The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-14 00:00:00

POSTAL TRANSXISSION OF .N.EITSEJP.ERS.

(From the Times.)
To-night Mr. Gladstone is to -submit to the con-
sideration of the Legislature his new scheme for the
postal transmission of newspapers ; and we must
needs say that of all the provisions of his most com-
prehensive Budget this, as far as we understand it, is
the most gratuitous and extraordinary. It has not
yet received much explanation beyond that conveyed
in the first announcement of the Ministerial design,
but the little that is known of its details has been

sufficient to provoke to anger and opposition
the very class presumed to be benefited by the
change. The whole provincial Press is in arms
against the proposition. Chronicles, illercuries and
Telegraphs are energetically proclaiming from their
respective counties that they want none of the
thing, that they would rather be without it, that,
in point of fact, it would undo all the good done

•
by the removal of the Paper Duty, and that the
Bill ought never to be carried. This is certainly
strong, but in our opinion justifiable, language.
We feel, indeed, utterly at a loss to reconcile the
forthcoming proposals with the professed policy
of a Liberal Government, anxious for, the in-
struction of the people, and particularly solicitous
about the expansion of the press. If the scheme is
to be produced in its original form we may describe
it in a few *orris as a
,proposal for abolishing alto-
gether the use of the Anpressed stamp upon news-
papers, together with the privileges which that
stamp conveyed, and for defining anew the condi-
tions on which newspapers are to be transmitted
by post. These terms may not appear to include
much roisehief, but it is very certain, nevertheless,
that great disadvantages are anticipated both for
newspapers and their readers, and that such a re-
sult is not unlikely to follow. What puzzles us is
the principle on which, in the year 1860, and with
a Ministry pledged to educational progress, such a
scheme can be defended.

Up to this time every recent act of legislation
bearing upon newspapers has been conceived, or
professed to be so, in their interests. We do not,
indeed, forget certain sly thrusts at ourselves, but
as these shots all missed their mark, we need say no
more of them at present. It is enough to remark
what no one will deny, that the successive modifi-
cations of the newspaper stamp duty, the advertise-
ment duty, and other " taxes on knowledge," were
all proposed and carried on the avowed understand-
standing that newspapers, as the most effective in-
struments of public instruction, should be encou-
raged in every possible manner. The great cry was
for the "diffusion of knowledge," and, as knowledge
was most effectually diffused by newspapers, the
"distribution of newspapers" became almost an
equivalent phrase. Certain high authorities of the
Manchester school made no secret of their opinions
in this respect, and it was openly maintained that a
single number of the Timm contained knowledge
more serviceable to the present generation than was
to be found in the whole of Thucydides. However,
thus things went on until at the last adjustment of
these matters newspapers were left, not only in a
position of great freedom, but with much of
their old privilege still preserved, and consider-
able powers of discretion into the bargain.
The stamp was made optional, and might be
employed or discarded at pleasure, so that all
objections to its use were absolutely demo-
lished. For the future it would represent, not an
impost, but a privilege, for an " impressed stamp"
upon a newspaper sheet would still entitle that
sheet not only to transmission but to retransmission
through the Post-office without additional charge.
There was an end, therefore, on one side to all the
outcry about the compulsory stamp duty, while, on
the other, the whole postal privileges attached to
the tax were still at the command of those who
chose to take them up. This is the arrangement
which Mr. Gladstone now proposes to upset by the
abolition of the stamp, or, in other words, the pri-
vilege altogether. His scheme, although it professes
to remove a duty, in reality removes only an advan-
tage. That it can benefit anybody is out of the
question, for the stamp, as it now exists is purely
optional, and is employed, therefore, by those only
who find a convenience in doing so. Mr. Gladstone
withdraws this convenience, and says it shall be
enjoyed no more.
This is the first example of legislation to the di-
rect detriment of the Press, and we may well ask
on what principle it is to be justified. Not on
grounds of abstract policy certainly, for all states-
men of all parties have long concurred in asserting
that the Press ought to be eneouraged. Nor can
such a measure consist with any special policy of
the present Government, for that policy has always
notoriously included the removal of everything like
an impediment to the circulation and distribution
of knowledge. Still less is it a concession to public
importunity, for nobody could think of protesting
against an optional payment. Any newspaper pro-
prietor who dislikes or can dispense with the im-
pressed stamp is at perfect liberty to do so, and it
can be no injury to him if his neighbour sees fit to
have recourse to it. Least.of all is it a question of
economising revenue, which, on the contrary, would
infallibly be lost as a first consequence of the mea-
sure, and by no moans certainly be recovered after-
wards. Last year newspapers taxed themselves to
the extent of nearly £150,000 by the voluntary
adoption of this impressed stamp, and all that in-
come would, of course, be lost to th 6 Exchequer
when the stamp could be adopted no longer.
Then, where in. the world is the motive for this
proposal? We will tell the reader. The motive lies
simply in the desire to let certain Post. Office officials
have their own way in managing the Post-office.
These gentlemen want to economise labour and in-
crease profits in their particular department, and
they think these objects are to be achieved by shut-
ting newspapers out of the letter-bexes. Theyswant
to exclude us, for the future, from the category of
letters, and to drop us into the Book and Parcel
Post with other " printed matter." That is their
view of the affair, and Mr. Gladstone has allowed