The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-28 00:00:00

MINISTERS.

Mr. Bulwer then proceeds to state that Ministers do not
intend to include in the privilege of cheap po.•tage, any
tracts, pamphlets, or, in short, any other than periodical
works. He urges several weighty reasons against this
" financial reservation ;" and he also states his objections
against another part of the plan of Government, viz.—
tbe intention not to make any alteration, at present, in the
advertisement duty of three shillings and sixpence upon
each advertisement Mr. Bulwer thus concludes the
paper in which he has conveyed this most cheering intel-
ligence, and to which, as it will be published in a day or
two, we refer our readers for further information :
" We have advanced these remarks because we trust
that, if on financial principles alone, the candid and en-
lightened Chancellor of the Exchequer may be yet induced
to re-consider the propriety of excluding light works from
the benefit of the postage, and retaining the present rate
of duty in advertising. For the rest, he has exceeded our
hopes; and insured himself, in his concession of the
worst, the most odious, and the most demoralizing of all
the taxes on opinion, new claims to the gratitude, the
respect, and the love of all those who think, not only that
knowledge is power, but that it is the only power which
the people cannot abuse."

.
()--..

We may, therefore, consider, receiving the announce-
ment as we do from such authority, the question upon
which so many have been so long speculating, as com-
pletely set at rest._

. -
The duties on Newspaper Stamps are to be repealed in
Coto—the Advertisement Duty to continue as heretofore—.
and each newspaper, when transmitted through the post,
to be subjected to a small postage--a postage, as we under-
stand, of one penny. *
• Since the above was written, we have learnt, from an-
other source, that it is in contemplation to issue from the
Stamp Office stamped " slips," as envelopes to the news-
papers to he forwarded through the post. The inconveni-
ences of this plan cannot have been perceived by Lord Al-
thorp. He will easily learn their nature and extent from
any practical man. We also imagine it will be found
necessary to enact some penalty for the transmission of
papers except through the post ; otherwise they will, for
the most part, find their way to the provincial agents
through cheaper channels of conveyance. We, of course,
write under the impression that considerable gain to the
revenue is anticipated from the postage. We cannot hut
regret, however, that this course is to be adopted. If it
be expedient to communicate knowledge in the cheapest
form to the metropolis, it is of still greater consequence to
render it cheap to the country. In London there arc
ample means of acquiring information almost without any
expense_in the provinces it is not so ; moreover, the pro-
vinces stand in greater need of information. We shall
hereafter state the reasons why we regret that no reduc •
tion is to be made on the advertisement duty.

The first intimation conveyed to the Marquis
of STAFFORD of his elevation to the Dukedom of SUTHER-
LAND, was by his MAJESTY himself, in the most gracious
manner. At one of the dinner pArties, the week before
last, at the Pavilion, the KING called for a bumper from
his guests, amongst whom were the then Marquis and
Marchioness of STAFFORD, and, after a brief, but very
energetic, eulogium on the noble pair, he proposed their
healthy, as " Duke and Duchess of SUTHERLAND." In
the district from which the title is selected the most exten-
sive preparations are in progress to celebrate the event.—
Court Journal.

The reception of Mr. WESTERN by their
3liazs-rlEs at the palace at Brighton, to which he wa.
.peeiall invited, previously to hie receiving the dib tinguished
honour of the Peerage, was gracious in the extreme. The
Noble Baron dined at the royal table, and in the course of
the evening was frequently honoured with familiar conver-
sation both by the KIN. and QUEEN.

BURKE'S PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DIS-
TINGUISHED FEMALES.--We are requested to state that
the third number of this work, to be published on the
lst of February, price 2s. 6d., will contain Engravings of
Countess of BELFAST, Lady W. GaEsLET, and Miss
GEORGIANA HARCOURT, With accompan ing Memoirs.
Numbers 1 and 2, already published, comprise portraits of
Countess GowEs. and Child, Countess CumiLavatr,
Lady ANNE BECKETT, Lady J. Tiiinctig, Lidy J. A.
Bitrpcss, and Lady Dovon. This Gallery of distinguished
Females, to be completed in 24 number/, is published every
fortnight uniform with LODGE'S sad the Society's Gallery
iif Portraits, and will include various Members of almost
every Noble Family
lies of England sod France, engraved from paintings by
S LAWRENCE, JACKSON, HIM, PICEKRIGILL, and other
ininent artists. is the kingdom, and the Roymt

(From the Town.)
It is with feelings of the highest gratification we are
enabled to announce the detrrunination of Ministers—at no
distant period after the assembling of Parliament—to take
off the whole of the stamp duty on newspapers. Our au-
thority for this most welcome intelligence is Mr. 13ultver ;
his authority is, we take for granted, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. Mr. Balmer has been kind enough, in reply
to a request publicly made to him for information on the
subject, to forward an unpublished sheet of the New
Monthly Magazine. We have been favoured with a
sight of this paper, and are thus relieved of all anxiety on
a matter so deeply inieres•ing and important. and enabled
to communicate to the public news that will gladden the
country from nnrtk to south, and Irum east to west.
Mr. Bulwer thus writes :.....

" Deeply interested as we are in the removal of the taxes
on knowledge, having ourselves taken so active a share in
promoting their repeal—considering the consequences
which lie beyond the surface of the question of the gravest
importance to the virtue of the operative classes, to the
proper direction of industry, and ultimately, through ex-
tended inquiry into the distribution of labour and capital,
to a relief of our financial difficulties themselves, we can-
not express the pride, the dtlight, the gratitude we expe-
rience, when we announce to our fellow-countrymen that
it is the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
to take off the whole Stamp Duty on .Newspopers—
substituting a cheap postage in its stead. We are con-
vinced that this great measure—the fearlessness it evinces
of the expression of opinion—the hon st confidence in the
vigilance possessed by instruction—the wi.e desire for per-
manent improvement in morals as in circumstances—wil
do more to confirm the upright and exemplary statesman
who thus widens the sphere of knowledge in the hearts of
the people, than even the courage with which he sup-
ported our late Constitutional Reform—the patience with
which he defeated opposition—tbe integrity with which
he retired from office when the cause was in danger—
his sympathy with the public interest when the triumph
was obtained. That question, once our own (under what
different circumstances!) we now resign to the hands
from which the boon ought naturally to come. Of the
first systematic Parliamentary advances, of the principle it
embodies, we may perhaps be entitled to say ' Hos ego
teci ;' willingly shall we add when the principle is carried,
Talit alter honores.'"