The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-04 00:00:00

STAMP AND PAPER DUTIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlB,—That the duty on paper ought to be in-
stantly and entirely abolished no one will attempt to
gainsay. In like manner also should be annihilated
that most unjust tax the advertisement duty, the gross
injustice of which lies in permitting people to adver-
tise free of taxation in any form but that of a news-
paper. The penny stamp is a matter requiring
something beyond a prejudiced condemnation. In its
present state it is most iniquitously hard upon news-
papers, who are compelled to affix it to each copy,
while all other periodicals are allowed to stamp only
those required to pass through the Post-office. But
supposing this stamp to be entirely removed, it would
necessarily involve a postage stamp, which, in my
humble opinion, would act far more prejudicially on
newspaper proprietors than they are perhaps wont to
imagine, by, in a great measure, checking the trans-
mission of their publications. A person buying a
paper now, in the majority of cases, forwards it after
perusal to a friend; but bad he a postage to pay, he
would in many, if not most, instances fail to do so,
partly on account of the trouble, and partly for the
reason of the having a something, no matter how
small, to pay, which, being included, as now, in the
purchase he notices not. The labour, &c., of charging
at the Post-office I will not touch upon, nor the ad-
ditional expense which I should imagine would be in-
curred in that department. How would it answer,
then, to reduce the present stamp to one halfpenny,
and on supplements to one farthing, merely to corer
postage ?—I am, Sir, &c.,
Jae. 28, 1851. WILLIAM WILLOTT.

THE PANTOMIMES AND THE LORD CHAMBER-
LAIN.—The incidents of Haynau's visit to Bankside, as every
playgoer knows have been seized on by the authors of some
of the pantomimes of the season. After the lapse of more
than a month the Lord Chamberlain has seen fit to take of-
ficial notice of this personal reference, and in one instance to
request its omission. In consequence of the suggestion of the
Lord High Chamberlain, conveyed through Sir William
Martin, two comic scenes were last week cut out of the pan-
tomime at Astley's Amphitheatre, one representing the exte-
rior of Barclay's brewery, with draymen, horses, &c. ; the
other the bedroom of the public-house in which the Baron
took refuge. Among other pieces, the representation of
which has been stopped by the authorities at the Chamber-
lain's office, may be mentioned the hippodramatic spectacle
of Turpin's Ride to York, which has been played on the boards
of most of the metropolitan and provincial theatres for the
last 35 years. The performance of Jack Sheppard and Oliver
Twist has also been interdicted.
THE SURREY HIINT.—A very singular accident
tfact happened pr
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for the railway, where a steep chalk cutting, about 50 feet,
and quite perpendicular, is crossed by a l.)3rif:lge. The road
at this spot run, parallel with the line, and is separated
from it by a deep embankment aboxt ten feet high. The
hounds were about five minutes behind the fox,
but they
were well on the scent and the pace was pretty good. They
crossed the road, ran up the embankment, and the first
seven couple went clean down the cutting on to the rails.
Eleven of them were killed on the spot, and the other three
have either died since or been destroyed. The two whips,
assisted by several gentlemen, hauled the bodies off the
line by means of ropes. The fact, was not known to the
huntsman nor to most of the hunt, for, within half a minute
after the check come to at the rail, a" view hallos" was
raised behind, and the remainder of the pack, comprising 15
couples, were laid on to the §econd fox, and the field of
course followed. It is not known whether the fcx went
down the cutting, but probably he knew the place and ran
some way along Ike edge behind the embankment and then '
doubled back. The loss to the kennel is very severe at this
season of the year, especially as the hounds that were killed
Were, of course, tin meet dioihing of tilat day's pack.