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

POOR LAW.

Mr. HATCHELL stated, in reply to a question from
Colonel Blackall, that the Poor-law Commissioners,
had no power t) award salaries to assistant poor-law
guardians, nor had they any power to pay them out of
the rates. - They were in the position of ex officio or re-
presentative guardians, and were not emit ed to any
salary.
TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.

Mr. LUSLIINGTON presented a petition from print-
ers and others in London and Westminster, in favour of
Mr. M. Gibson's motion for a repeal of the taxes on
parer and advertisementi, and for the repeal of the
newspaper stamp duty.
Mr. LABOUCHERE presented a petition from
Exeter to the same effect.

Mr. COBDEN presented similar petitions from-Scar-
borough and several places in Lincolnshire.
Mr. M. GIBSON rose, after presenting several peti-
tions to the same effect from the metropolis and other
parts of the country, to move the following resolutions:—
Whereas all taxes which directly impede the diffusion of
knowledge ate highly injurious to the public interests,
and are most impolitic sources of revenue, this House is
of opinion, Ist, That such financial arrangements ought to
be.made as will enable Parliament to repeal the excise
duty on paper; 2d, that it is expedient to abolish the
stamp duties now payable on newspapers in Great Bri-
tain and Ireland; 3d, that it is expedient to abolish the
duties now payable on advertisements in Great Bri-
tain and Ireland; 4th, and that the customs
duty on foreign > books ought to be repealed.
Before entering upon the merits of the particular resolu-
tions he was about to submit to the House, he thought
it right to make a few preliminary observations, in or-
der to explain to the House why he had thought it con-
sistent with his views to make this motion in its pre-
sent form of separate resolutions • also to explain to the
House the way in which he wished the motion to be put,
and also to explain how he could reconcile it with his
sense of public duty to move for a rather large reduction
of taxation after the financial arrangements of the year
has been concluded. With regard to the last of these
points, ho wished to say, that if a Member of Parliament
were to wait previous to asking the House to express an
opinion upon the policy of particular taxes until there
was a clear surplus, and no way pointed out of applying
such a moton to
ethreart
hsaurreplauus,
ophpeovreturyeimtynocfhsudbomubitteddngw. hether he
iwould
the House.—(Hear.) Why, at all times Government
Tmhanesegxeped
utodistpuernedwaesemaulwchayaes
uitp toco theuld
revenue, andget.—(A laugh.)
surplus
an
independent
before if
mthaekying a
werenitootiozaoint t
huntil therepolicy
yof
was a
a
Member would seemly have an opportunity presented
to him for the purpose. Now, in 1842, the Bight Hon.
Baronet the Member for Tamworth entered on power
taxation,
with a largo deficiency, but that did not deter him from
dealing with taxation as a matter of policy, or from
making such arrangements as enabled him to repeal
taxes, without injuring the revenue, which rested
upon the springs cf industry and retarded the
operations of trade and manufactures.—(Hear, hear.)
And, therefore, he said as a matter of principle they
were entitled, without reference to the mere fact of there
being a surplus, to raise the question of taxation as part
of the national pulicy with as much right as if they
were seekieg the opinion of the House as to any
particular contemplated tax.—(Hear, boa.) Ho did not
ask any gentleman to do anything rasb, or to interfere
indiscriminately with the public finances. It had been
hinted that a new school of repudiation was springing
up amongst them, but he was not of that school; he only
desired the Howe to consider whether they could nut
raise the revenue of theeountry in such tt way as should
be likely the least to depress any importsnt branch
of trade or manufactures.—(llesr,•hear, and cheers.)
He did not wish Hon. Members to adopt all the resolu-