Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-08-28

MIR. BULwER's Speech in the British Parliamen
on bringing forward his motion for repeal of thu
principal taxes on knowledge, contains u powerful
exposition Of the evils of the system, accompani,
by statistical aud economical de- as which strength
en- his arguments irrefu,aby In fact the evils ant
i"llies of the impositions and restrictions witl
which the Press is burdcucC, among the weight
lest expressions calling for the intcrposition OF
reform Parliament in behalf of the People. They
were well described intho conclusion of Mr.. Bui
wer's Speech, when he said that they "checkod To-
gitinatc knowlcdge-whch is morality, the morals
OF nation, and encouraged the diffusion OF con
| traband ignorance" lie continued
"We have heard enough in this House of the
cessl'y OF lcgsiating for property and Intelligence
let us Tow feel the necessity of leg'siatng for
poverty aud Ignorance, AT present are acQuaint.
ed with the poorer part of our fellow countrymcn
oh'y by their wrongs and murnnrs-thcir inistor.
tunes and their crnes--let Mt last open happier
and wiser channels of communication between them
and us. We have made n long and fruitiess expo
rlment OF the gibbet and the hulks-in 1925 we
transported 2S3 persons, but vast, rapid was
our increase this darling system of legislation,
that three years afterwards lin 1929 transport.
ed as many as Z, 449. During the last three years
our goals have been sufficiently filled; have
enough OF the effects of human ignorance-wc
have shed sufficient of human blood-is it not time
To Pausc!-is 1T not time to consider whether, as
Christians, and us men, we have right to correct
| before we attempt to instruct"
1t is perhaps better for tho final success of the
motion to which Mr.. Buwcr has devoted his fine
talents SO industriously, that il should be postpo
ned to n new parliament, in which the voice of the
nation will be more clearly expressed in their own
behalf. Every friend of Reform principles sup
/ ported by eminent talents and personal worth,
must wish that this cause may have the erciit of
Mr.. Buwer's assistance i'm the next House of Com
mons. The Borough for which he sits being dis
tranchsed by the reform bill, he is canvassing
tor another seat by election.
Two or three instances cited by Mr.. b. to show
the effect OF this taxation, upon th. prosperity of
the newspaper press and the spread of information,
| are striking. Comparing the circulation of news
| papers, and the consequent abundance of the
| means OF information in Great Britain and
America, he states that in one year lS29)
the number of newspaper sheets published in
the British Isles 33,050,O0 or $50 900
weekly. or newspaper TO every THIRTY sir inhabi-
tants I'm the same year there published i'm the
State of Pennsylvania 800, 900 weekly sheets or
about one newspaper to every four inhabitants. In
the same year the number of advertisements pub
lished in t'retre daily papers in New York was
l436 ,4l6-whilc in the four hundred newspapers
OF Grcat Britain and Ireland, the number was only
l,O2O, OO0-or nearly 80 per cent less in all England
Scotland and Ireland, than in one American city
| fhe price of single advertisement of twenty lines
published daily throughout the year in London
would be t2O2, l6s or nearly thousand doliays
In New FORK the same Id cost, according 10
MIR. Bulwer (G6, t8s. sd)-about $3.50.
| OConncll supported the motion, but it was got
RIA OF by motion for the previous question by Lord
| Althorpe.-Bait. Inner.