UNSTAMPED MONTHLY NEWSPAPERS. (Hansard, 20 February 1852)

§ MR. SCHOLEFIELD
said, that lie understood from the answer given on a former day by the right hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Manchester, that he was disposed to acquiesce in the decision of the Court of Exchequer, in the recent case of Dickens' Household Narrative of Events. Previously to that decision the Board of Inland Revenue had inflicted penalties on several publications of a like character, and, in particular, on the Wakefield Examiner. He begged to ask the right hon. Gentleman what course the Government intended to pursue as to indemnifying those parties, who, under a mistaken interpretation of the law on the 830 part of the Board of Inland Revenue, have recently been compelled to pay a penalty for issuing unstamped monthly newspapers?

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, the statement he made the other day on this subject appeared to have been misunderstood. What he meant was, that after the discussion in the case alluded to, the Government were not disposed to press the point further. He did not mean to say that he acquiesced in the interpretation of the law in that case, as generally applicable, nor that the Government had decided on what course they should take. It fact, it was now under consideration what steps it might be desirable to take, because the interpretation which the Government had put upon the law had prevailed for the last 200 years. There were not many cases in which penalties had been inflicted, or compromises made. The only one in which there had been any such compromise was in the case of the Wakefield Examiner, and he did not feel disposed to refund the small sum of 10l. paid on that occasion.

§ MR. HUME
begged to ask if the noble Lord at the head of the Government acquiesced in the decision of the Court of Exchequer. As the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that he did not acquiesce in it, it was important to know if the Government did acquiesce in that which had been settled by a solemn decision.

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, that he had distinctly stated that he did not concur with the decision. What he meant to say was, not that he was going to reverse the decision of the Court of Exchequer, but it was under consideration whether any steps should be taken on the question generally, on the authority of that decision.