Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-10-05
THE KINGDOM OF MAN.
= British Island that Enjoys the
Privilege OF Home kule

Privilege OF Home Kuie.
The little kingdom in the Irish chan
nel-the Isle of Man, with q popula-
ton of $4,000 or 50, 000-enjoys the
blessings, or otherwise, of home rule:
it has It's house of keys, composed of
twenty four members popularity elect
ed, without the ballot and its council
composed of the officials of the island.
Its history commenced at very early
period, and is made up of facts, and
very much more of fiction. The in
habitants have been celebrated for a
belief IN witches, ghosts, and fairies,
and other superstitlons, which attract
ed the attention of Sir Walter Scott. Is
this to be accounted for by the fact
that at the end of the last century
books and booksellers were almost alb
sent from the and Wood, the tour
list, who wrot interesting descriptions
OF tours to various paris of the king
dom, visited the Isle of Man i'll 1903,
when he found only one person VINO
sold books, and he was by trade book
binder. He tried to purchase sheet
of blotting paper, but found that SO SUI
perfluous and needless an article was
not to be had. But newspaper, The
Marks Mercury and BriScoe's Douglas
advertiser was published in 1892, and
had an existence of fifteen years.
The island had the privilege of send
ing newspapers through the post to
any part of the kingdom free, and the
publishers had the further privilege of
inserting advertisements without pay
ing duty, at the time when the English
papers had to pay one shilling and six
pence to the government for each adj
vertisement, in addition to the news
paper stamp, which also was not re-
CURED in the island. this caused sew
eral publications to be printed in the
island solely to save postage, stamp,
and advertisement duty. Had the
government not interfered and stopped
the free circulation of Manx publica-
tons through the post, instead of five
English journals being printed in the
island, there would have been fifty.
The Isle of Nan Times the largest
circulated newspaper on the island, to
which the inhabitants are considerably
indebted for the librties they enjoy, had
an interesting incident in connection
with its early existence in 1864. The
house of keys, composed of twenty-four
members, then self-elected body, is
sued writ for the arrest of Jas. Brown,
the proprietor, for certain libelous and
scandalous articles" which he deemed
a contempt of the keys, and breach
of its privileges" When brought be-
fore the keys the members speedily
found that they had caught Tartar.
Mr. Rrnup hatpp oIlpuol to H.
heard by counsel, mad to defend him.
self, which he did with positive gusto
and relish. Mr.. Brown was sentenced
to six months Imprisonment in Castle
Ruslien, to which he was Immediately
conveyed. At the end of six weeks,
during which time he held daily re-
ception of his friends, writ OF habeas
corpus was issued by the late Lord
Chief Justice Cockburn, which so
frightened the keys that they begged
Mr.. Brown to leave the prison On OBJ
tanning his lirbety he Immediately be-
gan an action for false Imprisonment,
and after two years litigation was
awarded f5lS 193. Sd. damages. The
law charges that the award cost each
member of the keys e120. The Isle of
Nan Times is now the must successful
paper on the island, and its plant and
machinery are of the most modern
kind.
One advantage which The booksellers
had In the early part of the century
was being allowed a drawback of three
halfpence pound upon all books and
stationery brought to the island. This
was one Of the advantages owned by
the English newspapers published Ill
Douglas, and most materially added to
the profits of the several publications.
For several years one of the Liverpool
booksellers was accustomed to send to
the island all his accumulated old I'M
salable books, getting in many in
stances more than their value in the
drawback, and then selling them by
auction in tho island. But this priv
ilege was withdrawn the same time
that the circulation Of insular news
papers WAS stopped.
OF late years booksellers have in
creased on the island, and several have
published books printed in the Manx
langusge-the New Testament and
Millions Paradise Lost" among others.
The Manx society exists for the
preservation and reprinting of pubic
documents.
A Newport CORES pendent announces
the engagement Of Miss Phlmey,
daughter OF Mr.. Theodore w. Pnney,
Of Chicago, to Mr.. William Grosyenor.
The MI, ,ho Calford. Oh artrand Ste