The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 15th JANUARY, 1866. POSTAGE ON NEWSPAPERS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 341, 15 January 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times.

NAPIER, MONDAY, 15th JANUARY, 1866. POSTAGE ON NEWSPAPERS.

"NCLLIUS ADDICTUS JCKAUB IN VERBA UAGISTW.”

A warning note on the subject of the probaltie imposition of this obnoxious tax by the Stafford Ministry should be raised by the Colonial press in time to avert such a calamity. There is too much reason to fear that it is their intention to include this tax in the financial scheme which will be submitted to the new Parliament, and it is well for the public that this fact has become known previous to the general election, as it should he made one primary consideration in the selection of a representative, whether he will oppose, to the utmost of his ability, the imposition of such an iil-advised measure as the postage tax on newspapers will be should it ever become a reality. It is well known that the principal points of the late ivlinistiy’s policy lias been adopted by Mr Stafford j and it, therefore, becomes an important question, What would have been the probable course of the Weld Ministry in regard to this question ? We are able to furnish an answer to the above from the sixth report on the postal service by the late Postmaster-General, who, referring to the attempt made by the Government in die early part of last year, informs us that “ during the short time it was in operation it gave” ery geneial satisfaction ; that te the interval which has been allowed 10 elapse has strengthened the conviction that such a tax is alike demanded by fairness and necessity”; that the public, if not already approving of it, “ will reconcile itself to it,” <fe c . ; from* all which it is quite plain that it was fully in. tended, by the late Ministry, to be brought again into operation, if only the House would agree thereto ; and, and, as that Ministry made each point of its policy a Ministerial question, theie is room for but little doubt it woii!4 havt bee.T : atii‘p<ed. '

Convinced, as we are, that such a tax can only have a positively injurious effect on the progress of the Colony in every respect,—* whether commercial, moral, or intellectual such as would be fur from counterbalanced by the revenue to he raised from such a source —we shall, as we have hitherto done, exert our humble influence to oppose it; and we call upon the public and the press to show that the late Postmaster-General is in error in supp:siog that the tax gave general satisfaction during the short period it was in operation and that the public will become reconciled to it.