The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1850.

This evening a resolution, long promised, long
postponed, and long expected, will be moved in the
House of Commons by the Right Hon. MILNER
Ginsoiv, strongly condemnatory of the Taxes imposed
upon Knowledge. Under four leading particulars
these injurious imposts will be assailed—the advocate
of cheap and wholesome literature inveighing, first,
against the excise duties on paper ; secondly, against
the stamp duties on newspapers ; thirdly, against the
arbitrary duties on advertisements ; and, fourthly,
against the Customs' duties on foreign publi-
cations. Each and all of these deplorable
grievances to the community will be de-
fended with that perverse pertinacity which, as,
a specimen of the acme of obtuseness, appears to be
the exclusive characteristic of a Chancellor of the
Exchequer. In reference to the line of reasoning
which may be adopted by the Right Hon. the Repre-
sentative of Manchester, we may observe that, no
matter which may be selected, it cannot fail to prove
most fruitful in argument. Whether he turn his at-
tention and the attention of Parliament to the in-
jurious influence exercised by the taxes on know-
ledge over the morals of the population, over the
amount of the national revenues, over the intellect of
the age, and consequently over the general diffusion
of religious truth and the general advancement of
civilization—he may demonstrate with facility the
urgent and importunate necessity existing for the re-
moval of evils so glaringly detrimental to the highest
and noblest interests of the multitude.

It was with the genius of a philosopher as well
as with the consummate dexterity of a novelist skilled
in the art of historical delineation, that
Sir WALTER SCGTT, in one of the most felicitous of
those, golden romancer, whose prolonged and gor-
geous panorama opened with a tale in Scotland, and
closed with a story in Palestine, depicted that me•
morable interview between the Eleventh Louis of
France land the Astrologer GALLIOTTI—the inter-
view in which the results of the newly-discovered art
of printirg were prophetically recognized. Having
submitted to the fanatical Sovereign the first specimen
of this novel contrivance for "multiplying manuscripts
by the intervention of machinery," the seer exclaims,
in a tone of brooding admiration—" Can I look for-
ward without wonder and astonishment to the lot of
a succeeding generation, on whom knowledge will
descend like the first and second rain, uninterrupted,
unabated, and unbounded; fertilising some grounds,
and overflowing others ; changing the whole
form of social life ; establishing and over-
throwing religions ; erecting and destroying
kingdoms " " Hold, G-ALLIOTTI," cries the
King, " shall these changes come in our times ?"
" No, my royal brother," responds the voice of the
astrologer, " this invention may be likened to a
young tree, which is newly planted, but shall, in
succeeding generations, bear fruit as fatal as that
of the garden of Eden ; the knowledge, namely, of
good and evil." And Louis answers, " Let futu-
rity look to what concerns them—we are men of
this age, and to this age we will confine
our care. Sufficient for the day is the evil
thereof." The spirit of Lotus XI. has survived even
to this generation. It is diffused throughout the
present Government. It says to the prophets of the
time, when " Knowledge will descend like the first
and second rain, uninterrupted, unabated, and un-
bounded"— " Let futurity look to what concerns
them ; we are men of this age, and to this age we
will confine our care : sufficient for the day is
the evil thereof ! " Little dreaming, these blind
leaders of the nations, that— Behold ! the
time is come the day is already at
hand ! Happy for those among the national repre-
sentatives who recognize the proximity of the glorious
epoch when no impediment whatever shall stand be-
tween the people and those waters of life (wisdom)
flowing to them along the conduits of the Press from
the wellspring of science and literature. Happy for
them, because they and they only will be regarded
as the real well-wishers of the people and as
the real benefactors of their country. Among
them the name of MILNER Grissom is now
indelibly enrolled ; and, whether successful or not in
his present endeavours, his generous efforts to effect
the intellectual emancipation of the community will
not be very readily forgotten.
Already in cur comments upon the masterly
pamphlet recently published by CHARLES KNIGHT
(a pamphlet again referred to in an admirable leading
article, copied into our columns of this evening from
those of our contemporary the Morning Chronicle),
wherein that distinguished teacher of the multitude
has recounted the " Struggles of a Book
against Excessive Taxation," we have expatiated
upon the pernicious consaquences of this taxa-
tion as witnessed in the impure and foetid
effusions squandered amongst the crowd in the at-
tractive' guise of cheap literature. To terminate this
destructive evil must be an object of solicitude with
every one interested in the diminution of crime, for
we are satisfied that it is to these penny periodicals,
replete with filth and obscenities, that the large, and
in some cases increasing, number of our criminals is
attributable. Enable such men as the CHAMBERS'S—
enabIe such a man as CHARLES KNIGHT to supply the
public with sound and wholesome knowledge in the
form of penny periodicals, and all these prurient
effusions of the press, engendering an appetite for
vice, and demoralising the masses by fostering their
darker passions, would vanish like birds of night be-
fore the dawn of morning. To effect this beneficent
improvement, the Legislature bas only to remit those
taxes upon knowledge which are as disgraceful to the
age, the nation, and the Parliament, as they are inju-
rious to the cause of enlightenment, of Christianity,
and of civilization.

The independent Members of Parliament appear
to have gained new rigour by the temporary relaxa-
tion afforded during the Easter recess. Honourable
Gentlemen had then sufficient opportunities of ascer-
taining the opinions and feelings of their respective
constituencies, and of discovering how those by whom
they were selected to fill the honourable position of
" popular representatives" were affected towards the
Whig Government. A general expression of dis-
content and dissatisfaction at the backslidings and re-
trogressions of the once popular Liberals (!) had
been heard from all quarters. It was known, that if
they had not entirely forfeited the good opinion
of . the people, they had at least lost ground
considerably, and that a change of Ministry, which
would, a few years since, have been regarded as a
calamity of no ordinary magnitude, would now be
regarded with careless apathy, if not with positive
pleasure.

Previous, however; to the recess matters went on
amThiectseedvere illness by which Sir
tolerably smoothlwyas.
;Inted the attendance
episrtnieovn of fiscal or finan-
CIIABLEB WOOD
of the, Right Hon. Baronet is is place until the
opNeroly be brought forward in his
clisalthpoolficy Marchcoul
d last.
p r
absence, and discussions on matters I •
n which rho
Whigs were prOverbially deficient in strength were
thtis avoided. Sanguine anticipations were also in-
dulged in as to the relief that would be afforded
by the reductions rendered possible by a sur-
plus of revenue above expenditure to the ex-
tent of 2,000,000/. sterling. Each person fondly
hoped that the class 'to which he himself belonged
would receive some substantial benefit. No opinion
could be formed as to the mode in, which the present
Chancellor of the Exchequer' would deal with the
sum placed at his disposal. An excess of revenue
above expenditure had been utterly unknown since
his secession to office ;
and, although his manner of
providing for a
deficienty was but too painfully per-
ceptible, his probable
proceedings, under opposite and

more favourable circumstances, were still involved in
the deepest gloom and obscurity.
The " Brick-dust Budget" of the 15th of March,
however, completely dispersed any fond illusions that
might have been indulged in. The Right
Honourable Baronet then proved that, how-
ever incompetent to the discharge of the
important and arduous duties of his office in seasons
of adversity, his deficiencies were still more glaring
in periods of greater prosperity. New loans were
effected while profound peace and tranquillity pre-
vailed on every side—that was indeed bad ; but the
public lost all patience when they discovered that by
far the larger portion of the "heaven-sent" surplus
was to be:applied to—what I—something would surely
be done with that to reflect credit on the Minister of
Finance, and retrieve the waning popularity of his
official coadjutors; alas, no !—the abolition of the
duty on bricks, and the liquidation of the National
Debt 11l This was indeed too bad ; it was the " last
straw that broke the back of the camel," that sealed
the doom of the Whigs. The result is sufficiently
perceptible from the proceedings of the pest week.
Day by day it has been our painful duty, as public
journalists, to chronicle a series of disgraceful de-
feats, each more decisive than the preceding one. On
Monday the Ministers were most properly left in a
minority on the question of the assistant-surgeons of
the Royal Navy. On Tuesday they obtained a paltry
and insignificant majority of three (!!!) on the win-
dow• tax. On Wednesday, on the second reading of the
County Courts Extension Act, they were completely
' and decisively routed by an overwhelming majority
of 77-144 independent Members having voted in ac-
cordance with the desires of the people, while only
67, of whom 32 were placemen, officially connected
with the Government, could be induced to divide with
the first law officer of the Crown, aided and assisted
by her MAJEM'S principal Secretary ofState for the
Home Department, and by all the strength of the Ca-
binet. On Thursday the First Lord of the Trea-
sury postponed, to a future session, the consideration
of the admirable suggestion of the Honour.
able Member for the county of Limerick, for increas-
ing the smaller borough constituencies , in Ireland.
On Friday, in like manner, the question of economy
and retrenchment was placed upon the shelf, and the
duty that should have been performed by Ministers
themselves was cast upon a " Select Committee."
Saturday was happily a dies non, so that some little
breathing time was afforded. But another defeat
was impending, which last night completed their
discomfiture, and the, astonished and confounded
Chancellor of the Exchequer was compelled to with-
draw fur the time being, " in order to determine what
course he should pursue," the further consideration
of' the Stamp Duties Bill, introduced with so loud a
flourish of trumpets as the offspring of the anxious
care and labour of fifteen years !
This is indeed a humiliating and a painful alterna-
tive. The more equitable apportionment of the stamp
duties had long been demanded. The assessment
was, as Sir CHARLES WooD himself acknowledged on
the 15th of March, " exceedingly unfair and un-
equal." Its equalization, and the substitution of ad
valorem duties for the present scale, was anxiously
looked for on every side. If judiciously and fairly
carried out, the change would have been considered a
real boon, but unfortunately Sir Clienr.rs WOOD
could not be induced to bring forward a plain and
simple measure remedying the acknowledged griev-
ance. He endeavoured to incorporate therewith a
number of stringent provisions which would render
those imposts, already sufficiently oppressive, still more
onerous and intolerable. New regulations were in-
troduced that would subject matters now practically
exempted from the tax to very heavy charges, and the
facilities now existing for stamping or placing addi-
tional stamps on documents would be materially
abridged. Besides, the Right Honourable Gentleman
began at too high a rate of duty, and made the turn-
ing point in the scale (1,0001.) too low. In place,
therefore, of remitting taxation to the extent
of 300,0001., as declared in his speech on the
Budget, the probable results of the change would be
an increase of revenue to the amount of several hun-
dred thousands per annum. This we pointed out
clearly and distinctly on Saturday last, and showed
that the House should require additional information
to enable it to deal with the subject, and that the
" guardians of the public purse" should not permit
themselves to be hoodwinked, or to deal on insufficient
data with questions of such vital importance to the
national prosperity. Sir CHARLES WooD, however,
either could not, or would not, furnish that
information. He could make his ossn calculations that
there would he a loss, but would not show
the grounds on which he formed his judgment. The
Attorney-General also could state exactly to a single
farthing what the loss would be upon conveyances,
which he asserted would amount to 266,299/. 4s. 6d.
We are almost tempted to exclaim with Mr. MAN..
TELLINI, "the sixpence be dem'd!" But no return
would be granted to enable Honourable Gentlemen to
draw their own deductions., and Sir CHARLES WOOD
took something from the weight of his Right Hon.
Colleague's assertion by stating that "it was entirely
a guess." Under such circumstances, it is by no
means surprising, that notwithstanding the numerous
concessions made on almost every clause in the Bill, the
Government was left in a minority of 29 on the very
first division, on Sir H. "Winnotionny's motion, that
the stamp duty on bonds, for sums not exceeding 501.,
should be ls. in place of 2s. 6d., as proposed by Sir
CHARLES WOOD.. This proposition was supported by
164 independent Members, while only 135—includ-
ing place holders—voted, for Ministers. The result,
as we have already seen, is the temporary withdrawal
of the Bill, until the Right Honourable Baronet
can make up his mind, "on the course he should

pursue."

Not much doubt can remain on this point. The
House and the country will not now rest satisfied
with the existing scale. Sir CHARLES WOOD can-
not retrace his footsteps, or continue the
system which he designated as " exceed-
ingly unfair, unjust, and unequal." The
Noble Lord the Member for Marylebone stated the
general feeling on the subject, that the true principle
was " that the poor and rich should be taxed pro-
portionately—not the scandalous and disgraceful
principle that the poor should pay infinitely a larger
proportion than the .rich,, and that it was a great im-
provement for the poor man to pay only twice as
Much as the rich man, instead of forty times as
much, as he used to do." The principle of ad valorem
duties must therefore be fully and fairly carried out,
not only on the stamps, or bonds, or mortgages, and
transfers, but on every department, and on every
branch of the national re venue.

A question is now under consideration at Guildhall
of some importance to the legal profession—the utility
to the city of London of a permanent staff of law
officers. The advocates of change say that, inasmuch
as the Corporation have (always the services of the
most eminent lawyers- of Westminster Hall at their
disposal, the permanent retainer of individual mem-
bers of the profession is useless, and, moreover, that a
job is so inevitable an ingredient of civic appoint-
ments, that the system of electing permanent officers
prevents the services of efficient men being secured to
the Corporation. ,

This discussion has been immediately occasioned
by the promotion of Mr. Buri.ocs to the rank of
Common-Sergeant, and the resignation of one of the
City Common Pleaders. According to the usual
custom on such occasions, the subject has been gene-
rally referred to the Officers and Clerks' Committee;
and we hear that at a very thinly attended meeting
of that committee, on Thursday last, it was resolved,
by a majority of one, that henceforth the appoint-
ment of Common Pleaders to the city of London
should be discontinued.

It appears that the prospect of two vacancies among
the City Pleaders has, on the present occasion, brought
ee
in
fluence
has many candidates into the field, and family nflune
has been exerted to such an extent in favour of some
of the candidates, that a large portion of the Corpo-
ration felt called upon to take some decided steps to
counteract it, and hence the-somewhat hasty resolu-
tion of the meeting of Thursday last. As, however,
sudden innovations are rarely productive of the ex-
pected improvement, we are not surprised to find
that a reaction has taken place in favour of conti-
nuing the appointment.

The offices of the City Common Pleaders are of
considerable antiquity, the communes narratores civi-
tutis London being mentioned in some of the oldest
records of the Corporation, their duties requiring
them to act with the Common-Sergeant in counselling

and assisting the citizens, not only in matters pend-
ing in the civic tribunals, but in the courts at West-
Minster ; and by a by-law of the Corporation of the
date of PHILIP and MARY, the Recorder, Common-
Sergeant, and Judges of the Shez:iffs' Courts are
directed to be chosen from these learned counsellors
of the City. There are numerous instances cited in Mr.
Sergeant MANNING'S interesting work entitled " Ser.
viens ad Legem," of counsel being in ancient times re-
tained as permanent officers of public bodies, and hardly
a joint-stock company is now started without some
standing counsel being appointed ; and, if such ap •
pointments serve any useful purpose in ordinary cases,
there certainly seems good reason for the system
being continued inthe Corporation ofLondon, which en-
joys such peculiar customs and franchises. The reform
party in the Corporation would, perllaps, therefore, be
acting more wisely by endeavouring to check corrup-
tion in their own body than by seeking the abolition of
old and useful offices, which, whits t they are kgiti-
mate objects of ambition to the bar, ensure to the
City, at a nominal salary of five pounds a year,
a staff of officers devoted to the rather uninviting sub-
ject of civic law. The Queen's Counsel receive also
such a nominal salary ; but even Mr. JOSEPH HUME
has not been heard to complain of tois, :and the rank
of Queen's Counsel is rarely confer; -ed except on the
most distinguished members of the English bar.
Is the Corporation of London, thee), confessedly so
corrupt that its members cannot be trusted to elect
from the bar an efficient staff of Common Pleaders ?
Is the system of nepotism so engrafted into the pro-
ceedings of Guildhall that they cannot even retain
counsel for the City, except from the families of their
own members? We hope, for the honour of the
Corporation, this is not the case. A mongst the 232
members of the Court of Common Council are nume-
rous gentlemen of energy, talent, and independence.
They can, if they please, by resisti.eig improper in-
fluence, vindicate the good old p rinciple of local
government, which the city of Londo a is said so peon.
liarly to illustrate; and if they despair of securing
the proper choice of men to fill sucl junior offices as
that of Common Pleader, there is little security to the
public that in their selection of judges, magistrates,
&c., any other object will be kept. in view by the
Corporation than the providing plcx.es fur themselves
or their families.

It behoves the city of Lordon on such an occasion
to gravely consider the question before them. The
office of Common Pleader may or may not have be-
come an unimportant one. If it lies become so, the
obvious cause is the neglect of the Corporation to ap-
point efficient men to fill it. If it l.as not, and there
still continues to attach to it some thing more than
the wretched perquisites of the monopoly of the Lord
Mayor's Court, the Corporation must make up their
minds to leave family considerations out of the ques-
tion, and appoint men who will iui mediately become
useful efficers, and at some futura period efficient
judges.

The indefatigable Mr. GEORGE ALFRED WALKER
deserves the felicitations of every sincere sanitary
reformer, seeing that last even;'ng the Cabinet,
through the person of the Home Socretary, took the
initiative step towards the organisiration of a system
of extramural interment. To thmt end, during the
sitting of the House of Commons yesterday,
leave was granted to the Government, on
the motion of Sir GEORGE Ga EY, to bring in
a measure such as will tend to tne realisation of a
boon long anticipated by the population. When the
Bill shall have been formally submitted to the con-
sideration of the Legislature we shall find repeated
opportunities for commenting on the merits or de-
ficiencies of the scheme therein ,to be propounded
by the present Ministry ; but already, at this early
stage of the proceeding, we eagerly press forward to
felicitate the originator of the whale movement, and
to commend the Government for having at length
yielded to the irresistible force of argument, tardily,
it is true, but nevertheless fully and cordially.