COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. (Hansard, 28 June 1821)

Mr. Bennet
called the attention of the House to the partial distribution of government patronage to the press of Ireland. The House would scarcely believe in what manner the government of Ireland managed the money granted for this purpose. He could show that proclamations of disturbances in districts were made, not in the newspapers of those districts, but in those of other counties. The publication was thus made, not for the purpose of spreading the requisite information, but of putting money into the pockets of certain editors, who were the creatures of the ministry. The sums of money given to them for advertising were in the inverse ratio of their claims to respectability and the extent of their circulation. Some papers received to the amount of between 1,000l. and 2,000l. of revenue, for abusing every man, and every body of men, opposed to administration; whilst papers of the most respectable character, and the greatest sale, received only 20l. or next to nothing. He trusted that the right hon. gentleman would before the next session make inquiry into the extent of; this evil, and take means to remedy it.

Mr. Grant
said, that 9,000l. was granted for the same purpose last year, and that now it was reduced to 7,000l. He had reduced the grant, and would reconsider the subject upon his return to Ireland.

§ Mr. Hume
thought that the only means of putting an end to this great abuse was; to stop the allowance granted for supporting it. It appeared that the bribery of the government journals did not extend only to proclamations, but to other government advertisements, and was likewise taking root in England. A very considerable portion of the money which they had that night voted would be applied to the same purpose as the 7,000l. included in this resolution. He held in his hand an advertisement, which in one of those government papers had been published five years without alteration. Some districts were proclaimed to be in a state 1447 of disturbance eighteen months after tranquillity had been restored. Whilst on this subject, he could not but again advert to a similar practice commencing in England. He mentioned some time ago that government advertisements did not appear in "The Times" newspaper, and he understood that government had issued an order for depriving it of the emolument derived from them. This must have been because it opposed the measures of administration. The chancellor of the exchequer had said, that no order had been issued to prevent them, and that the different offices were left in this respect to act upon their own discretion. He had, however, reason to believe, that this assertion was incorrect, and that government had given orders that none of their advertisements should be sent to that paper. He regretted exceedingly that ministers should have so abused their patronage. They must know that "The Times" newspaper had, of all others, the most extensive circulation; and consequently, if advertising was intended to benefit the public, must be of the most extensive use. It was known to them that this paper paid about 50,000l. a year in stamps, and must therefore be the means of distributing most widely the information which it was the public interest to have communicated. He should therefore be happy to hear from the chancellor of the exchequer, whether he persisted in his former declaration, that no government order had been issued to the government offices on the subject.