13 FEBRUARY 1836, Page 8

A deputation, composed of Messrs. Grote, Hume, Oswald, Wallace, Harvey,

Ilutt, Scholefield, A glionby, Sir William Molesworth, Colonel Thompson, and several other Members of Parliament, with Dr. Birkbeck ut their head, visited Lord Melbourne and Mr. Spring Rice at the Treasury on Thursday, for the purpose of representing the importance of abolishing the Newspaper Stamp-duty. Pr. Birkbeck, Dr. Ihwring, Mr. Hume, Mr. CrConnell, Mr. Grote, Mr. Roebuck, Colonel Thompson, and Mr. Wallace, were the chief spokesmen of the deputation. Mr. Hume objected to reduce the duty to a penny, which would be sufficient to prevent vast numbers from procuring news- papers. He mentioned an instance in proof of the effect of a difference in charge between threepence and a penny— Soule kind of threepenny amusement had been got up at the Rotunda, by a peon who could not afford to pay a rent of •20s. per week out of the profits; when allowed to reduce the price of admission to one penny, he was enabled to pay a rent of 511 per week. He trusted that Ministers would not now be so impolitic, its well as unjust, to the people, as to bring forward any half-measure. If they did, the question was one which must be pressed to a division. He knew, with the assistance of the Tories, the Liberal Members would be beaten ; but it was a fact that, as Reformers, they were not safe in their seats if they II) push this question to the utmost.

Lord Melbourne replied to the several observations of the gentlemen of the deputation— Ile had listened, lie said, with great attention to the various considerations, moral, political, financial, and, lie might perhaps add, personal, which had been urged by the deputatien. He felt that some of the arguments adduced were of great weight, and that all of them were entitled to the serious consideration of the Cabinet. He fully admitted that the financial part of the subject was not the most important part. The only question to be asked was, how the pursuits, habits, feelings, and opinions of the People were likely to be affected by the pro- p sell eharrae. It could not, of course, he expected that, at this early period of the session, before the financial plans for the year had been fixed, he could give the deputation any information of the intentions of Government ; nor did lie think their object would be facilitated by any communication he could make to them at the present moment. Ile only lit•„ed leave to assure every gentle- man present, that the various reasons they had adduced for the abolition of the Stamp-duty should meet with that serious and anxious consideration which they certainly deserved. It is important to notice that Lord Melbourne, very properly, con- siders the financial considerations connected with this question as of in- ferior importance to those which are moral and political. This must he remembered when the Budget is opened. This view of the subject must also lead Lord Melbourne to prefer a total abolition of the duty, as it is unquestionable that a penny stamp would prevent the circulation el immense quantities of newspapers.]