The Earl of Winchilseaseeing the noble Viscount (Viscount Melbourne) in his place, could not avoid taking that opportunity of calling his attention to the subject of unstamped publications, one of which he had that day seen, and the language of which was so violent, so grossly seditious, that he did not think the Government could pass it by without notice. It would be in vain for the noble Earl to take measures to preserve the peace of the country, if publications like this were suffered to continue unnoticed; if the worthless part of the Press was allowed (and, he was glad to say, that he did not include the majority of the Press in the description) to pour forth its seditious effusions unnoticed. There was, he repeated, a part of the Press that always endeavoured to excite the people against the constituted authorities of the country, and thereby to place the country in the most terrible situation. These low publications—for which he felt the utmost indignation and abhorrence—published, as they were, without stamps, were read at beer-houses, and were calculated to do the utmost mischief among the frequenters of those places. He believed that the noble Viscount could not have read the publication to which he alluded; and therefore he thought it his duty to call the noble Viscount's attention to it.
§ Viscount Melbourneobserved, that these publications had not escaped the notice of the Government. He agreed with the noble Earl, that nothing could be worse than the effects to which the noble Earl had alluded. The question of the notice to be taken of them was, however, often a question of prudence, and was not to be entirely decided by feelings of indignation and abhorrence. There were some things that, but for reasons of prudence, might call for notice and animadversion; but the question with him was, whether by prosecuting they were not more likely to increase than to diminish the circulation of publications they desired to put down, and thus play into the hands of those who were the authors of them.
The Earl of Winchilseacould not agree in the sentiments of the noble Viscount; for he knew that these publications were already extensively read in beer-houses, and places of that description. Besides, in another point of view, the Government ought to take notice of them. There were 1287 no stamps on these papers. The revenue, therefore, was defrauded; and the respectable part of the Press laboured under unfair disabilities, in being called on to pay for stamps, when others were suffered to enter the market without being subjected to such a charge.
§ Conversation dropped.