New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-30
TEE NEWsPAPER TAX.

]
Il ia we'll not to overlook the precedents sup
piled by history. The device is not one "hicn
had its origin at all in earlier times In mere
revenue necessities; and if those who VIII most
directly suffer from tho impOst might readiiy
assent TO it as fiscal expedient for the time,
they are, nevertheless, justified in showing
wherein its history falls to recommend 1t to o
community Of free people.
Charles ii. of England found tho political
pampbeteers, and so called pressmen OF his DAY
too obtrusiye TO comport with the ease ana
incidence which he marked out for bis Govern
ment, and along with the establishment OF
Court Miscellany, he created Censor in the
person of the Kings Editor who took etiectual
care that no danger should acrue to his MAJ
esty or bis advisers from an independent press
The Royal view Of the case indeed favored
absolute suppressiou; and Sir Roger LEsiranse
was careful that his masters vii should, as
far as possible Re complied with.
James not being INDECENT was more absolute
than hi. brother, and William appears to have
been less afraid of free Press than bis adyia-
ers: for We fud that the most noted political
vriter of the time found in the monarch q
patron and substantial friend. But the satire'
of Defoe were too much for the weak digestion
of tbe politicians Of the succeeding reign; and
although the clumsy acts of repression employed
by the last of the Stuarts could scarcely be
revived in full force after the Revolution
which was supposed TO have established re-
sponsible government, yet it was deemed es-
.en,ial to the case of the Government OF the
day TO curb at once the power of the political
press and the appetitcs Of the common people
for knowledge.
10 meet tie e1geucy one of Queen Aune's
advisers luckily hit on a Stamp Act, which
should impose tax Of a balipenny sterling on
an political publications. The fscal necessities
Of the State, it should be noticed, demanded no
such import md even if they bad the imme-
diate result would have been simply nothing;
for the measure served only one purpose, viz:
,lat which her Mejesty's adyifers Lad upper
most in their minds-the repression of public
journalism. and the restriction OF public intel
li,encc. And 30 ,fcctuolly was this primary
intent accomplished that only few months
after .he fret Stamp act was imposed on the
Press sc read of Swiit's asking " Stella:
B.. DO YOU know that Grub-street Is dead and
,ote'" And such was really the case. Grub
street. with its printers and pamphe!eers, was
Killed out. What ito partial revival proved to
be during the succeeding forty years, enbrnc-
,Bz the Era Of the Dunciad, and the fructily-
ING reigns of the two frat Georges, every one
Knows. There were journals, it is true, and
gen,Iemen's magazines beside; but they were
equally worthless. and slaysh; and their editors,
| IT not IA courtly, were at least as stupid, as
/ Sic Roger LEstrange hmsef
| ,Junius and Horne Tooke threw certain
M, asure Of spasmodic life into such presses az
were bold enough to publish their satires in
the earlier part of George the Thirds reign;
and the State trials commenced Mt the instiga-
ton Of Loughborough and others, it was sup
poseJ. would be sufficient to check the danger
Gus tendency of presses opposed to the existing
Government These trials, however, were less
/ cGectua for purposes of suppression than the
Kings advisers desired them TO be. The trials
created much popular interest. The printers
we're regarded ca more or less martyrs, and
the political writer, acquired, perhaps more
fame than va, strictly due to their merits.
Ii was in this condition Of journalism-in
, I79!-when public opinion, especially in France
had become Il really dangerous feature in the
question of governing communities, that tie
English Ministry determined TO fall back upon
the successful measure Of Queen Anne for n
remedy against the power OF the free-spohen
journals. The Stamp Act on newspapers was
supplemented with additions which augmented
the tax 10 eight times It's original amount; 30
that in 1851, the year when the frat successful
attempt was made in the English Parliament
tor its abolition, il produced TO the Grown
-, 100000 yearly, beside restricting with
great effect The progress of the Press. The
intervening wars, from the opening OF the cen
J tuly naturally kept up the circulation of the
Press, beyond what, under such mposts, il
would naturally have been in the days Of the
political pamphleteers. But when it is cOnsd
cred that even in 1884, the miserable impOst
only produced I per cent of the necessary
revenue of the Kingdom, it is clear that the
, advocates Of the stamp act still held its lsca
value of subordinate account to tho political
object for which it was originally established
IL ia not undeseryiug of notice that the frs
strong effort to do away with the newspaper
, impost, was only made in the English Parlia
ment after tho Reform bill had become law