The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-11 00:00:00

REPEAL OF THE PAPER DUTY. I T Hill D ED ITI ON
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DEPUTATION TO LORD DERBY—(THIS DAY).
This afternoon deputations from Scotland, Ire-
land, the Old Association for the Repeal of Taxes
upon Knowledge, the Newspaper Press Association,
the Association of Papers Makers of Birmingham, and
a large number of the members of the House of Com-
mons, waited upon the Earl of Derby, at his official resi-
dence in Downing-street, to urge upon his lordship the
necessity of repealing the paper duties.
Mr. T. M. GIBSON introduced the deputation, and called
upon the Secretary of the Association for promoting the
repeal of the taxes on knowledge.
Mr. D. COLLET then read the address, which was as fol-
lows :

" To the Right Honourable the Earl of Derby, First Lord
of her Majesty's Treasury.

"My Lord,—When Sir Robert Peel gave to this country
the inestimable boon of a free manufacture of glass, some
persons were found so ungracious as to complain that he did
so unasked. It is to render such an accusation impossible
as against your lordship in the case of the paper duties—
not to weary you with arguments that must be familiar
to you—that we once more take advantage of the audience
which you have kindly vouchsafed to us. It is now
ten years since we formed ourselves into a society,
to demand, on grounds of public policy, the abolition of
these and other kindred taxes since happily repealed. In
that time, with scarce even a single exception, no First Lord
of the Treasury or Chancellor of the Exchequer has been
found to defend the tax. Since we last year brought the
matter under what we think ourselves entitled to call your
lordship's favourable consideration, that branch of the
Legislature on which devolves the burthen of supply has
resolved—' That the maintenance of the excise on paper as
a permanent source of revenue would be impolitic.
" The house will shortly be called on to give effect to that
resolution. To allow it to remain inoperative on the records
of the house would be derogatory to its character, and we
hope that your lordship will not call on it to rescind a
resolution which was agreed to without a division.
We have associated with us on this occasion the mem-
bers of three associations, representing the press of
England, Ireland, and Scotland, together with others per-
sonally injured by the duty, in manufactures and com-
merce In every aspect of the question, the mischief done
is so great that the only danger is that either depart-
ment should overlook the extent of the injury done to the
other, and thus overrate its own importance. We do not
assert that the repeal of the duty will create new popula-
tions to take our manufactures ; but the duty does act as a
prohibition on specific branches of commerce. We do not
pretend that pauperism will cease wherever a paper-mill is
established ; but we are able to show that, were the duty
repealed, double the present quantity of paper might be
produced, and the field of employment greatly extended.
" With regard to the Press, without exaggerating the
extent or the importance of its functions, and without sup-
posing for a moment that any Englishman can be exone-
rated from the duty of exercising a watchful supervision
over public affairs, we complain that the heavy taxation
imposed by the paper duty la a great impediment to that
contemporaneous record of events which is only to be found
in the newspaper. The absence of taxation will not, it is
true, confer patriotism or talent on those writers who are
destitute of thom ; but where these qualities are possessed,
the paper duty stands very grievously in their way. And
when any individual standing alone attempts to instruct
his countrymen through the press, at his own expense, the
tax operates as a penalty upon the performance of a public
service.

" In submitting this matter once more to your lordship,
we recur with satisfaction to the promise of the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer to revise our system of taxation.
We recollect that his predecessors in eleven years repealed
seven millions of taxation, with the result of a positive
increase of five millions to the revenue. We cannot doubt
that you have by this time ascertained the practicability of
carrying on the same operation with success, and we hope
that to your lordship's administration we may owe our
relief from a tax which obstructs education, impedes com-
merce, hinders production, interferes with the process of
manufacture, represses industry, and is injurious to that
revenue the maintenance of which is the only, but the un-
warrantable excuse for its continuance. Signed, by order
of the commitee, and on their behalf.
" RICHARD MOORE, Chairman,
25, Hart-street, Bloomsbury.
" C. D. COLLET, Secretary,
10, Ampton-placo, Gray's-inn-road."

The following memorial was also read :
" To the Right Honourable the Earl of Derby, First Lord
_ _ of the Treasury, &c., &c.

" The Memorial of the unde-rigneci humbly sheweth,.—
That your memorialists are manufacturers of or exporters
and dealers in sewing cotton. That foreign markets re-
quire such cotton to be wound upon cards of pasteboard,
and that the pasteboard weighs as much as the cotton
wound thereon. That the difference in the price of paste•.
board here and on the Continent of Europe is such as to
amount to an export duty of 5 per cent. on the cotton sent
from this country into neutral markets. That merchants
do actually find it advantageous to buy cotton thread in
Germany, to import it into Hull, and then tranship
it to America. That your memorialists believe
this state of things to be mainly owing to
the Excise levied upon paper in this country.
That the Lords of the Treasury have declined to allow a
drawback upon pasteboard exported with sewing cotton
wound thereon, on the ground that such drawback would
endanger the revenue. That the magnitude of the interests
involved leaves your memorialists no other course than to
ask your Lordship for the total and immediate repeal of the
excise on paper, which they do most earnestly, not only
for their own sakes, but because it is the only excise remain-
ing upon industry, the moral tendency of which is unques-
tioned.

" Nicnom.s, LUCAS, and Co.
" WADKIN and KING.
" JOSH. & E. WATERS and CO.
" F. ENGELS, jun.
" (For ERMEN and ENGELS.)
" JAS. CHADWICK and BROTHERS."

Mr. Vizetelly, Mr. Cassell, Mr. Francis, of the Athenceunt,
Dr. Gray, on the part of the Irish deputation, Mr. W.
Chambers, and other gentlemen, having stated their views
on the subject.

The Earl of DERI3Y said he had listened very attentively
to the statements made by the the deputation. He had
never concealed his objections to the tax, but look-
ing to the state of the public revenue, he could
give the deputation no distinct answer on the subject.
He could not express any opinion on the subject, or anti-
cipate ths statement that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
would be called upon to make during the next two months
All he could say was that the state of public finances was
the only thing that stood in the way of the repeal of the
duty.
The deputation then withdrew.

FALL OF A PUBLIC-HOUSE. - TWO

BROTHERS KILLED.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. W. Baker, the coroner
for East Middlesex, held a long inquiry at the Three
Compasses, Dalston, to view the body of James
Webb, a carpenter, who, with his brother, was
killed by the falling of a newly-erected publichouse,
called the Marian Arms, in Lansdowne-road, Rich-
mond-road, Dalston.

Mr. Angel, a solicitor, attended to watch the pro-
ceedings on behalf of Mr. Liscom, the builder. _

The house was commenced a few weeks before
Christmas, and has recently been roofed in. On
Thursday afternoon the deceased men, with another
brother, were in one of the front rooms laying the
flooring, when the front wall of the house suddenly
collapsed, and the whole came down with a fearful
crash, carrying with it the several floors. One of
the unfortunate men was brought out dead, and
another, who was conveyed to the German Hospi-
tal, died on Monday morning. It appeared that
the arch of the cellar in front of the house had been
connected with the front wall with a " skew back,"
to form which the new brick work had to be cut
into to the extent of four or five inches.

Mr. Wy itt, the district surveyor, was examined
at some length, and he attributed the failure of the
wall to the forming of the "skew back" while the
work was in such a green state. The recent wet
weather might also have contributed, and the ram-
ming down of the earth on the top of the arch
might have weakened the centres. The materials
used in the construction of the house were good,
and the footings and upper walls were in excess of
what was required by the Act of Parliament. Mr.
Liscom made the " skew back" on his own respon-
sibility, and as the house was covered in, according
to the strict terms of the act, he ought not to have
cut into the front wall without giving notice to the
district surveyor. He (Mr. Wyatt) would not have
given his sanction to the " skew back ;" but all he
could say was that it was an error in judgment.
James Miller, a plasterer, spoke of the centres of
the arch not appearing sufficient to bear the weight.
They had not been struck.
The Coroner having alluded to the importance of
the inquiry, and that the evidence would not justify
a criminal charge against any one,
The jury, after some deliberation, found "That
the deceased had been accidentally killed ;" and
added, " that they (the jurors) could not separate
without expressing their opinion that th© accident
was caused by the cutting of skew back' five
inches in the front wall, which they considered to
be a very dangerous practice, under any circum-
stances, more especially when:the work is in a green
state ; and that the cutting should not have been
made without giving notice to the district sur-
veyor." .

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(THIS EVENING).

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

POLICE OF SCOTLAND.

The Earl of DERBY said the report with respect to the
Scotch police could not be laid on the table before Easter.
The LORD CHANCELLOR postponed the second
reading of the Winding-up Act till Thursday week. •
The LORD CHANCELLOR, at the request of Lord
Campbell, postponed the second reading of the Vexatious
Indictments Bill, and the Juries in Civil Causes Bill, until
the Ist of March.

CRIME IN IRELAND.
Lord CLEMENTS moved that a humble address be
presented to her Majesty for a return of the names
of all persons assassinated in Ireland from the
20th of May, 1836, to the 31st of December, 1858 ;
the date of such assassination ; the names of all persons
who have been wounded or attempts made to assassinate,
for the same period ; the date of such attempt; the
county in which such persons resided ; the names
of persons arrested, if any, on suspicion of
such assassination or attempted assassination ; by
whose order committed; the informations, by whom
taken, if any ; date of imprisonment ; if brought to trial
state the date; if convicted state the date ; if acquitted
state the date ; the sentence ; and if sentence was carried
into effect or commuted.
Lord DERBY said he fully expected that the noble lord,
in moving for the extensive returns he had done, would
certainly have explained his reasons for doing so. The
returns moved for were most extraordinary, and would
put the country to a very great expense for no useful pur-
pose. He must object to the returns moved for, and in
doing so he trusted their lordships would support him.
Lord CLEMENTS did not expect there would be the
slightest opposition to the return. He was unfavourable
to putting more power into the hands of the Lord Lieu-
tenant of Ireland than he at present possessed, especially as
neither he nor his officials had been successful in their efforts
to protect life and property in that country. There had
been of late a very great increase of outrages in Ireland,
while unfortunately very few persons committing them had
been discovered and brought to justice. •
Lord MONTEAGLE hoped the noble lord (Clements)
would withdraw his motion.

Viscount DUNGANNON thought the Executive Go •
vernment of Ireland had done its duty, and he looked upon
the return moved for as perfectly unnecessary. He
looked upon it as an undeserved reflection upon
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. (Hear, hear, hear.)
The Earl of DESART objected to the return being
granted. The police of Ireland he considered had acted of
late in a most judicious manner.
Lord CLEMENTS said, as his motion was so strongly
opposed, there was no other course open for him but to
withdraw his motion. He certainly had not intended it as
a reflection upon the Executive Government of Ireland.
The motion was then, by leave of the house, withdrawn.

THE MILITIA COMMISSION.
Earl GREY asked her Majesty's Government when the
report of the Militia Commission would be presented to
their lordships ?
Lord HARDINGE said he could not at the present.
moment give the noble earl any defininite answer to his
question. He begged to assure him that the Royal Com-
missioners would lose no time in their inquiries, and the
report would be presented at the earliest possible moment.
The noble earl might rest perfectly satisfied that the various
militia regiments already embodied were in a high state of
efficiency, and that many of them were equal in discipline
and character to those of the line.
Earl GREY said that, according to present arrange-
ments, the expenses of
.a militia regiment were about as
much as those of the line, while they were as effective ; and
he looked upon the present state of affairs as an injustice
both to the regiments of the line and the militia. One of
the first faults of the system was the facility it offered to
men of enlisting into two or even three regiments of militia,
and receiving a bounty from each. The disembodied militia
was perfectly useless as far as defensive operations were
concerned, since they would not be re-organised in less than
a fortnight, and in case of invasion or war breaking out,
the first fortnight was precisely the period when their ser-
vices would be most required. He placed the highest value
upon commissions of inquiry, but they required to be con-
ducted with care and judgment; he was afraid, however,
that such was not the case with the Militia Commission,
He !objected to the frequency with which commissions
were appointed. (Hear, hear.) At present they had four
or five commissions sitting upon subjects which it was the
bounden duty of the Government to inquire into. He looked
upon the Government as a standing commission, and he
deprecated the system of deputing inquiries to commissions
which properly belonged to the Government itself.
The Earl of DERBY had not expected the
noble earl would have entered into the subject
in the manner he had done. He could not agree in the
censure the noble earl had passed upon the militia ; on the
contrary, •he looked upon it as a very valuable
acquisition to the effective force of the country.
He thought it was the duty of the Government to
wait for the report of the commission before they
introduced any measures to Parliament for its considera-
tion.

After a few words from Earl GRANVILLE,
Their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(Tins EVENING).
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. SAMUELSON took the oathii and his seat as member
:or Banbury.
PETITIONS.

Mr. HADFIELD presented a petition from Whitfield, and
Mr. SAMUELSON from Banbury, praying for the abolition
of the duty on paper. A number of other petitions were
presented to the same effect.

The LORD ADVOCATE presented a petition from a
borough in Scotland against the continuance of the opium
trade.

Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition agreed to at a pub-
lic meeting in Edinburgh, and another from Lancashire, in
favour of Parliamentary eform.
Mr. CONINGHAM presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of the city of London for the same object.