The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-22 00:00:00

1.4 e, -

We thiv..k there could be little mistake as to such letter
being perfectly legible, upon a placard of very moderate
size.

Our contemporary is the very last person in the world
who ought to have ventured to accuse another of tricky
practices, inasmuch as he is himself a sinner in such gag_
gery and a constant practitioner of the art of humbugging
the unreflecting public. At this moment the walls of our
town, and of the neighbouring outskirts, are plentifully_
posted with a large placard, of which the following is a
copy :

LIVERPOOL MERCURY,
PUBLISHED EVERY
TUESDAY AND FRIDAY.

AVERAGE CIRCULATION,
Of Fr;dars •
8450 COPIES.
Now, when we state that whilst the whole of the placard
is in most imposing letter, the type in which "Average
circulation" is printed is ll inches in height, and that to
which " 8950 copies" is printed is 8 inches, what do our
readers suppose is the size of the intervening qualifying
size "of Friday's." Why just a third of an inch. and the
type stuck in a corner so as to escape observation as much
as possible.
Of course so virtuous a personage could never wish to
convey the impression that the average circulation of
Tuesday's and Friday's Mercury is 8950 copies each.
There are more than one in a million, however, who
glancing at the placard in question arrive at that coaclu-
sion ; if indeed it were not intended that they should do
so.
We would seriously advise our contemporary, whilst in
his present distempered state, not to strike out at so much
random ; for random blows are seldom wisely dealt, and
often provoke unpleasant returns. If he has made his
moves clumsily ; if he has benefitted little from the wan-
ton and unprovoked injury which he inflicted upon his
brother Whig journalist when he usurped his day of pub-
lication ; if his poor six columns of Advertisements in his
Tuesday's issue remain just six columns ; he ought not to
blame us or any other competitor, but rather to take to
his heart the lesson which disappointment conveys, that
the public, however well disposed to reward well-deserved
merit and energy, will not tolerate attempted monopoly,
which seeks to advance itself upon the weakness of a
neighbour.

THE BUDGETZ-INCOAIE TAX-MILITIA.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE LIVERPOOL A7ANDAR9.

Sin,—Well might Mr. Hume say, at its conclusion,
that "he had never heard with sach pain any budget
brought forward as he had heard the present. He pro-
tested against the idea of the probability of any war with
France."
The continuance of the income tax for a period of five
years, and an increase of it from 3 to 5 per cent. for a
period of two years, is almost insupportable, considering
the depressed state of the times ; but not satisfied with
this, we are again to be saddled with that most grievous
scourge the militia. Lord J. Russell, in his announce-
meat of it, said, that " if they took substitutes, (the plan
hitherto allowed and adopted,) they might not be forth-
coming," inferring, of course, that whoever should have
the misfortune of being balloted,—no matter in what
sphere he might move, or whatever situation he might
hold, so that it did not happen to be a government one,—
should be compelled to serve his term.
Now. Sir, I ask, is this reasonable ? Is it not intolera-
ble, that a man must sacrifice a good situation for the
scanty sum of thirteen pence halfpenny a-day, to say
nothing of the degradation ? I think that every man who
studies his own interest should resist this odious impost
by every constitutional means in his power; for a man's
prospects in life might be for ever blighted by having to
submit to this mode of maintaining our "national de-
fences." If the government were to offer a larger bounty
they could, I have no doubt, secure any number of men
for the regular forces, if such a course were deemed neces-
sary.
I would recommend that the inhabitants of "the good
old town" immediately set about getting up numerously..
signed petitions against the establishment of the militia
force, in order to show their disapproval of such a mea-
sure.—Your's, &c. . A LOVER OF PEACE,