The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-27 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY.

The Speaker took the chair at half-past three o'clock.
Lord SA N Do.NI reported from the committee appointed to try
the merits of the Droitwich Election Petition, titat the sitting
member, J. Barueby, Esq., was duly elected, and that the pe-
tition against his return was nut frivolous or vexatious, and that
the Committee had amended the poll by striking off five bad
Votes.

CHELSEA WATER-WORKS BILL.

On the motion of lead a second
time and ordered to be committed.
'IiCCLRSIASTICAL COURTS BILL.
Colonel Sibthorp, Mr. M. F. Berkeley, Mr. A. TrevOr, and
Mr. Wilkes, presented petitions apinst this bill.

• SPIRIT LICENCES.
Petitions praying for a repeal of the increased duties on
spirit licences, were presented by Mr. A. Lawson, Mr. Gas-
tell, and Mr. Hall Dare. Several other petitions were also
presented, but none of them were of any general interest.

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE,
Upon Lord John Russell rising to propose his motion upon
this subject,
Sir EnwanD CODRINGTON instantly rose, and begged to say,
that in consequence of what had passed yesterday, certain ex-
planations had been given with which he was perfedtly satisfied.
He had had an opportunity of clearing up what he did say, and
he thought that what had been done would be a sufficient lesson
to those persons who had rendered the course he had taken ne-
cessary, and hoped the noble lord would let the mutter drop.
Lord J. Russsu. rose, but from the very low tone in which
the noble lord spoke, and the noise occasioned by the sudden
entrance of hon. members, it Vras scarcely possible to hear a
Word the noble lord said. He was 'understood, to say that he
:Was quitii convinced that the hon. and gallant admiral's charac-
ter was beyond injury from any such imputations as those that
had been cast upon it. (Hear, hear.) It was, therefore, only
upon public grounds that it was necessary to bring forward this
ifluestiOn. If he brought it forward at all it was solely upon
public grOunds. He wes certainly in the hands of 'the house,
and would act as the hotise should think fit. His hon: and gal-
lent friend's chbracter could not suffer the least injury from an
anonymous libel. (Hear, hear.) It was not, therefore. tu clear
the character of the hon. and gallant admiral that he intended
to bring forward the subject, but because there w<is a general
opinion that the character and dignity of the house had been in-
sulted.

Sir R. PEEL hoped the noble lord would not bring forward
the subject. (Hear.) He should be sorry if a precedent were
established, which would render it necessary for every public
man to bring forward subjects of this nature, when imputations
were cast upon them in the newspapers. If the noble lord was
anxious to become the chainpiou of the house, he could supply
him with a great variety of cases. (A laugh.) The hon. and
gallant admiral having expressed his opinion, and having
entreated the noble lord not to bring forward the• subject, he
had not any doubt, therefore, but that the feeling of the house
was, that they should nut establish a precedent by which every
member of parliament who was attacked, and might have the
grossest imputations cast upon him, would feel bound to defend
himself in that house.
Sir 11. HARDINGE concurred in all that had been said by his
his right bon. friend (Sir Robert Peel). Had he been inclined
to follow the course which had been puiitied by the noble lord
(Russell), he might have conic down to that house and com-
plained of some very gross attacks that had been made on him
within the last forty--eight hours. (A laugh.) He thought it,
however, much better to abstain from doing so, as he thought
that. the attacks were too contemptiblefo: notice—(hear,
hear)--and he would not, therefore, notice them.
Mr. SINCLAIR rose, but was received by a general cry of
".oh," which completely drowned the observations of the bent
member.
The conversation proceeded no further.

DISSENTERS' MA Rlt (AG ES.
DUNCOMBE wished to know when it would bezonfentent
for the right hen. baronet to britigin his bill with respect to
dissenters' mart iages. The present feeling
.of anxiety out of
doors had alone induced him to ask the question.
Sir It. PEEL said that when he moved for leave to bring in
the bill it was entirely prepared, and it was only for the pur-
pose of introducing some valuable suggestions that the bill had
been delayed. In stating this he begged it to be understood
that he did not want to invite further suggestions: No person
but a chancellor of the exchequer could answer for the number
of useless suggestions that were made to him, such as putting a
tax on umbrellas and such things. (A laugh.) He was in
hopes of being enabled, in the course of a few days, to lay the
bill on the table of the house.

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.
A MEMBER was heard to inquire of the noble lord the mem-
ber for South Devon, what course he intended to pursue with
respect to the bill fur the amendment of the registration of
voters ?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he should move the second
reading of the bill to-night, leaving it to the house to determine
whether the committee should be of the whole house or not.

IRISH CHURCH.
Sir R. PERT. wished, to know whether the noble lord opposite
would have any objection, on Friday next, to state generally
the outline of the resolutions he meant to propose on Monday ?
(Cries of "Oh! oh!") The adoption of such a course would
be extremely convenient, he thought, to the house generally.
(A laugh.)
Lord JotiN RUSSELL said that as he did not expect the ques-
tion, he was not prepared at the present moment with an
answer. (Laughter.)

• NAVY ESTIMATES.
Lord ASHLEY informed the house that it would be necessary
to 'publish a notice in the Gazette of this ddy (Friadv), announc-
ing ,that the half-pay and widows' pensions would be. in the
course of payment on the 10th April. Unless the house voted
the ,money to-night it would be too late to do so on FridaV, and
it would create great inconvenience to parties, who would sup-
pose that those pensions were not to be paid. The debate was
proceeding when the latest reports were closed. NO decision
had, at that time, been come to.

EXECUTION OF JAMES_ITIRPHY, FOR THE

MURDER OF LUNDY FOOT' EsQ.

At an early hour on Weinesday, the prisoner, escorted from
the gaol of Kilkenny by the companies of the 51st Light In-
fantry, and a troop of Lancers, was met at New Ross by a de-
tachment of Infantry. A strong police force awaited his arrival
at the villiage of itosbercon. The entire was under the com-
mand of the Sheriff of the.county, Major Browne, R.M., and
B. Keough, Esq., Vice Sovereign of New Ross. An immense
concourse of people met the melancholy procession at Mount-
garret-bridge, within a mile or so of Ross.. The convict, a
young man, aged about twenty-two, was attended by the Rev.
141 r. Greene, R. C. Chaplain to the Kilkenny gaol. His ap-
pearance was rather respectable in his rank of life; his stature
was somewhat above the middle size; he seemed to be sensible
of his awful situation, and attended to the pious exhortations of
his spiritual attendant. When the procession' arrived opposite
thetil.ene where he was to atone for his crime, his aged father
pressed towards the carriage through the soldiers and crowd,.
and obtained an interview with his unhappy son; this melan-
choly indulgence was permitted for a quarter of an hour. Again
be was met at the Kilkenny end of the bridge by his sister,
whom he tenderly embraced, and hung on her neck for a-con-
siderable timei he shook hands with some of his friends, many
of whom, particularly females, were bitterly crying. He also
shook hands with Mr. Ke,aigh, having formerly worked uud4r
that worthy magistrate. In passing his own house, which is
nearly opposite Mr. Foot's Castle, his Rev. attendant inter-
posed the praver-book, and thus engaged his attention. It was
at first intended to have him executed opposite his own house, but
the authorities, not wishing to aggravate his feelings, lest his at-
tention should be withdrawn from the only hope ofsinners, kindly
allowed the triangle to be erected farther up the street, where
it could be seen from the town opposite. He ascended the lad-
der; supported by the clergyman, and after the usual regula-
tions were adjusted by the grim finisher of the law, who, by
into
eternity was not masked, as customary, he was launched
eternity at ten minutes after three o'clock. The rope, which
was nearly three quarters of an inch in diameter, being so stiff
did not allow the knot to run smoothly; the knot came under
his chin, and, no pressure being agaiust the windpipe, he con-
tinued in struggle hard for nine minutes. Such was the untimely
end of a young man, whose family were noted for honesty and
hard industry, and who had himself borne an unblemished and
reputable character, until actuated on by misguided feelings
which he had not endeavoured to suppress. He did not pub-
licly acknowledge his guilt at the place of execution, but it is
generally understood that he admitted it privately both at Kil-
kenny and at the execution.—lt has been remarked that he had
attended the executions of Phillip Malone and Patrick Meany,
who suffered for the murder of Mr. Leonard.

•
TIDE CONVICT LADY'S MAID.
most singular event has occured in the family of a noble
lord, which, however unpleasant to the feelings of the parties
concerned, it will be imposible long to keep from the knowledge
of klie public. We have,lherefore, no scruple in:IA.44N what
we have heard respecting it.
Lady B. baying lost some jewels last week, in tbe.same mys-
terious way in which other robberies of a similar kind have been
committed; sent for Uvo: police officers to institute a rigorous
inquiry amongst the domestics of the establishment.
'The only individual whom her ladyship proposed to exempt
from personal search was her own maid, of whose integrity and
excellent qualites, although she had been with her but a few
months, Lady B. entertained so high an opinion that she could
not bear the idea of treating her as an object of suspicion. The
officers arrived, and after a very short visit came at once to the
astonished Lady 8., and told her, " Madam not only must
your maid be searched, but she is the only person here who
need be searched, forthe maul has got yourjewels, and, what is
moie the maid is a man !" The fact was soon proved to the
satisfaction of all.

The maid was a returned convict, a young man sentenced to
transportation for life for various ingenious- robberies, but who
had made his escape, and assumed female apparel, as the best
mode of returning to this country with impunity. Of his extra-
ordinary dexterity no better proof can be given than the fact, that
for eight months he had lived in Lady B.'s family, without the
slightest suspicion being entertained as to his sex, and had won
the confidence of his mistress by the uniform propriety of his
conduct. The affair is a very awkward one, and we really do
not know what precautions ladies must take in future when
forced to charge their personal attendants. We pity Lady B.
most sincerely for the very painful situation in which she has
been placed; and wish that it were possible to guard effectually
against similar imposition.—Marning Post.

LORD CA STE:MICH Y.—'ire regret to learn, that owing to the
precarious state of Lady Canterbury, Lord Canterbury has
found it idispensable to relinbuish his appointment as Conitnis7
sioner to Canada It is said that Sir George Murray will pro-
bably be appointed in his room, but this is as yet no more than
a conjecture.—Albion.
PERTH.— The weather has moderated greatly this week, and
the snow has all disappeared from the low wounds. In the
Highlands, however, it stills lies to a great depth in many
places; and in particular the Highland road betwixt Dalna-
cardoch and Dalwinnie is so completely blocked up, that the
Inverness coach has not been able to make a passage. for ten
days. The last storm having been. accompanied by high winds,
the snow had drifted so much, that for sonic days there was no
appearance of the toll-bar or toll house at Dalnacardoch ; both
ere completely hid by snow.—Scottish Guardian.
THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS.—We understand that the num-
ber of students' names affixed to the loyal address from our
University to the King, amounted, on Thursday, to nearly seven
hundred. The address will be sent off to London some time
next week.—Edinburyli Advertiser.

Tif)t tibtrpool *tanbarb.

FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 27, 1835.

'The Londop papers of Wednesday had received intelli-
gence from New York to the 4th instant. In the House
of Representatives the committee on foreign affairs had
made a report rather favourable to the hostile spirit of
the Preside'a, We take the fpllowing from the
Standard. Poirhaps before many bouts elapse we shall
have still laterladvices

"On the 25thult. the President sent a message to both Houses
of Congress, relative to the negociations with France. He
transmitted to,Congress a report from the Secretary of State,
with copies of all letters received from Mr. Livingston, the am-
bassador at PariS, since the message of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the 6th of February, of the instructions given to
that minister, and of all the late correspondence with the French
goverinnent, in Paris or in Washington. The President had
requested Mr. Livingston to quit Paris with his legation, and
return to the United- States, an appropriation for the ful-
filment of the convention shall be refused by the Chambers.'
"The reading of the papers was listened to with deep atten-
tion. Mr. Camberling then stated that he was instructed by a
majority of the council for foreign affairs, to offer certain reso-
lutions which he moved to be printed.
"The first states that it is inconsistent with the rights and
honour of .the United States further to negotiate in relation
to the convention of July 4, 1831, and that its execution should
be insisted upon as ratified; and that preparation ought to be
made to meet anv emergency growing out of our relations with
France. The third resolutimi is for the discharge of the com-
mittee from the further considerationof that part-of the Presi-
dent's message which relates to the subject of reprisals, and of
commercial restrictions. These resolutions were agreed to by
the committee, but the report was deferred in consequence of
the receipt of news from France, on the 20th, and were to be
brought up on a future clay.
"The President's message was referred to the committee on
foreign affairs, and ordered to he printed. The general tenor
of the accounts are exceedingly warlike."

• Lord BROUGHAM', on Monday last, favoured- the House
of Lords with a long and ingenious speech in favour of
the repeal of the newspaper stamp duty. His lordship is
right in principle, but he is mistaken in his conclusions.
The tax upon newspapers is an enormous one, and it is
equally oppressive and unjust. It is an error in a finan-
cial point of view, and it is a positive fallacy with re-
spect to the abuses of the press and their effects upon
public morals. But it does not follow that, the abolition
of the present duty would enable the proprietors of news-
papers, as Lord BROUGHAM supposes, to sell them for
twopence. • Fourpence, we calculate, would be nearer
the mark; or, in other words, four shillings under the
reduction might purchase a dozen copies, which now cost
seven shillings. The price would be quite low enough,
and it would afford an immense saving to the public.
Lord BROUGHAM, we -have said, is right in principle ;
as to his motives, perhaps the less we say about them the
better; but we. hope they are equally pure. Unfortu-
nately fur this question, the parties most interested are
ranged on opposite sides. The prosperous and affluent
proprietors of newspapers in London are averse to any
change.. The less successful and embarrassed are in fa-
vour of the repeal. This is always the case where pro-
perty is concerned, and where monopoly exists. We do
not use the term monopoly in its odious sense, but sim-
ply in that which marks a party possessing immense
wealth, who has gained celebrity, but who dreads any
changes which might give facilities to an increased num-
ber of competitors. All this is natural, but. still no such
feelings should.be allowed to influence the 'conduct of
any member of thelegislature, and we are unwilling to
believe that they do.
Now, as we cannot be suspected of being advocates
for the repeal of the stamp duty from any inadequacy of
capital, from any want of success, or patronage, or pro-
fits, this journal being eminently fortunate and successful
in every department, for which we cannot be sufficiently
grateful to the public, we venture to offer a few words,
first on the justice, and secondly on the policy of the
measure recommended by Lord BROUGHAM.

The justice of it is exceedingly obvious.. An almanac
is a newspaper—a penny magazine is a newspaper—Sir
ROBERT PEEL'S speech to the electors of Tamworth,
printed and circulated in a cheap form, is a newspaper—
Mr. BUCKINGHAM'S' circulars, sent under 'a
member's
frank, is a newspaper; for one and all of these contain
news in which most per Sons take less or more interest,
and all are anxious to see and peruse. A newspaper is
nothing more than a compilation of historical events,
some of them near and some remote, some of them con-
nected with trade, others with politics and oratory, some,
like the almanacs, relating to eclipses of the sun and
moon, others to foreign war and family' discords, and
some to matters of matrimony, prizefights, shipwrecks,
music, quackery, horsestealing, and feats of love and
murder.

Every page, every column, every parageaph of a news-
paper teems with information. They contain the germs
of history, science, and philosophy. They supply that
which it would be difficult if not impossible to procure
elsewhere. The emissaries of the press 'are'the polypi
of literature. Their feelers, collecting inf9rmation, are
extended in every direction. Every man of them is to
general knowledge' what Sir JOSEPH BANKS was to bo-
tany.. It is perhaps true that they are not often found
'Trawling in ditches, dry or otherwise, in'search of blue
daisies or four4eaved clover; but they-hunt hill and dale,
the Holy Land and Billingsgate, the fashionatileprome-
nade and the blind alley, the House of Commons and the
Fives Court, i earch of interesting,:Aixtraordinary, and
marvellous intelligence. In the pursuit of their calling
they are found at high mass in the Spanish ambassador's
chapel in the morning, and at Greenwich- fair in the
evening. They listen with open ears to the harangues
of O'CONNELL at the Corn Exchange on a Sunday, and
they are solemn witnesses of the execution of one of the
agitator's most particular friends and liberal tributaries
at Kilmainham gaol early on the succeeding Monday.
• .
In short they are at the police office at nine o clock to
collect brief abstracts of a thief's history or a milliner's
improvident affections—at twelve they. are sitting, but
not weeping, over the remains of a beautiful female, age
nineteen, who had the previous night leapt from the pa-
rapet of London-bridge—at two o'clock they are at court
attending upon Queen ADELAIDE, counting the diamonds
in a duchess's head dress, and doing honour to the exact
dimensions and splendid colours of her tfain-,-at six they
are in the gallery, yawning over the nauseous prose and
the murdered English of HUME, or some other person
equally respectable and stupid—at half-past seven they
are in Drury-lane Theatre, assisting at the final doom of
.DON CARLOS, calculating their time with so much nicety
that they reach the House of Commons at the precise
minute when Lord JOHN RUSSELL. is defeated by a ma-
jority of fifteen. At eleven o'clock they are at the opera
in sufficient time to describe the brilliant execution of a
favourite cantata which they did not hear; and at half-
past twelve they are eating oysters, or broiled chickens, or
toasted cheese, with Alderman WOOD, Mr. O'DWYER,
and a few other members of parliament, at some pet-
tavern near Temple-bar.
But joking apart, may we be permitted to ask, is it
fair, is it just, that newspapers conducted at enormous
expense, and compelled to ransack the whole world by
sea and land for information, should be subject to a tax

NlAst clj 27, 144-I;',.

which is not imposed upon any other kind of information
—which is not even imposed upon useless fiction. (Wen
trashy novels, immoral plays, and disgusting scenes of
perfidy and assassination in rotnanee ? There are in
London, publiihed daily, not less—we speak from good
information—not less than a hundred books, dramas,
pamphlets, and other small paper wares, which are of an
admitted and notorious demoralizing tendency. These
publications strike ht the very foundations of society.
They lead to dishonesty, to seduction, and crime. They
are powerful stimulants to vice. They are inimical to
religion—they are provocatives to infidelity and atheism
—they destroy all the affections, all the charms, all. the
virtues of society. Are these publications taxed? 14
there any stamp duty upon them? No. The tax is
imposed uponithe journals Which do nothing more thanrecord the casualties and crimes, the suicides and mur-
ders, caused by the untaxed and tolerated books of
fiction, obscenity and blasphemy. These are facts which
we are ready to prove at the bar of the House. of Com-
mons if called upon. We support Lord BROUGHAM'S
principle in this case, as we have already professed, bat
we must not be made responsible for Lord Baouott,ol's
ignorance. He left all,the important arguments in favour
of his measure untouched. He might, bad he been care-
fully primed, and well advised, have made out a case,
which would have produced a powerful effect in the House
of Lords. But he only skimmed his subject, mistaking
the froth for the cream, leaving all that was most valuable
to those who perhaps have no wish to Collect it.

WYE presume that we have proved, not the justice, but
the injustice of taxing newspapers at the present exorb-
itant rate: There are, however, some modern states-
men, of extremely refined sentiments, and very inge-
nious principles, who contend that the policy of a measure,
compared with its apparent justice, is of primary and es-
sentiV iMportance. Let us ..consider this novel Pro-

It is policy, say our antagonists, and some of then%
our most -esteemed friends, to tax the newspapers, in
order that the necessity of a large capital should make-
the journals more select, and secure to them conductors
of superior and commanding talent. This argument is
specious enough, but it is a delusion. Will any man be-
lieve that, if the Penny, or Saturday Magazine—the
last, by the way, being the best—could afford to pay tWO
hundred a-year more than the editors of the Times, or
Standard receive, that these gentlemen would not throw
up their present engagements at the earliest opportunity,
and give the benefit of their talents to the cheaper work?
To suppose the contrary is to imagine that they have
some sources of remuneration distinct from their salaries.
This we know to be untrue. They are paid liberallY;
they move in high circles; they are independent. tia
independence is comparative. If they were offered
higher remuneration for their" talents, they Would,. tf
course, accept it.

This first question only embraces the policy or the
interest of the conductors of neWspapers, and it is indis-
putably in fa.votir of our argument. But the tax, we'
-are told, makes newspapers more select and respeCiable-
- This curious doctrine, we know, has been taught fat
some time, but it will not be difficult to show that it is
a very flimsy fallacy. We never understood that the tag
upon newspapers was intended to be any other than a
compensation tax for the facilities which the newspapers
received through the postoffice. As a source of revenue
it was beneath contempt. More money has been lost in
reducing the duty on French and other wines, and on fo-
reign fruits, than ever was received from the stamp tas
on newpapers. During the French war, when newspa-
.pers were conveyed to the country almost exclusively by
the mail, we much question if the expense of carrying
them was covered by the duty. Now, however, the
times are changed, and coaches travel more rapidly and
more conveniently than his majesty's mail. A large
proportion of the London morning journals is sent 'to
the provinceS, more than a.hundred, and some of then,
two hundred miles deistant;, by coach, at the expense Of
the public. The proprietors of these papers, therefore,
owe nothing to the postoffice. We are surprised that the
Times does not see this.
.The evening papers, of, Lon-
don, so far as theif country circulation is concernefl, are
carried by the postoffice free of charge. But many cf
these are conveyeillay expresses. The fact is, that trad-,
lug enterprise has shot a-head of the postoffice speed.
The mail, in most cases, lags behind the stage coaches.
Manchester has acoach from LondOn in seventeen hourF,
and the metropolitan mail arrives at Liverpool at half-
past four in the afternoon instead Of half-past two, as it
ought to do. These changes in the speed of travelling
have rendered useless and unavailable a considerable
portion of the advantages supposed to be derivable, and
formerly were derivable, froM the speed of the mail.
Thesebeing lost, the political or ostensible argument Or
facility fails to the ground. The tax gives no remunera-
tive advantages—and it is hard to pay a carriage tax,
when the carriage has to be done, for the sake of speed,
at a charge which falls upon the public alone. The Sa-
turday and Penny Magazines come to Liverpool and
other places in coach parcels. The Times, the Mornirbr
Post, and all the early papers come to Liverpool in par-
cels; and yet the latter have to pay a duty for a post-
office ficility which they do not enjoy ! We call the
attention of the morning papers of London to this fact.

But the policy of adhering to the present absurd sys-
tem is Supported by those who allege that a repeal of th 6.
tax upon newspapers would encourage a licentious in-
crease of cheap, unprincipled, q.ndimmoral publications.
We, as tories; have nothing to fear on this score. - The
whig press has hitherto had the run and the command of
the taverns, public houses, and beer shops. The tax has
excluded us. Dearness has been most injurious to the
conservative press. We are but partially seen in the popu-
lar haunts of the working classes. We have had plausi-
ble opponents in the shape of the keepers of these re-
sorts. Not liking loyal or constitutional .sentiment*
themselves, they have made the expense of a conserva-
tive paper the excuse for excluding it. This has been
proved to our entire satisfaction... Complaints have been
made to us that the LIVERPOOL STANDARD has not been
sent to certain taverns on the same terms that some other
'of the whig and radical papers were supplied., Our an-
swer was, " we sell the STANDARD at its full price,
and that the do not compound with voters or publicans
for a nominal charge, as Mr. EWART and his friends do."
It is our duty and our interest to destroy this underhand
practice:

This, however, by the way. The policy of reducing
the Nee is the more important question. Lord
c,
BROUGUA.M contends that reduction in price would not'
injure the character or efficiency of the press. The
Tinzes,.,the Standard, and other journals assert the con-
trary. Now we cannot, for the life of us, see the force of
this opposition argument. We have studied the question
with great care and deliberation--combating against strong
prejudices, rendered attractive by the talents and con-
sistency of our political friends, y' and anxious to arrive b
the force of conviction to their position, if a tenable one,
hut we frankly avow that we see nothing in their collec-
tive arguments which bears Upon the point. We are
sustained in our position by reflecting that the gentlemen
who conduct the most able and eminent of the London
journals have no copyright or life interest in theni. The)"
are not the proprietors of newspapers. They have ne
property in their disquisitions. Their writings and
argument:. are those of acute, powerful, and zealous
advocates, but nothing more. The newspapers mig,,he,
sink into oblivion, they would survive, and their talents
would command remuneration as before. We cannot,
therefore, see how a reduction in price would injure or
degrade the present condnetors of newspapers, or holy
they would: lose caste in consequence of the rivalry
of persons immeasurably, inferior to them in point Of
experience, erudition, and political knowledge. N°
doubt new journals would start up ; so much the bet-
ter—so much more paper would be required, and s°
many more persons employed. There is room enough
for us all. Cheapness would enlarge. the field of com-
petition, and talent and industry would have a better
chance.

But, say our opponents—cheapness would give en-
courageluent "(a low,. scurrilous, and debauched prints.
Why so ? What is' the price at which sew rility ea°
and decency or respectability (begins ? At,_preseot thtl

issem,,...

rd its[' II 27, 18.;5.

trade of low and unprincipled politics is pushed as far as
it can go; and it is singular enough that some of the
vilest of.the London journals sell for a higher price than
either the Standard or the Times. We do not go the
length of Lord BROUGHAM in asserting that the pressure
of the stamp tax has given rise to the ithmense number
of trashy unstamped publications which are now seen
every where. The stamp had nothing to do with it.
They owe their origin, in great part, to the bad example
set by Lord BROUGHAM himself. We never considered
the Penny Magazine to be anything else than a fraud
upon the newspapers. His lordship's magaiine was
tb?ver intended for, and, by his ownadmission, is hardly
ever read by the labouring classes. It.is all very well
to inform certain persons how silk" worms how
'cold the ocean is at certain depths, how pearl oysters are
dived for, and how wild cattle are caught in South
Xtnerica. But this-is not the reading which the wOrk-
iag man wants. He desireS to know when " our member',
spoke in the house, what he said, who attacked him, who
elieered him, who laughed at him. He Wants to know
what was done at the assizes, at the sessions,:and at'
public meetings ; who were tried, condemned, or -
quitted ; who are belt,* who are Married, who have
died. * A native of Cornwall or Devonshire, if lo-
cated at a distance,
.readS with the greatest avidity
:the first accounts of the :pilchard fishery. A sailor
reads the sailings, the speakirigs, the arrivals, the
shipwrecks. _ILI short the Penny Magazine contained
everything but what was really most sought for; and
the consequence was that other poachers enteted the
field. Lord BROUGHAM has* been fairly beaten by his
imitators. Such Publications, if tolerated, will always
abound, whether the stamp be four-pence or-.four far-
things. It is riot the faul(of the newspapers that' they
exist, but of the,- stampLoffieg„.which during t)e whig
atlininiatration did any thing but its duty, particAarly in
the provinces.
. .
But there is a still more important argument in favour
Of cheap newspaperi,
,and it is this.
.The working man
.seldorri or never reads a, newspaper in his own house.
Re cannot afford to buy one. He accordingly reads it
in.the-public house or beer Am):
,He has ale for three-
Peace,- and news for nothing nothing as he thinks.
But it is the. dearest news possible. if a ..newspaper
could he sold for four-pence it ,would be sure to find its
way into catagei where a newspaper has, perhaps, never
been seen. The mechaMicand labourer would then read it
by. the light of their own fires. If this could be accom-
plished a great moral improvement would be the result,
Which wouldamply,.coMpensate for all the evils which
are dreaded, *even shoUld they arise, v,,:tich, as we have
said before, is a delusion.

The House of Comtngtis is beginning to experience
the effects of having a Speaker who does not understand,
or who has not the courage to perform, his duties: On
Monday night the. performances were of a tragi-comical
nature.. The.member for Bath, who is a sort of political
flunkey to Mr.. Josarn HuME, protested. against being
Shot. Nobody was meddling with hini—no one threat-
ening.4im—no one snapping.apistol pointed 'at the place
commonly belie'ved to hold the brains. To calm the se.
riot's apprehensions of Mr. ROEBUCK the house ought to
Pass a resolution that to Shoot any gentlemen with this
Odd name, out of seiuon, is felony, but pehaps Mr.
IfustE, to protect his friend, will re-enact the old. game-
laws. We dO not think, after all, that there is much
aanger. .

An Irish member of the name of BARRON made a very
coarse attack.upon ministers, but he was neatly .set down
by Sir HENRY HARDINGE, who told him, in language
that he quite understooi, that he, Sir HENRY, would not
submit to such "vulgar impertinence." Colonel Ev.ltcs.
took up the cause of the opposition, but he was exceed-
ingly tame. The secretary for :Ireland is not a man to
lake 'anyliberties'with,--andThegallant 'colonel knows it.
These alteioaacins 'not have taken place if the
speaker [lid-done his duty. He suffered ;Ur. BARUON to
use the mosiunparliainentarylangUage,,and he only in-
"terfered'Whers it was too late.

howeVer, is the way to compel the Whig-radical
faction to pay some regard to good nanners. They have
.(
11:etniia. tirig for th4la'Si threear I now that all
hot of displacing the ministry is at an end, they are
positiVely desperate and Mad, They.have little or no-
thing to urge against the nresures of Sir ROBERT PEEL,
but they give loose to theiv vexation and their spleen in
violent personal inyectives..,The right honourable ba-
ronet hoWeVeilia;;; We suspect, silenced Milo; for the
BA:RIION is also muzzled ; O'CONNELL is
inelaneholy ; RUTHII2!`: has been turned out of one, house
in Ireland, ancl,he is about to be turned out of another in
England ; so that the " tail" are by nnmeans, at present;
in the best of spirits. _
'An attack Upon the press was meditated by the Whigs
°n-Tuesday night, in the Commons. The Times and
Morning Post had published certain documents in their
own defence, Which went pretty far to prove that Sir
EDWARD CODRINGTON was guilty of the mean vice of
falsehood. The Post boldly accused him of it; but Sir
EDWARD, instead of calling the Post out, made known
his wrongs to the house; and was taken under the pro-
tection of Lord JOHN RUSSELL. The noble lord, brim
fullrof conceit and importance, gave notice that he would
bring the important snbjed under the consideration of
the house on Wednesday.

Wednesday came, and the Poet was to be cut. down.

The whigs are the best friendS of the press, and Lord
JoRN was to prove it, by pommelling the printer, and
"upsetting the coach" of our excellent contemporary.
It was a shocking breach of privilege to charge a whig
withlalsehood,.and dire was to have been the penalty.
Meanwhile, and before the sun had got over the main-.
Yard of Wednesday; Lord. JOHN" discovered That what
Sir EDWARD cotnplained of as a breach of privilep was
no breach at all ! The charge had reference, not to a
sPeech delivered in parliament, but to a private letter
written by Sir EDWARD. to. Mr. G. R. DAWsoN. The
Mouse of Commons had no jurisdiction—the prosecutor
waatiot in the proper court.' -
The terminating scene. on Wednesday evening in the
Louse was highly comical. It had all been rehearsed in
the morning, and it was, of course, well acted. First
appeared the hero of Navnrino, 'who begged the noble
lord, as a particular avour to himself, not to proceed
with his motion. Not a word was said as to the mistake.
Lord JOHN thus appealed to, consented to withdraiv it.
The farce then ended.

How ridiculous, if not contemptible, must all thi.
bake the parties hi the eyes of the people of England!

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SIR. ROBT. 'PEEL

AND MR. HUME.

A reference to our parliamentary report will more fully explain
Loa expressions to which the following letters refer :-- •
..
• " House of Commons, March 20, Friday Evening.
"Sir,—ln the course of the debate this evening I understood
ro to make use of expressions of which the purport was, that
,was pursuing a course in respect to the measure then under
"lscussion that was inconsistent With the conduct of a man of
L
"Thinking it probable that such expressions fell from you
Hieonsiderately; and in the warinth of debate, I gave you the
"Pportunitv of recalling them, by an appeal to you in the house.
. I could not with propriety pursue the subject further at the
tine, but I am confident that you will feel that the expressions
?.1 which complain are uot consislent with the usages of par-
'lament, and not warranted by the fieedom of debate, and that
You will therefore nut hesitate to disavow them as applied to me.

" 1 have the honour to be, Sir, your obedientserrant,
"Joseph nume, Esq., M.P." "ROBERT PEEL."

" House of Commons, March 20.

fiir —I expressed myself in the debate, to the best of my
teeollection, strongly condemnatory of the conduct of the go-
verunient of which ydu are the headjuasinueh as you and your
party bad objected to and. rejected the bill of last set,sion- for,
settling the tithes of Ireland, as inconsistent with the welfare
()! the country; and -I added, t hat I did not consider it honour-
able to have done so, and then to come down, as you had now
4°°e, to propose a measure every way similar.
When you appealedthe house as to the words I
011 used, and whether I intended to. cast imputations on your
,°ooor, my immediate answer was, that I could not say what
.our feelings of honour were, but that I, as a political man,
should not have considered it honourable conduct had so acted.
"It is, therefore, quite clear in my recollection, that whilst I
tr!ade my observations in allusion to what I W.uld have done, I
did t •
had ° • impugn your honour as a gentleman in the course you
taken, as the views you take of your political duty are doubt-
7,bg as pure as my own, or those of any other member, although'
v Tr political conduct be the reverse of mine.
f„rtri am not aware, therefore, that you bad any just grounds
gentlinderstauding my'expressions to impugn your honour as a
cha 'eman. I had no intention to make any such personal
sO !Re; and I regret that in the heat of debate I should have
expressed myself as to convey a meaning I did not intend.
"I remain your obedient servant,
" JOSEPH HUME."
'bight Hun. Sir Robert Peel, M.P."