The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-12 00:00:00

exienino

LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12,1850.

We yesterday commented upon the grievousness of a
tax which practically tends to exclude air and light
from the dwellings of the people. This afternoon Mr.
MILNER GIBSON brings under the consideration of the
House of Commons a class of imposts which, in'a moral
point of view, exercise a similarly baneful influence,
Mr. GIBSON very justly desires that a considerable re-
duction, if not a total repeal, shall be effected in all
those duties which tend to impede the diffusion of
knowledge among the people. It is unneces-
sary now in this book-loving age to at-
tempt to enumerate the beneficent capabilities of
the Press. All classes have concurred in admitting
(verbally at least) the truth of that maxim of the
great pioneer of cheap literature—" By education
men become easy to lead and difficult to drive; easy
to govern but impossible to enslave." There has been
some talk recently about the cultivation of waste
lands, and 'Utilitarians have (very reasonably) la-
mented that large tracts of good soil should be left
barren as the desert, when a little labour might con-
vert them into fertile corn-bearing fields. But if
want of cultivation be lamentable in this case, how
much more appalling is that moral and mental dearth
which characterises the great multitude of the Bri-
tish people ! What a rich soil is here left waste,
what countless multitudes of desolate hearts and
brutalised minds ! And not only have we to lament
such barren deserts—too often the rich soil which
might have blossomed with the olive and the rose is
fertile with poisonous weeds, spreading death and
disease around. Such is a true picture of the
mental and moral condition of the great multitude of
the lower orders. The fact is so notorious that it is
unnecessary to dilate upon it. To put an end to this
moral dearth, to bring these waste lands into
cultivation, is one of the highest and
noblest duties required of' the legislator and
the philanthropist. There has been for some time
manifested, even among the lowest and most ignorant
ranks, a craving fur mental food, and this has been)
to a certain extent, responded to. Publishers vie
with one another in setting forth their wares at the
lowest possible cost. We have "standard libraries,"
containing really excellent works, at a moderate price.
The compositions of some of the best of our mo-
dern novelists are ',wing issued in shilling'volumes. In
addition to this some of the most popular writers of
the day have assumed the office of journalist, viz.,
Eliza Cook's Journal and others, and the works
issued under their superintendence are thus brought
somewhat nearer the reach of the majority. Some
persons may consider such an occupation a3;a de-
gradation of the genius of the poet or
the novelist ; but to our thinking the
noblest prerogative and the highest duty of the
intellectual few' is to let their light shine in such a
manner as may best serve to dissipate the spiritual
darkness of the million. The million, whatever the
exclusive sceptic may allege to the contrary, have
hearts and brains capable of responding to the touch
of genius. Let any who doubt the fact go to the
public theatre, and notice whether SLIAKSPER-13'8 most
enthusiastic, aye, and most judicious, applauders oc-
cupy the private boxes or the gallery. Do those
touches of nature which make the whole world kin
s rsu se ?
fall unheeded on the ears of the ignorant ? Do no
hard discoloured hands join in the noisy e
s plauditssuffused
Are no seemingly stolid, callous, features
with a:raOmentary softness ? Strong proofs these of
the netael goodness of the soil.
While we thus :find authors and publishers in
their several ways endeavouring to furnish cheap
literature: for the masses, how do we find
our Legisletors -- they to whose care the
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