Columns after columns of the daily papers this week have
been de- voted to an affair of the " shop." Our readers are aware that Mr. Spring Rice stated in the House of Commons, that persons acting for
the Times, the Herald, the Standard, and the Post, concurred in his projected newspaper arrangements, although a petition had been pre-
sented from the proprietors of those journals strongly protesting against the double tax on double sheets. It turns out that the assent of the complainants was not given to this particular part of the arrangement,
but that, in conjunction with several other proprietors of the stamped press, they appointed a committee to represent their interests and con- fer with Mr. Rice; and that the Committee concurred in the proposed limitation of size for the penny stamp. To put this matter in its true light, and set themselves right with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a meeting of the " proprietors of the stamped press " was held on Wednesday, and resolutions were passed approving of the conduct of the Committee in every particular, and especially of the admission of the Times, &c. that to prevent misconception they ought to have sent a written protest to Mr. Rice against the double tax. The Times yesterday morning ridiculed these resolutions • charged the parties to them with misrepresentation • called them " drolls ;" and protested it did not know whether to laugh at or be angry with them. After this tirade of abuse, our readers will be amused to learn, that the resolutions were agreed to by (among others) Mr. Delane and Mr. Lawson, who were present at the meeting to represent the Times !
In reference to the alteration of the Stamp-duty, we may add, that the Morning Chronicle has forcibly urged that the name of each paper should be imprinted on the stamps delivered for its use—that there should be a separate die for each paper. We can conceive no possible objection to this plan, except a fraudulent one ; for although advertisers do not look to the extent, so much as the nature of a newspaper's cir- culation, yet they are in some degree influenced by the number of copies supposed to be sold. It is also proposed that the original articles in a newspaper shall be preserved by a copyright for a few hours after the time of publication. This also would be only just.
Previous page
