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

STAMP DUTY ON NEWSPAPERS.

Lord BROUGHAM, onWesenling—a—Petitionon this subject,
referred to the comments which had been made on his determi-
nation not to be held accountable for the matter contained in
any petition he might present to the house, and said that as the
one he was now about to present was of a different character,
he had no hesitation in saying that .be entirely concurred in its
prayer, and in, the reasoning which it embodied. It was signed
by a great number of persons, and among them by Mr. Grote,
one of the members for the city of London: The petition prayed
for the remission of the, stamp duty on newspapers.. Of those
publications he never would, and he never had, said anything
disrespectful or disparaging. They were most useful publica-
tions for persons who wished to inform themselves as to what
was passing in parliament, the proceedings that daily took place
in courts of ,justice, or who were anxious to become acquainted
with the political events of the day. Publications of such a de-
scription ought, therefore, to be given to the public at the cheap-
est possible rate. Upon this point he could cite a very high and
a very.grave authority. Archdeacon Paley had laid it down
that One or the asst useful ways in which a man could spend
his money was in purchasing articles of this description, which
arnased his mind and improved his understanding. Neverthe-
less, the great bulk of the people were prevented from enjoying
that advantage • because 7d., the price of a daily paper, was so
high a charge that a poor man, or indeed a man not in compa-
ratively easy circumstances, could not afford it. The conse-
quence of this was, that the amusement, instruction, and infor-
mation contained iu the newspapers were confined to a compa-
ratively small class of the community. The noble and learned
lord then proceeded to make a long comparative statement of
the number of newspapera published in. 1 ranee' America, the
channel islands, and other British sett lenients.where newspapers
Were not taxed, to prove the necessity for the removal of this
tax. The increased consumption of paper, and the charge for
pustages oatiewspapers, would, he contended, inure than coun-
terbalance any defalcation in the revenue, while
.the people
would derive all the advantages to be hoped for from the diffu-
alvin Of cheap knowledge. The.petition was laid upon the table,
actd the house. adjourned. . .

HOUSE CONLNIONS,;war' .
4;ft':' The Speaker took the hair at half-toast threo,,o!4oek.
The lion. C. Law; Recorder of London; Mr.N;angles, and
.4.2tlr.,Nicholl, took their oathiand their seats.
oaf Several petitions wero • presented on: a variety of subjects
t ,Among them, _ _

•
1.,;Colonel VKRNCR presented one from the grand orange lodge
of Ireland, on the part of the loyal orange'societiei of that coun-
try, and it prayed the house not to take fur granted the charges
that had been made against that loyal body of men, but to ap-
point a select committee to make the fullest inquiry, and to exa-
mine, witnesses as to the origin, progress, and tendency of the
institution, known by the name of the " Loyal Orange Institu-
tion.of Ireland," and to appoint such other means of inquiry
as the •house might be pleased to direct. The petitioners also
prayed that the inquiry might be extended into the circum-
stances that had rendered necessary the formation of such an
association of the pruiestants of Ireland, as theyfelt-Cotivinced
that in that case it would be shown that they had been obliged
to adopt such a course for their oWn protection, and the support
of Bi lush authority in Ireland.
Mr. BAhirro.presented a report respecting the importation!
of corn, flour, &c., from the Isles of Guernsey, Jersey, and Man.
Ordered to be printed.

CARLOW COUNTY ELECTION.
On the motion of Mr. SPRING RICE, the deputy-clerk of the
Crown and Hanaper in Ireland was called to the bar of the
house. This gentleman was examined respecting an irregu-
larity in the receipt of a petition complaining of an undue
return for the.county, and in the course of it satisfied the house
that he had not wilfully neglected his duty.
The petition against the return was then received.
ENNIS BOROUGH ELECTIoN.
Mr. H. MAxwma. moved that the prayer of Mr. Baker's
petition, that the time for justifying the recognizances with
respect to the Ennis borough,clection petition might be enlarg-
ed, be acceded to. It appeared from a statement read by the
hon. member, that the motion was rendered necessary in COnse-
quence of the resideuice of one of the sureties (Mr. Maclean)
having been misdescribed. The individual' in question had
stated that he lived at No. G, instead of No. 5, Cursitor-street.
Mr. O'CONNELL opposed the motion. He said that it was
rather a remarkable circumstance that the election petition
related to the borough of Ennis, in the county of Clare, and
the proposed surety, who had misdeseribed his residence, lived
in Cursitor-street, London. Even if the misdescription were
unintentional and not wilful, he still thought that the sitting
member ought not tosuffer on account of an error committed by
the parties opposed to him.
Along. discussion ensued, which ended in granting the in-
dulgence prayed for.

PENSION LIST.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY stated, in answer to a question put by
Mr. Clay, that it was his intention to proceed with the notices
he bad Kiven of bringing forward the subject of the pension list
on the 7th of May, and of moving a call of the house fur that
day.

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.
Mr. ROEBUCK called the attention of the house to the cor-
respondence between Sir Robert Peel and Joseph Home,
Esq., the member for Middlesex. ho right hon. baronet had
chosen to call his hon. friend (Mr. Hume) to account for cer-
tain words used in that house, which, in a minister of the crown,
he contended was a breach of privilege. It was high time to
put a stop to such proceedings. The hon. member's speech
created a great deal of merriment, and he is reported to have
eat down without having made his motion, amidst the general
laughter of the house.
The SPILA K ElL—What does the hon. and learned gentleman
move? (Laughter.) -
Mr. Ilosoccx.—l move thatit ira breach of privilege for the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to call out another hon. member
of this house (so we,understood.the hon. and learned member,
but the laughter which prevailed id' the house prevented us
distinctly hearing him.)
The SPEAKgR.—That question is nut before the house.
Mr. ROEBIJCK.—If that won't do, (a laugh,) I will read the
right hon. baronet's letter, which he will not deny. Though
couched in extremely courteous phrase, the intention of it was
notoriously 'obvious. Mr. Roebuck then read the letter of Sir
Robert Peel, and sail if the letter wore not disavowed he should
move that it be read by the clerk of the house and declared a
breach of privilege. (A laugh.)
Atter a few words from Mr. Spring Rice, Sir Robert Peel,
Lord John Russell, and Mr. 'l'. Attwood, Mr. Roebuck withdrew
his motion.