The Marquis of Angleseypresented a Petition from the proprietors of thirteen Newspapers in Ireland, against the pro-posed increase of the Stamp-duties upon Newspapers in that country. The noble Martinis expressed his entire concurrence in the prayer of the petitioners, and added, that he thought their Petition was a document well worthy of the serious attention and consideration of their Lordships. The facts which they stated fully proved that the proposed measure would be perfectly useless as one of revenue, while one certain effect of it would be, the almost total destruction of the Irish press, which was already in a declining state. The measure in question went to lay on an additional duty of eighty-three per cent upon Newspapers, and forty per cent on advertisements, while it imposed a duty of 3s. 6d. on all charity advertisements, which were at present free from duty in that country. The petitioners prayed their Lordships not to suffer any additional duties upon the public press, but on the contrary, to reduce the duties which now weighed so heavily upon it. As an instance of the effect of an increase of duty, the petitioners stated, that the revenue arising from advertisements in Ireland was less now than it was twenty years ago, though the duty then was only 2-5ths of the present amount; and they likewise mentioned that that revenue had declined from 26,950l., which was its average annual amount in 1812, to 14,985l., its average in the year ending January, 1830. He therefore 533 trusted that his Majesty's Ministers would not persevere in the measure against which this Petition was directed.
§ Petition read, and to lie on the Table.