, Hawes, Bulwer,
Leader, Elphinstone, Wallace, Wakley, Hector, Dencombe,
Buckingham, Potter, Scholefield, Strutt, Hindley, Tulke,
Tattered, D. W. Harvey, Marshall, Brotherton, T. Attwood,
O'Connell, and Sir William Molesworth ; with Dr. Birkbeck,
and Messrs. Crawford, Hickson, Chapman, and Place.
Dr. BIRKBECR stated the object of the deputation. The
subject to which he was anxious the attention of the Govern-
ment should be drawn, had been met on former occasionstks
a mere question of Finance. Ile thought it to be a queseen
of such extreme importance, that there were no financial con-
siderations which ought not to be made to give way in order
that it might at once be settled to the satisfaction of the public.
The question was now presented to Government in a very
different form from that in which it had hitherto appeared.
The increase in the circulation of unstamped papers had
,been so great, and the demands of public opinion so irresistible,
that it had, in general estimation, become impossible to con-
tinue the stamp laws in their present state. There was a
general impression abroad that a reduction at least of the
itarep duty on newspapers would be proposed ; and it was
to the question of the impolicy of any reduction in lieu -se
an entire abolition of the stamp-duty that he wished ee ad_
stress himself. If only a penny stamp-duty were .to be re-
tained, its effect in keeping newspapers out oc. the reach of
the working classes would be as certain ae 'if the duty were
retained at its present amount. All ae-eess to the minds of
the humblest portion of the comma mobs
by means of cheat)
newspapers, would be denied by A'rach a measure. The class
most in want of general infor
r_iation would be still forced to
remain in their presen stat..e of ignorance. A penny stamp-
duty also could not bet'..tiareed without new and severe mea-
sures to put down th'...; unstamped press. Whatever might be
said of the manzeir in which some of those papers were con-
ducted, they 're of great use in creating the habit of reading,
which was '.lae first step in human improvement. He adverted
to the 4v:mpatliy- felt by the mass of the people for those who
Wet;, prosecuted by Government under the stamp-laws, and
ste'ced his regret that laws should remain on our statute-
kesok which had a tendency to bring all law into disrepute,
and make those persons respected who lived by the habitual
violation of those laws. He concluded by reading a part of
a letter addressed to him by Mr. Hetherington, which he (Dr.
Birkbeck) thought would place the character of the chief vio-
lations of the Stamp Act in a new light before his Lordship.
Hetherington was one of those whom no temptations could
induce to violate any other law, but who, in this case, firmly
believed he was discharging a public duty. Every day the
number of those who entertained similar opinions Vi?!.; in-
creasing.
Mr. Husta said he had been induced last yeae to support a
motion for a reduction of the stamp-duty `,,0 one penny, but
that he now thought the time for redection was gone by, and
that nothing but the entire aboliteen of the stamp-duty ought
to be proposed by the Government. He was certain no other
measure would give equei satisfaction to the people. The in-
terest felt upon this question among small ,shopkeepers, and
the more intellivet portion of the working class, was intense.
At another elvaion, wherever there was a large constituency,
no candidate would stand the slightest chance, who would not
pledge hireself to vote against the taxes on knowledge. eln
the Agri e,ultural districts it was different, because in them the
most ',sense ignorance prevailed. That ignorance existed, be-
cae.se cheap newspapers, which were the only means of sti-
mulating their minds into some degree of activity, were with-
held by Government. A penny stamp would still shut them
out from the most important, because the most efficient
avenue of knowledge. A penny stamp would raise the
'price of a twopenny paper, not merely to the threepence,
but to threepence-halfpenny, or fourpence, bu.t why should
there not be good penny newspapers, of a small size ?
The immense circulation of The .Penny Magazine (which
exists only by sufferance in the present state of the law),
showed that there were row), thousands who could not
be induced to give more than that sum for knowledge
of any kind, until the appetite for it had been created.
Farmers, he was sure, would never give twopence for any-
thing of the kind. A curious fact had been omitted by Dr.
Birkbeck, showing the extraordinary effect of a difference
between a Change of three-pence and a penny. Some kind
of three-peyany amusement had been got up at the Rotunda
by a pereon who could not afford to pay a rent of twenty
shillings per week out of the profits. When allowed to re-
duce the price of admission to one penny, he was enabled to
pay a rent of five pounds per week. He (Mr. Hume) trusted
that Ministers would not now be so impolitic as well as unjust
to the people as to bring forward any half-measure. If they
did, the question was one which must be pressed to a divi-
sion. He knew, with the assistance of the Tories, the Libe-
rel Members would be beaten, but it was a fact that, as Re-
formers, they were not safe in their seats if they declined to
push this question to the utmost. He regretted that Mini-
sters had so long delayed its settlement. They were not
aware of the odium they were bringing upon themselves
through the measures which had been taken to enforce the
law. By a return he had just obtained it appeared that since
the Grey Administration ,there had been 728 prosecutions for
offences of the press.. The number for the last year was 219,
and was daily increasing. Cleave had lately been sentenced
to pay a fine of 6001.—a sentence which meant imprisonment
for life; but the fact was, the sympathy felt for the cause
was so great that the fine would soon be paid by subscription.
Mr. PLACE said, to show the effect of newspaper discussions
in enlightening the minds of the people, that the working classes
in the north of England were now all convinced that machinery
was not an injury to them. A few years ago they were always
breaking and destroying power-looms--now there was no in-
stance of the kind. lie deprecated strongly the notion of any
partial reduction, It would be merely postponing the final
settlement of the question, and prolonging the excitement
which existed in the public mind.
Dr. BOWRING related, in confirmation of Mr. Place's re-
marks respecting machinery, what had lately occurred in one
of the cantons of Switzerland. A short time back all the re-
presentatives of the people were pledged to vote against the
introduction of machinery; now, through the agitation of- the
question in the journals, they were all elected upon the oppo-
site principle.
Colonel THOMPSON said that the interest felt by his consti-
tuents at Hull was so great upon this question, that he was
quite certain if he did. not attend in his place, and vote for the
abolition of the stamp-duty, he should lose his seat. Nor was
that all, for he had been called upon to subscribe to pay fines
inflicted upon persons who had sold unstamped papers at Hull.
He supposed also he should be called upon to subscribe largely
(which be was willing to do) towards the fine of 6001. in the
case of Cleave.

Mr. O'CONNELL briefly observed, that if Government con-
sidered the question as one of mere finance, it must soon be
settled, for that the expense of collecting the duty, and of the
prosecutions, would, in a short time, be greater than the sum
collected.
Mr. GROTE said that if a penny stamp were proposed by
Government, and Ministers were to ask in return for new and
more severe laws against the unstamped press, as it appeared to
him that those laws were already severe enough, any such mea-
sure must have his opposition.
Messrs. Roebuck, Brotherton, Wallace, and Buckingham,
severally spoke in favour of the entire abolition of the news-
paper stamp.
Lord MELBOURNE said he had listened with great attention to
the various considerations, moral, political, financial, and he
might perhaps add personal; which had been urged by the depu-
tation. He felt that some of the arguments adduced were of
great weight, and, that all of them were entitled to the serious
consideration of the Cabinet. He fully admitted that the finan-
cial part of the subject was not the most important part. The
only question to he asked was, how the pursuits, habits, feelings,
and opinions of the people were likely to be affected by the
propose'l change. It could not of course be expected that at
this early period of the session, before the financial plans for
the year had been fixed, he could give the deputation any in-
fo-miation of the intention of Government; nor did he think
their object would be facilitated by any communication he
could make to them at the present moment. He only begged
to assure every gentleman present that the various reasons
they had adduced for the abolition of the stamp duty should
meet with that serious and anxious cor.sideration which they-
certainly
deserved.

The Marquis and IVl:archioness of Thomond, and
Lady Mary O'Brien, hP:fo returned to Belgrave-square, from
a tour. Captain and, Lady Elizabeth Buck (daughter of his
Lordship), have 'e'en passing the honeymoon at the seat of
the gallant 'erlaegroom, Hartland Abbey, near Bideford,
Devon.

The Duke of St. Alban's is so much recovered from
leis sevare attack of small-pox as to be enabled to remove to
Berkeley-square for change of air, previously to leaving town
for Dover. The Duchess of St. Albans and suite are still re,
siding at the Clarendon Hotel.
The Menai Bridge, during the late storms, vibrated
twelve feet, which had an awful appearance, and attracted the
notice of a considerable number of persons who assembled on
the occasion. It is two hundred and twenty feet above the
level of the sea, and did not 'suffer the. least injury from the
vibration.

DEFEAT OF THE TORIES.—DINNER AT Bin-
mtNattAm.----On To.aday last, upwards of ono hundred
respectable manufacturers, shopkeepers, tradesmen, and others,
dir:it together at the Bell Inn, Birmingham, to celebrate the
Inajority of 41, obtained by Ministers in the House of Com-
mons, on the amendment to the Address. The Chair was
filed by Mr. W. H. Smith.
The Town Council of Boston have unanimously
voted an address to his Majesty.
THE JEW CLOTHESMEN NUISANCE IN HOLY-
NVELL-STiIEET, S rRAND. —The Israelitish vendors of old clothes,
betters Than new," in Holywell-street, Strand, whose im-
portnnate mode of soliciting custom has long been a source of
annoyance to all having occasion to pass along this great tho-
n an
roughfare betwee Temple-bard Charing-cross, have re-
cently received a check which it is to be hoped will prove a
salutary restraint on their impertinence for some time to come.
It seems a few days back Mr. Justice James Parke happened
to be passing along this famed rendezvous of clothes marts
a-foot, when some unfortunate " barker," not knowing him,
stopped and nearly pushed him into his shop, and his Lor-
dship was actually forced into the dirt of the carriage-way as
the only mode of escaping the fellow's rudeness. Mr. Justice
Parke caused a representation to be made on the subject in
the proper quarter, and the Grand Inquest has in consequence
taken the necessary measures for compelling an abatement of
the nuisance.