The Sun.
London, England, 1819-12-30 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, DEc. 29.

NEW,,PA PER STAMP-DUTIES BILL.

The Earl of Ltaretteoot. moved the third
reading of this Rill.
Lord ERSKINE, WhO just entered the House as
the qaesiion was about io be put, proceeded to
oppose the Bill ; hut the greater part of his oh-
set vat erns, particularly at the commencement ,
,were not distinctly heard below the bar. He was
0, opinion, that the measure would not have
the effect the Nohe Lords who had sup-
ported it expected from it. He regarded it as a
'very unnecessary encroartimeot on the liberty of
tile press, and one which Could oat Nil to be felt
as a great hataship by the whole printing trade
of the country, in comet-pence of the severe and
embartassing rest-aints it imposed. He partica-
lady objected to she clause revitiog recogni-
zanees, to which there was scarce any thing
analogosts in the system of British law. In ge-
neral brtore reeognizaoces were required, some-
th ng had occurred, with regard to the behaviour
of the party, which warranted the making such
demand ; hot, according to this Bill, they were to
be demanded before any crime was committed, or
any ground existed for .suspicion. flow were
many of sin ill property, under such circumstances,
to find secutity, not against the commission of
any known act, but agaiosi-something which no-
body could define? There was besides, no soth-
cient evidence to warrant the arioption of this
measure. The ill !he preamble was not
made out, and the grounds Ott tablets their Lind-
ships were called upon to pass the Bill were net
supported by any investigation. He thet efote
could not give it his vote. In tie mean tinte, he
was of opinion that Ministers esfoold find it diffi•
colt to execute the the :ray they expect-
ed ; and he should not be surprised to see a Bill
breeeht in to explain Red emend it before the end
of the Session. It bright he defeated by printing
more sheets titan two, or by publishing monthly,
instead of at a shorter period than 2G days.
The Earl of LIvRUPOOL hail no dortht as to the
operation of,the Bill having effect. Its effect as
to the applica,ion of the stamp dories was ap-
plicable to publications sold at 64 or a less price
in addition to the stamp. The object of this re-
gulation was, to check the circuhring of blas-
phemous and seditious libels--an evil which had
grown up withio late years. The Nohle and
L,arned Lord seemed to think that there was 'to-
thing auidogous in the lase of the conuttv to the
part of the Bill which required reeognizatreas ;
bat in this he apprehended the Nohle and Leen-
ed Lord was t4rcarly tu,staken. There were many
cases in which secusities were required, in which
there was no pretence for supposing that the party
of whom they were demanded had committed any
improper act. No publican, for instance, could
commence hosineas without giving sureties for
his good conduct. There were many pursuits
^which were so liable to abuse from the nature of
the case, that it was proper the persons engaged
in them should oiled upon to give some seen
rity for regular and proper cOuduct. The guys
tint) then for their Lordship-s to consider w,s,
whether Oleic had not been such a degree 01
abuse with regard to cheap pablicatious, as af-
forded a reasonable greund for asking security
from the persons who put them forth. This
clause could by no means be considered as an op-
pressiou on the respectable persons connected
with the higher branches of the periodical press,
or tile bookselling trade, to whom the demand
could occasion no y or embatrassment.

LOH! ELLENBORMIGH supported the Bill, which
intix►sed no restraint on t it discussion, but ►ras
directed against a pauper press, from which the
greatest mischief was to be apprehended. He

differed with his Noble and Learned Friend with
regard to the fitness of the Ball to meet the dan-
ger. Their Lordships would not do justice to the
country it they did not pass this measure, for the
conduct of that press which it was destined to cor-
rect had formed a great part of the evil of which
the public had to complain. That press did

not dare to tell the truth, because those who

managed it wrote solely for profit. It there-
foie did not attempt to direct, but constantly
followed the varying opinion of the e, ver chang-
ing mob, studying to flatter their prejudices and
minister to their passions. His Noble and Learned
friend, who might be regarded as the patron of
the press, still contended that there was no ground
for passing the Bill, because the publications com-
plained of could be opposed and written down by
others ; but if he considered the real state of the
case, he would find that very difficult. The cheap-
ness of these publications rendered it impossible
to undersell them : and as they "had already pro-
duced so much mischief, the evil must necessarily
be greatly increased before they could be written
down. From the period of Hone's acquittal to
the conviction of Carlile, the press, from which
these mischievous publications issued, bad gone
on without any control, or any apprehension of
punishment. He was aware that an important
question here arose, namely—whether the lower
orders ought to be deprived of a political press ; but
into that he did not further enter than to express his
opinion against their political reading, which he
thought could be of no use to them. The country
conid derive no bent fit from philosophers front the
loom, or statesmen from spinning-jennies. Be-
sides, the kind of reading which publications such
as had lately been so widely circulated afforded,
tended to destroy the hopes of that moral improve-
mew which it was of the greatest importance to
promote among the lower orders of the people.—
He therefore gave his warm support to the Bill,
because he was convinced, that on the moral int-

provement of ►he people depended, not only their
own happiness, but the prosperity and true great-

ness of the State.

The Bill %vas then read a third time and passed.
Adjourned.

It is understood in the military circles, that
Lieutenant-General Sir ALEXANDER CAMPBELL,
is destined to take the command of the
iinops on the Madras station, in place of Sir
TH:IMAS HISLOP, who is on his way home. Sir
I,EX A Nnutt will probably sail early in the ensu-
ing spring.