The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-31 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

ADVERTISEMENT DUTY

INTERVIEW WITH THE CHANCELLOR OF
THE EXCHEQUER.—(THIS DAY.)
At two o'clock to-day a number of gentlemen
interested in the repeal of the advertisement duty
had an interview, by appointment, with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, at the Right Hon. Gentle-
man's official residence in Downing-street.
The deputation was composed of the Hon. C. P.
Villiers, M.P.; Sir James Duke, M.P. ; Mr. Ewart,
M.P.; Mr. Murdo Young, of The Sun newspaper ;
Mr. Hunt, of the Daily News; Mr. Grant, of the
Morning Advertiser ; Mr. Spicer, of the Patriot ;
Mr. Francis, of the 51thenceum ; Mr. Ingram, of the
Illustrated London News; and Mr. Pratt, of the
British Banner.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer received the de-
putation with the greatest affability, and evinced
throughout the interview much good humour.
Mr. EWART, M.P., addressing the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, said, that in the course of the last
session of Parliament he had pointed out, in his place
in the House of Commons, the injurious operation of
the advertisement duty ; and he could say of his own
knowledge that a great many petitions for its repeal
had been presented from all parts of the country,
especially from the representatives of the provincial
press. The matter was, however, so familiar to the
mind of the Chancellor that it was almost unnecessary
for him (Mr. Ewart) to point out the results of this
particular tax. He might say, however, that its
abolition might be advocated, first, in respect to its
necessity, and next on the ground of its general
benefit to all classes, which would be very great in-
deed. There was scarcely any portion of the com-
• mnnity, indeed, which the tax did not affect. Then
with respect to foreign countries, and particularly
America, he might advert to the benefits resulting
from the non-existence of such a tax there. A gen-
tleman present held an American newspaper in his
hand, which would show to what an amazing extent
the community there availed themselves of advertising,
where there was no duty payable.
Mr. GRANT, of the Morning Advertiser, here pro-
duced and handed to the Chancellor copies of the
.New York Journal of Commerce and the New York
Courier, each containing a vast number of advertise-
ments beyond anything of the kind seen in an English
newspaper—upwards of 2,000 in each !
Mr. EWART continued to say that any person who
saw an American newspaper, and compared it with an
English one, would be struck with the great differ-
ence in respect of the number of advertisements.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (looking over
the American newspapers)—lt makes a Chancellor
of the Exchequer's lips water to look at a sight like
this.—(Laughter.)
Mr. EWART also submitted that the advertisement
duty was a tax on commerce. It was on that ground
that Sir Robert Peel proposed to take off the auction
duty. The same principle applied to the advertise-
ment duty as to the auction duty, but with much
stronger force. Under all the circumstances, on the
commercial bearings of the question and on the
smallness of the duty, the deputation rested
their hopes that something would be done by
the Right Honourable Gentleman, the Chancellor
the Exchequer, to abolish or mitigate the tax on ad-
vertisements. The deputation had certainly to some
extent been leagued with the lower duty and the stamp
duty, but, at the same time, the advertisement duty
presented claims for its abolition on grounds peculiar to
tself, in that it affected the general body of the com-
munity much more than the other two. He might add
his belief that in France there was no advertisement
duty, and there the same beneficial results arose in the
way of freedom of communication between the people
as in America.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
really thought it right and proper that the deputation
should come and put him in mind of those things,
and he would give them his best consideration
but he must say that in the course of this week and
next he expected to receive deputations from per-
sons complaining of the pressure of taxes of all kinds.
—(A laugh.) 'When he had heard all the statements
that the deputations had to address to him, he would
make up his mind.
Mr. MURDO YOUNG begged to remind the
Right Hon. Gentleman, that the deputation were
only asking for the remission of a tax which yielded
a corn parativey small portion of the general revenue
of the country, whilst the benefits:resulting from its
abolition would be general and incalculably great.
Personally he (Mr. Young) was interested in the
abolition of the paper duty ; but, on public grounds,
be should very much more wish to see the window
duty and the advertisement duty abolished.
Mr. GRANT said the advertisement duty pressed
with peculiar hardship on the class of domestic ser-
vants, in that it operated to prevent them getting
situations. Numbers of them, not being able to lay
out 35., 45., or ss. in an advertisement, were obliged
to lie for weeks together out of situations; whereas, if
the advertisement duty were abolished, they would be
enabled to advertise their wants at so much the less
cost.

Mr. MURDO YOUNG also submitted to the Right
Hon. Gentleman, that if the duty were taken off
advertising would become a fashion instead of a ne-
cessity. People would advertise three or four times
where now they only advertised once.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER nodded
assent.

Mr. GRANT was of opinion that the remission of
the duty on advertisements would lead to an increased
consumption of excisable articles, inasmuch as
people would advertise, and that much more
frequently than at present, things on which duty
was chargeable.
Mr. INGRAM said that the farming class would also
be benefited ; for at present many people went a
great distance to market to buy articles which their
next door neighbours had to dispose of, if they had
known it.
Mr. PRATT submitted there was a necessity of ex-
tending the advertisement duty, unless it was repealed
altogether, so as to include advertisements in railway
carriages, omnibuses, and cabs, and on advertising
vans. By having recourse to such means of publicity
there were people who daily reaped large sums of
money without paying one farthing of advertisement
duty.

Mr. M. YOUNG said, in confirmation of Mr Pratt's
remark, that the very cab in which he (Mr. Young)
bad come to attend the interview, contained inside
two such advertisements staring him in the face.
Mr. SPICER submitted that if the duty on ad..
vertisements were to be reduced to sixpence the
revenue of the country would not sustain any loss
from the modification, looking to the much greater
number of persons who would advertise their wants
and their wares.
Mr. M. YOUNG thought that a mere reduction of
the duty, without its total repeal, would be impolitic;
seeing that the cost of collection would remain.
Mr. EWART was of the same opinion as Mr. Young.
It was a principle of Sir Robert Peel to repeal a dut
altogether in preference to reducing it. y
Mr. FRANCIS begged to submit to the Right Ron.
Gentleman a very curious fact, showing the way in
which the ends:of advertising were attained, and
the
duty at the same time evaded. The proprietors of the
Panorama of the Nile had erected on the top of
their building some machinery for the purpose
of starting balloons. An apparatus was connected
with those balloons to which were attached large
numbers of tickets for admission to the panorama ;
and as the balloons rose in the air, they dropped those
tickets in all directions. (Great laughter, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer joining most heartily.)
Persons finding those tickets, on writing the
name of the place where they were picked
up on the hack of them, were entitled to be ad-
mitted to the exhibition at half price. He (Mr.
Francis) held in his hand a number of such tickets,
ready to go up in those balloons when the weather
permitted.—(Laughter.) The cost of such a balloon
to the proprietors was Bs., the gas used to inflate it 25.,
and. the cost of the tickets 2s. The half-price
of the tickets dropped from the balloon and picked up I
yielded 9.1., so that the proprietors of the panorama
would gain a profit of 1/. 83. on the transaction.—