POSTAGE OF NEWSPAPERS IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND.
A PARIS correspondent, whose letter we publish in another column, has drawn our attention to the Government mode of effecting the Duke of RICHMOND'S much-vaunted arrangement, by which the free transmission of Newspapers between France and England was to be secured; but which Mr. VERNON SMITII now interprets by a proposition to levy a postage of twopence on each raper. We knew not if the influence to which our corre- spendent alludes has been the cause of this countermarch; but there is no doubt, that wherever that influence has been exerted, its tendency lin sheen most baneful. It matters nut, however, from what source it originates; the effect of the postage must be to con- tinue, in a great degree, the existing prohibition of the literary inter- courie between the two countries. But even supposing a partial in- crease to be the consequence of the adoption of Mr. VERNON SMITH'S resolution, that must 101 far short of the eirculi thin that would follow an entirely free transmission : so that, in a financial point of view, which seems to be the only one the gentleman can take, it must be a comparative failure. The injustice and weight of the postage on French Newspapers transmitted to this country, are proportionately enormous. A Paris pap3r costs only twopence- flirthing ; but, should we wish to know a little more of u hat our neighbours and friends are doing on the other side of the Channel, than is contained in the driblets supplied to the Daily Papers by Post-office clerks or lazy correspondents, we must still pay, by the proposed reduction of postage, almost 100 per cent. in at:I- dition to the cost of the journal.
This is another specimen of the mode in which promises made by the Tricky Ministry are kept.
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