The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-07 00:00:00

to themselves and their country as freemen, that I am anxious
to see them receive that information which a free Press can
convey. There is one thing that I shall notice, it is this—
that since 1712, when the first duty was levied on
newspapers of a halfpenny; the tax has gone.on, and has been
increased a halfpenny and a penny at a time by every succeed-
ing Government, till it had risen to its present state. Of all
the taxes that had been been repealed, the taxes upon know-
ledge have never been repealed.—(Loud cheers.) They
have gone on increasing till the present time—they have
been maintained by every Government ; they want to keep in
ignorance the mass of the people, and to perstiO.de us that the
people are not able to receive information—that they are not
capable of judging for themselves—and that though they are
intelligent men, they want to rule the people like beasts.
—( Tremendous cheering.) Aye ! John Bull has been
a beast of burden for army years ; they, the people of Eng-
land, had been treated novas free Englishmen, but literally as
slaves—slaves to that party:a-the Tory party, who had imposed
the tax upon newspapers ti stifle information. It is on this
ground that I entreat you to undeceive his Majesty's
Ministers this day.—( Hear, hear, and loud cheering.)
I believe there is an idea entertained by his Majesty's
Ministers that this is a questien about which the public are
not interested—(Tremendous cries of " We are, we arc")__
whilst at this moment meetings are taking place in every part
of the empire, denianding the abolition of this tax, how seldom
is it that these meetings are publicly announced? Very few
of them are ever noticed in the public papers.—(Tremendous
groaning.) The people take a deep interest in this subject,
and we are bound by every means in our power to convince his
Majesty's Ministers that there is a general desire throughout
the country for a repeal of the tax upon newspapers. —( Cheers. )
These taxes are, I say, a disgrace to the Government. I feel
ashamed of supporting a Government which can continue
them ; and I only assist the Whigs in order to keep a greater
enemy, the Tories, out of the field.—( Cheers.) I ask you
to raise your voice here and everywhere else against the tag;
to demand its immediate abolition. It is a tax injurious in every
point of view in a free State. The Government are acting
ineonsistenly, if what: I have heard be true, that they intend
to propose that the tax be taken off except one penny Now,
I say they must not leave one farthing on. If they do they
will be taxing the poor man at the rate of 100 per cent. for
his newspaper, while the rich are only charged at the vate of
10 per cent., as they arc able to purchase a 6d. or 7d. publi-
cation. So that the poorer a man is, the heavier he
will be taxed. That is not a Just system.—(l-fear, hear.)
One of the gentlemen who went before me prodqoe4
to you a newspaper, published in New York. I shall shgw
you another—and a better newspaper I will venture to.eay is
not published—it is called the g Lend ebeers)—
which is sold for one halfpenny.—(Mr. Hume here un-
folded a large newspaper, and showed it to the meeting.
Now, Gentlemen, if the tax were taken off, you also would
have your newspapers for a halfpenny, I shall also produce
you another paper, published in Wales, half in Welsh--half in
English, which will prove the infamous working of the present
system. We know our Welsh brethren are nor so en-
lightened as the English, and therefore require more
that the means of acquiring knowledge should he easily
within their reach. Now this paper has been put down,
unless it would publish only once a month. So that a man
can publish once a month, while he cannot once or twice a
week. I ask you, therefore, to raise your voices against
the continuance of such a system, and I tell you the friends
of freedom and of the people in the House of :Commons
are determined to contend for its total abolition. (Cries of
‘• Hear," and cheers.) The Reform Bill has extended
the liberty of the subject. I hope those liberties will
be still further increased, and I hope every Englishman will
Le in possession of a right in Corporations to enable him to
vote only for those who will promote his interests and the pria-
cip'es of reform. Sir, I trust that the people will use every
means in their power to have the opportunity of choosing pro-
per representatives in Parliament. At present I feel that you
have not done all that you have been called upon to do.—
( Loud cheering.) You have let three hundred and fi'ty
Tories step into Parliament.—( Cheers.) Why have you done
so ?—from ignorance.—( Cheers.) You have not known be-
fore what your duty was.—(Cheers.) It is your duty, as
true En '‘shmen, to do all that you can, to leave no stone un-
turned .1 you have obtained free access to that which will
give you political information.—( Cheers. ) Aye, political in-
formation.—( Loud cheers.) It has been said by some wo are
the political men; you attend to your business, and if you do
so that will be quite enough for you; we will attend to politics.
_....(Cheers and laughter.) Now, Gentlemen, we are anxious
to remove this, and we are also anxious that the people should
know what the real facts and circumstances of the case are,
and that they should be acquainted with what their real duty
is.—(Cheers.) The House or Commons at the present mo-
ment is giving money for the establishment of schools, and while
they are professing in both Houses to have the education of
the people at heart, they are by a fiscal regulation taxing the
spread of education.—(Great cheering.) It is, therefore,
clear that the Government have not the interest of the people
at heart ; they have no wish to enlighten the people.
In fact, they are withholding from the people that which
will enable them to enlighten themselves upon any political
subjects. From the-time of Anne down to 1797 every impost
has been laid upon newspapers ,(Cries of " Shame")—
in order that the people should not be made acquainted
with the political state of the country—( Shame)—and
that impost has been strictly kept up till the present moment.
Now, what I say is, and what I would advise his Majesty's
Government to do is this—let them take off the tax altoge-
gether—(Great cheering)—let them give to their fellow-sub-
jects an opportunity of enlightening each other.—( Cheers.)
What tax or what impost has been more clamoured against?—.
( Cheers.) Look to other countries—look at Russia—look
in Prussia and in France, as far as their means of conveying
knowledge is concerned, England will sink into insignificance
before them.—(Cheers.) There every person is taught to
read and write, and every means arc adopted to make them
good citizens. Every circumstance connected with this
tax calls aloud for its abolition, and I only hope that the
people of this country will use every exertion in their power
to shake off the yoke that oppresses them.—(Great cheering.)
I have no doubt in saying that there is not a single person in
this meeting. who would allow another knowingly to pick his
pocket.—( Laughter.) But your pockets, gentlemen, in the
case of the duties on newspapers, has been picked to no small
extent.--( Hear, hear.) And why ? Because you have
not been aware of your rights ?—(Chee s.) In my opinion,
gentlemen, the coedact of the Government ha; been most
at ocious. They ought, if they bad taeir own interest at
hear, long since to have taken off the tax.—( Cheers.) lam
anxious to see the Government do good for the people_
(Cheers),—and for that purpose I hope and trust, whim the
feelings of the meeting are conveyed to them, they
will at once take off the tax.—( Loud and long-continriiieedy
cheering.) My friend Mr. O'Connell will second the resolution,
which I hope will meet with the approbation of the
meeting. The existence of the present Ministry de-
pend upon the people, and I hope the day is far distant,
when, in consequence of the conduct of the people
will be obliged to truck'e to the Tories.—( Loud cheers.t)
Every one, with the exception of the people are against the
the present Government, and I hope and trust, through the
instrnmentality of the people, the present object will succeed
in the great object they have in view.
4. That this meeting cannot conceal from itself the fact that the
Stamp Dutyedndefneean'sdpeapd,ebrsy wastin iompepnoseodr, acnovdehrtasenbeemenieis of the
ed
'an
of all free and liberal institutions ; and that, therefore,
people, and
mes the first and paramount duty of a Government profes:
.ine to rest upon the afloctions of a ration, instantly to abolish a
tax which is suited only to the purposes of tyranny and misrule, and
is calculated to shut out from the middling and lower classes that
knowledge of their rights which is a fundamental ingredient in the
true principles of English liberty.
Mr. O'Coeseee came forward to the front of the platform,
where he stood for several minutes before lie could proceed,
from the deafening and reiterated cheers with which be was
greeted from every quarter of the immense assemblage. When
the plaudits had in some degree subsided, the lion. and
Learned Gentleman said—How heartily, how anxiously do I
desire that it was possible for me to merit such a reception.
(Cheers.) Would to God I had powers that would enable
me to show my gratitude in the only way that public gratitude
can be shown, by my services.—( Renewed cheering.) I was
expressing, or rather endeavouring to express, the deep anxiety
I feel that it had pleased Pt evidence to bless me with faculties
to thank this multitudinous assemblage of Englishman for a
reception that would have delighted me at any period of
my varied life, but at this moment it is peculiarly gratifying
to my feelings, and it will cheer me to night in my struggles
in another place to obtain justice for my oppressed and
persecuted country.—(Cheers.) The manner in which you
receive me convinces me of your sympathy for our wrongs
and' sufferings—( Hear)—and in return for this sympathy
and manifestation of honest feeling, I can only owe
youil-
ling tthna
et
xtehretrohiims
humble Irishman himself
who
of Englishmanonrot wh the
adr restoratione
,ulssr.more ,anxious
:ounf °(u yourij° rightsandn nd ntohdre
nwt
con-
tinued cheering.) In my struggle for human liberty
I have known na dMinetioo of conotry•—( Cheers, ) A ficie-
brated philosopher once saki--" . Show me where liberty
dwells, for there is my home." This is my principle—upon
this principle I have ever acted. It has been the leading
nia4ka at my political lire, WI ta my 1030 breath I hope it
will continue so,-,(Cbeers,) The pride and boast of Ling-
li*hinen is that while every country in the wurid was enslaved,
(LEFT SPEAKING.)
The conclusion will be given in our Second Edition),

A FAIR BARGAIN.—Th tablea were like to be
turned against Bailie Small in the Police Court on Monday
morning, While he was in the act of admonishing an Irish
virago, `and about to pass sentence, she stopped him, sayiog—
" Now I will tell your honour what I mane to do with you—
(this threat convulsed the whole Court with laughter, in which
the worthy Bailie joined)—l will lave the town clane and
oleyer, If yoo will only give me n hregidaa,n `t'r'io igluperin-
tendent immediately Closed a bargain with her on these terms,
and added, that he would also give her dinner and supper,
prgvided she would fulfil the part of her bargain with the
AlagistFate. f‘ illgo ytltly $(3%.y1 for ever, Air. Watson,
you're a jewel of a man ; Pll take your bargain first, and lave
the town jist the same way every day if you plase."—( A
ial :) 'IMP prisoner then left the bar,- seemingly rosolYed tq
keep the Superiatendeat to his promise.,,StoSs rinf4!
DEER STEALIIG.-7—JaMCS Carter and William
ItrYa..,Tl Were nin liarire of the lone,end police a few days
qgq for stealing fawn, flip property of the bukc of Suther-
land. They were taken infore Mr. Adderley, and ordered to
discharged,be the eharge of stealing, it is presumed, not hav-
ing been fully provetl; but .cubseqcontly Mr, Woodi the con-
stable of .r.Preitthain, served thpre with' a sanarnons to appear
wgin before the Magistrates at •Bartiston, on Mondity! when
they were anod 10/. each and costs fiir haVing the fawn in their
possession. NQt Veingol-e to pay 'Ole fine, they were Ordered
to prisOn for four months' each. ariercontriy-ed tp slip the
hand:miffs, andol -geol.bail. AC-has not yet been re-taken,
!--qhreiesbati Ckroniele,

THE SUN, LODO,NT, MONDAY', MARCH 7, 1856.