The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-07-07 00:00:00

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

Our attention has been directed, by a paragraph in a
morning contemporary, to a letter which appeared in the
Courier of Thursday, on the subject of the " Unstamped
Press," and in which the writer inclosed an advertise-
ment, announcing the advent of a " Great -Daily Jour-
nal."

This advertisement informs us that it is " a positive
fact" that " upwards of 200,000 unstamped newspapers
are sold in this metropolis every week, in triumphant de-
fiance of the infamous taxes on knowledge." This may
be true, and it may be also true that 200,000 pockets -are
picked in this metropolis every week in triumphant defi7
ance of the infamous eighth mimmandinent and the law of
the land. But the advertisement proceedS to inform the
public that a "society of influential gentlemen, among
whom are several leading members of parliament, hav6
determined to commence, on the Ist of August next,
the publication 'of a newspaper," (unstamped,—in, defi-
ance of the infamous laws, of course), to be called
"THE DAILY NATIONAL GAZETTE." This we believe to
be a cool and deliberate falsehood. It can no more be
true that "'influential gentlemen" and " leading mem-
bers of parliament" Itave conspired to violate the laW in
this matter, than it can be true ;eat any persons moving
in such a condition of life hive leagued themselves toge-
ther for the
,purpose of establishing a joint-stock company
of burglars. 'I here can be no doubt that, " stimulated"
(to use the language of the advertisement) by the con-
templation of successful villany, many a faint-hearted
rogue has been wrought up to embark in some such not
very chivalrous enterprise as area-sneakina, or tugging
at the watchchain of an old gentleman who does not wear
braces; but we do not believe that the annals of the Old
Bailey (curious as they are) furnish any instance of such
stupidity and impudence on the part of law-breakers, of
whatever grade, as the advertising the criminal projects
they were about to execute. Why, then, should we be-
lieve that " influential gentlemen" and " leading mem-
bers of parliament" are inure obtuse and bold than all the
graduates of Hockley-in-the-Hole, and of all other semi-
naries of the like kind ? If, however, we be mistaken—
if there really exists such a society as the advertisment
describes—we give the members of it this friendly hint :-
let them be careful to conceal their names, or the attor-
ney-general may prosecute them for a conspiracy to vio-
late the law. The names of the printers, however, who
are equally liable, are already given ; they are " CUN-
NINGHAM and SALMON."
Having disposed of this part of the advertisement, we
beg to call the attention of our readers to another part of
it—to the explanation of the mode in which this society
of " Gentlemen" and " members of parliament" propose
to fill their Daily National Gazette. It is to be published
two hours after The Times, and, besides other things, is
to steal the leading articles of The Times, Herald, c5-c.
In other words, as soon as our impression, and that of
our contemporaries is published, all the intelligence that
we and they have obtained from various parts of the globe
at an enormous expense, our parliamentary reports, and
our original articles, are to be filched by this society of
" gentlemen" and sold for three-pence! Some thieves
have lately broken into and robbed the counting houses
of various journals. The Standard, and the Globe, if we
recollect rightly, have suffered from these depredations :
but the burglars who carried away a few hundreds of
pounds by these means are not more dishonept nor more
dangerous to newspapers than the society of" gentlemen"
pirates under whose auspices ;he contents of the "Daily
National Gazette" are to be purloined. The advertise-
ment states that the editor is to be " a gentleman of high
legal eminence." If this be true, we suppose Jack
Ketch must be meant.
In the mean time, what is the government about ?
Will they continue to suffer the law to be trampled upon,
and the revenue defrauded, with impunity ? Will they
all. w individuals and the public to be robbed without re-
dress ? If the law be bad, let it be repealed : but if,
while it exists, the government allow it to be " triumph-
antly. defied," they not only crouch before those who in-
snitingly beard them, but they do what is much worse—
they offer a premium for resistance to whatever law any
fiet of men May find it convenient or profitable to break.
Suppose that we and the rest of the conductors of the
stamped , press were to conspire and agree to publish
without a stamp, how would the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
-cIrEQEJER find his budget next year ?—Times.

THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.

The July number of the Dublin is a good one, whe-
ther we regard the tone, the variety, or tliegeneral ex-
cellence of the articles it contains. We take an extract
from. "Hibernian Nights' Entertainments, Part 5" :
Daylight disclosed an altered scene to the captives, as they
sat at the great window over the inner gate, looking down on
the court-yard. Instead of the exulting galloglass, in his wild
costume, shouting and singing round the doorways, there stood
the well-ordered men-at-arms, drawn up in two fair lines from
the keep to the gateway, silently awaiting the arrival of the
victorious' Lord Deputy. The red cross of England blew out
broad and steady in the morning breeze from the flag-staff that
had borne the banner of Fitzgerald at sunset; and those cannon
which but a few hours before bad cast death and confusion
among the English trenches, were now turned inwards on the
walls they had defended, and pointed at the miserable remnant
of the garrison where they stood, crowded into a narrow corner
of the court, disarmed, dismayed, and helpless, expecting the
doom of rebels. As the dawn grew clearer the knight could
mark the faces of many whom he knew among his unhappy
fellow-captives: there was Tyrrell, weak from loss of blood,
sitting on the pavement with his back to the wall; O'Madden
was there with one arm broken, hanging loose and motionless
from the shattered shoulder; and there was Sheridan, whom,
after all his enmity, he could not but pity, as he stood with his
hands tied behind his back, and his bead sunk on his breast,
while the blood trickled from a wound on his forehead down his
bruised armour to the ground. Many others there were whose
sad plight he could more fully commiserate, since there were
hut these already named, who had none ever shown him ill will
or violence—for the only man whom he could not have pitied
was nowhere to be seen. At length the noise of drums and
trumpets announced the Lord Deputy's approach, and all eyes
were turned to the gateway, as the mounted cavalcade cause
trampling over the drawbridge, and poured into the castle with
the combined pomp of military, judicial, and ecclesiastical
power; for there rode with the Lord Deputy the Chief Justice,
the Chief Baron, and the Lord High Chancellor Archbishop
Cromer, with many other exalted personages of high authority
in the state. But there was another spectacle which suddenly
attracted more than a divided interest with the entry of Sir
William Skeffington. As the Lord'Deputy came in at the
gates there issued from the keep a company of officers to receive
him in the court-yard; these were led by Sir William Brereton
with the keys; after him came Salisbury and Holland, two
English captains, leading—Parez. On him all eyes were
turned. He was neither manacled nor disarmed, and he ad-
vanced with an air of ostentatious confidence, although assailed
by such a yell of execration as might have abashed any but a
Judas. It was plain he had sold the castle; but before the in-
dignant knight or his lady could see what farther was to take
place they were summoned to attend the Lord Deputy.
" You have done the king good service, Sir William," were
the. first words they heard Skeffingtou.pronounce, as they were
led forward among the throng, expecting, indeed, the worst that
could befall, but bearing. their fate with the decent resignation
of long experience in misfortune; "you have done his majesty
good service, Sir William," said Skeffington ; " let me now
know what have been the terms."
" So please you, my lord, a thousand pounds to Master Parez
in hand, and the disposal of.two prisoners in his custody."
Talbot started, and Ellen's heart began to beat with fearful
apprehension.
Are they rebels to the king ?" said the Lord Deputy
I.
"So please you, my lord," replied Brereton ; " will read
your lordship his letter of stipulation, which will explain all."
Proceed, Sir William ;" and the knight took forth a paper,
from which he read as follows :
"For the honourable hands of Sir William Brereton, knight,
these, with speed.
" Right honourable,—lf you would devise a means to do
riurself a service you would not waste your shot on my walls,
but rather consider what I propose to your discretion. I am
able to hold this castle, if I would, till Christmas. lam able
to give the same into your hands, if I will, before sunrise to-
morrow. Ponder the difference, and weigh well the advantage.
It is not that I need a reward, and yet a thousand pounds were
far short of the value of the service; but I have reasons which
concern myself, and are sufficient. Wherefore, taking no
thought of what may move me, take heed of. what.l am moved
will render you this caitleif you will secure me...a thousand
pounds in hand, and the custody of my own prisoners. They
are but two—a villain whom I must be lett to deal with as I
please. he and his paramour. On these terms, and no other,
you shall have the castle. Mark me—l must have the full
custody and disposal of my prisoners : that and the thousand
pounds. So, (the right honourable.) if you think fit to entertain
this offer, send me a reply, and shoot it in to-morrow, as I to-
night shoot this to you. Direct it to my oven hands : I shall
devise a means to have such a billet in readiness as shall pass
fur it, should it be seen by any of my garrison. Arid now, as
you shall deal with me or not, 1 offer you in commendations or
defiance ; for, be• assured, that my power is equal to either
course you may take. Farewell.
" Parez. Warden of Maynooth.
" Postscriptum.—Mark, the full custody and disposal of my
prisoners. C.
It was with difficulty the Irish could be restrained from vio-
lence, even manacled and guarded as they were, during the
reading of this letter; and Perez, although he stood protected
by an armed guard, quailed and shook under the terrible curses
heaped upon him by his victims. But order was again restored
by dint of blows, and the betrayer stood once more collected in
audacious effrontery as Brereton proceeded. "My lord, this
letter was brought me on yesterday morning before sunrise, and
in reply I shot an answer in about mid-day, accepting the war-
den's offer, and craving to know when and how be purposed to
fulfil it. There was a sally front the walls a little after, and
your lordship has seen with. what success, so that I scarce ex-
pected to hear again from Master Parez; but being constant to
his word, he shot me another billet a little before sunset, which
I will also read to your lordship.
" ' For the honourable hands of Sir William Brereton, these,
with speed.
" Hight honourable and my very good sir.—My commenda-
tions to you. You may scale the north wall where the ruins of
the turret have choked the ditch, without fear, when I shall show
a light from the middle window of the west nide of the keep
nearest the battlement. The capture of a gun from your
trenches offers a tit occasion for rejoicing ; and 1 shall so order
it that there will be no luck of lirprir to carry the garrison's re-
velries to a fortunate issue. I have drugged a cask of wine for
the nonce, and if I be not deceived, some of our light hearts
shall have heads heavy enough before morning. Remember
Ifre coniiitiUtis of our agreement, and, till I meet you at the door
of the keep farewell.
" Your hon,inr'st assured servant, C. P.
•" Posixerietona.—My prisoners lodge in the barbican : they
are, cue Talbot, erewhile a knight, but now under the halm of
the +thumb, and a mistreis-gllen Dudley, his parathour.
" C. P."
"My lord," -i!otitintied Brereton, the signal being given, as
here described, about two hours befori. y, we entered the' place
as dirt cted, and found the garrison asleep; so that little labour