Page:Notes by the Way.djvu/73

 there, with some appreciative remarks in it written by the Wizard of the North.

SAMPLERS.

There had been a discussion as to the age of samplers, and the following contribution from my mother appeared on the 23rd of September, 1871, Mr. Thoms being then the Editor :

"The accompanying sampler being of an older date than some of those you have noticed, I submit it for your inspection. You will probably deem the words worked thereon are of sufficient interest to appear in 'N. & Q.'

The next few contributions are from my father's pen :

THE UNSTAMPED PRESS.

Permit a few words upon the unstamped press in relation to the taxes on knowledge. The compulsory stamp upon newspapers was imposed on the 19th of July, 1712, to take effect on the 1st of August following. It was a halfpenny stamp on every half sheet; and its imposition had the effect of immediately stopping the publication of many of the then existing journals ; amongst them may be mentioned Addison's Spectator.

During the "battle " of the unstamped, which commenced in the year 1830, most of the prosecutions that took place were police prosecutions, at the instance of the Stamp Office authorities; and the term of imprisonment upon convictions was fixed by the police magistrate. Henry Hetherington was frequently in prison for offences against the press laws. At length his friends determined