The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-13
the United states and british Press.

Webster, we presume, VIII take tnls view OF the
case.
The United States and british Press.
A long and somewhat interesting debate has just
taken place in the Br tsh House Of Commons, upon
the subject Of the odious taxes which inflicted
by the British government upon the British press;
and it appears that there is no chance of getting
them repealed until the aristocratical system of
government is overthrown, and the people take the
rens of government into their own hands.
|. is not our province to descend into the vast
injury which is done to the industry and capital of
the United Kingdom, by oppressive taxation on
paper and advertisements; but, asthe United States
occupies the most prominent and influential position
in newspaper lteraturc-the life Of political and
social progressive view, with no small sympathy,
the letters which cucumber any foreign press; and
more especially when we consider that We have had
such recent strong proofs that the newspaper press
is the great barometer fpolitcalfrcedom. France,
Spain, Russia, Italy, and England, furnish garng
and convincing evidence that in almost exact pro-
portion as the freedom Of the press is destroyed,
are the liberties Of nation; taxation and censorship
and the infection Of heavy Imprisonment aud lines,
are the methods employed. The press Of Great
Britain like her government, is the freest in Eu-
rope, and like that government has been in state
of progression in its devclopenent, and in disen-
tangling itself from the chains Of monarchical and
aristocratical despotism. The term "press, in this
instance, means the free discussion of, and tho cx-
preston Of pure opinion upon political and social
topics which concern the community, the result OF
which must Of necessity be Of great benefit to, and
enlightenment Of, that communty-in' fact, the
press is republican institution, and both these
institutions are naturally allied, and in proper
ton as they are severed, 50 are they dispar-
aged. England, with her comparatively free 60
yernment, was the country where the press first
took its stand as power in society-as the fourth
estate, as it has been aptly termed; the United
States possessing absolute freedom Of government,
is the only country in which that influence has been
contaminated and acs nowledged.
1t is not difficult, therefore, to understand tho
meaning of the present restrictions upon the English
press and the cause Of its decline; the press is
political institution, and is kept under political sur
veillance and Independently Of its taxation, each pa
per is under heavy bonds to the government for its
particular conduct in regard to what may be deemed
"bel," Sc. But tho great object Of these restric-
tons not only the confinement of the press to the
use of a select aristocratic and wealthy few, and
which may be ready at all times to express their
sentiments and develope their feelings, but also to
prevent the enlightenment of the masses Of the pco
pie who, if properly instructed in their rights and
duties, and their morals refined, would no longer
submit to the present tyrannca and nctriou system
of government Of which they arc the dupes. These
restrictions, therefore, have double object, and
well do they their purpose hence, also, the
injustice Of taxing tn lengthy advertisement for
the sale of valuable property Of wealthy peer in
the same sum as the servant girls advertisement
The bulk of the English press is, therefore, not
free from corruption, dependence, and subscrviency;
and great portion are favorable to this state of
things, in consequence of the monopoly they enjoy
and the suppression of talent which would over
whelm their and lead to their distinctions this
interested feeling is, of COURSE natural in any sys
tenn of business, and therefore, accounts for their
opposition. Independently, also, if these taxes were
repealed instead Of there being daily papers out
of the English, Scotch and Irish metropoliies,
they would spring up in the provinces, owing to
the diminution in the cost of their production,
and thus destroy the weekly papers, (the only
ones published out Of the metroposcs, with the
exception of two three semi-weeklies,) which
derive their news, except what is merely local.
by the aid Of the scissors and paste-pct from the
London dailics, and which piracy custom has
sanctioned.
These, then, the corrupt grounds upon which
rest the restrictions upon the British press, and
which wait to be removed by the hands Of the pco-
pie for the that they to be benefited, and
no one else will do their work for them They must
do their own work through such means as are open
to them and second the able and patriotic efforts of
their champion, Miner Gibson.
The chief origin of these restrictions commenced
in the reign Of Queen Anne, who requested the Par
lament to fetter and gag the press, because it
posed the folics and vices of her court and her
rupt inconsistencies, and they were followed up by
the despotic Georges, for obvious motives; and it
is only during the last twenty years, and since
parliamentary reform, that some of the more odious
letters had been struck off, and the Mount Of stamp
duty reduced, since which period peoples press
has, to extent, sprung into existence, which,
it is to be hoped, has enlightened the mass Of the
people on the importance ofthis subject
AS we previously intimated, it is not our province
to point out the unjust and scandalous manner in
which these English imposts are levied, and the
great burdens they entail upon commerce and indus
try. but to view the matter IN political and social
aspeet and in relation to our country, and this
brings us to the slanderous and interested imputa-
tions of which the American press is made the sub
cct by some Of the English journals, who view with
horror the innovations which free and enlghten-
cd press would make upon their rotten and proppod
up prosperity One paper in particular-thc
London 1imcs-is deriving immense benefit from
the present system, which favors its monopoly,
whilst all the other daily papers, with the
solitary exception Of one, which is supported by q
commercial class, are sickly and in dying state;
and, therefore, we can well understand the bitter
ness ofthat paper towards the American press ana
its literature, which it has recently exhibited IN
connection with the late debate in the British
Parliament, when it says that our Newspaper 1T
craturc ''is so cheap as TO swamp real merit ana
vulgarizc the taste Of the public" Every reader
of the HERALD will be able to give an unqualified
80. Al. ,.,,,gp md tyAt1n