LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. THE NEWSPAPER PRESS. An account of all the Weekly Newspapers published in London on Saturdays and Sundays, and also of those Sunday prints of which there is a Monday edition, laid before Parliament some weeks ago, has suggested to us the idea, that a general view of the Newspaper press, as it exists at the present time, might not be an unacceptable paper to lay before our Readers. ́In many cases it is impossible to do more than approximate facts; but, from our inquiries into the subject, we will venture to say, that the result of our investigation will be found to coincide, very nearly, with the true state of the case. When this is looked at, the prodigious extent of this species of periodical circulation, and its consequently prodigious effects upon the minds of the people, will strike every thinking person with wonder; and the influence upon manners, as well as the political and moral influence of these slight but ever acting engines, will merit, perhaps obtain, a graver consideration than has ever yet been given to them in a comprehensive form. We shall begin with the Parliamentary Return. Even in its limited scale, the document contains the names of forty-two journals; of these, however, several bad perished between 1817 and 1820, the years embraced in the record: the remaining number consequently stands at thirty-two; but, several have originated in the year 1821, not comprised in this list, which would carry the number to within four or five of the first total. Of these, twenty-two have taken from the stamp-office within the year, above three millions and a quarter of stamps, the lowest number being 825, the highest, 992,500. The other journals enumerated, probably purchase their stamps from their stationers, and therefore the Stamp-office could furnish no clue to their demand. The number of advertisements on which duties were paid by these journals in 1820 is, in round numbers, about 23,2501.: and the total amount of the tax they paid to the Treasury, about 46,000%. * It is not within our limits to name all the journals to which the foregoing epitome applies; suffice it to mention those of the largest sale:-Bell's Weekly Dispatch, the Englishman (the highest Sunday), the Examiner, the Guardiau, and These calculations are made on the face of the sheet laid before the House of Commons, but it must be observed, that it is extremely incorrect. The the Literary and London Literary Gazette (the highest Saturday), are at between yearly 130,000 and 200,000; the County Herald above 200,000; Bell's Weekly Messenger, and the News, above 500,000; and the Observer, above 900,000. three latter, as well as the Examiner, publish on two days, the Sunday and Monday (which makes the distinction in the Englishman and Literary Gazette above parenthetically noticed), as do many others of what are called Sunday Newspapers. It is observable, from the return, that, in several instances, there has been considerable fluctuation in the sale of certain journals. The best established do not vary much; others exhibit a certain and rapid decline: one, the Observer, nearly doubled in 1820. The most violent of the Opposition Press, stand higher in 1819 than in 1820; and in general, it appears, that the papers less decidedly of a party character, have increased; while those, of a contrary cast, have diminished. We do not, however, pretend to be acquainted with all these; but the Champion, which, in 1817, consumed of stamps 64,100, in 1820, takes only 36,934. Cobbett's Register disappears from the list; Duckett's Dispatch drops from a duty of 300l. to 21. 5s. 6d.; the Englishman decreases from 199,525 to 173,800; the Examiner differs from 205,000 to 194,500; the Independent Whig, from 50,405 to 4,694; and Wooller's Gazette from 101,415 in 1819, to 77,850 in the following year. On the other hand, more neutral journals seem to have risen :- Bell's Dispatch, in four years, from 75,350 to 132,000; Bell's Messenger, from 573,150 to 607,650; the Observer, what we have already noticed; and the minor papers in like ratios. All the periodicals above mentioned are produced on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; but there is another class of considerable importance published in the Metropolis, which does not come under the designation of the daily press. There are at least five papers (British Mercury, Christian Reporter, Philanthropic Gazette, Military Gazette, and Moderator) peculiar to Wednesday; one, the Farmer's Journal, claims Monday; another, the Law Chronicle, belongs to Thursday; the Hue and Cry, or Police Gazette, is seen every third week; and the Literary Advertiser on the 10th of every month. On the evenings of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the . Evening Mail, London Packet, and London Chronicle; and on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the General Evening Post, Commercial Chronicle, English Chro 624 Literature and Science.-Newspaper Press. nicle, and St. James's Chronicle, which are all called "thrice-a-week papers," are pro. mulgated, and, though not much read in London, have most of them, we believe, a respectable country circulation. In town, the population wants its food of news daily (almost hourly); in the provinces many are contented to be instructed on alternate days. Then there is the Courier de Londres every Tuesday and Friday; and, though last not least of this class, the London Gazette, by authority, every Tuesday and Saturday. Taking the average of the sale of these 18 papers at 1,000, their thirty-four impressions will amount to 54,000 weekly, to be added to the first order, or about 14 millions in the course of the year. The third and best known class of Lon don newspapers, consists of the daily Morning and Evening publications: the former comprehending eight-the British Press, Morning Advertiser, Morning Chronicle, Morning Herald, Morning Post, New Times, Public Ledger, and Times. The latter, seven-namely, the Courier, Globe, Star, Sun, Statesman, Traveller, and True Briton. The eight morning papers have a daily sale (we speak very near the mark) of from 18,000 to 20,000: the seven evening papers amount probably to from 12,000 to 14,000. We will take the two united at a little more than 32,000 per diem, which makes an addition to the preceding weekly sale of newspapers of 200,000, and to the yearly total of about ten millions and a half. The consumption of newspapers published in London alone, therefore, will on these data amount annually toOf Saturday, and Sunday (with Monday editions) papers Of other weekly, twice and thrice a-week papers And of daily papers Grand yearly total 3,250,000 1,750,000 10,500,000 15,500,000 or about 300,000 every week, or about 50,000 every day! When we look at the great price of this article, which, from its demand, may well be reckoned aniong the necessaries of life, at the revenue it produces, without the trouble even of collection, at the multitude of persons to whem it affords employment, at the quantity it uses of manufactures and mechanism, paper, type, presses, &c. &c. at its various ramifications as a source of industry and property in rents, insurances, buildings, newsvenders, postages, conveyances, and above all, at its commercial, scientific, social, political, and moral influence, it will stand forward to the contemplation as one of the most extraordinary objects even of this extraordinary age. But what we have yet considered is only [XCI. a part of the whole; there are still an infinitely greater number of provincial newspapers to be added to the list. There is hardly a town of any size in the kingdom which has not its journal. Glancing at the newsman's list (published by Newton, of Warwick-square), we observe, that Birmingham has four, Bristol five, Bath four, Brighton three, Cambridge two, Canterbury three, Carlisle two, Chelmsford two, Chester three, Coventry two, Durham two, Exeter four, Gloucester two, Hull three, Ipswich two, Leeds three, Liverpool six, Leicester two, Manchester seven, Maidstone two, Newcastle three, Norwich two, Nottingham two, Oxford two, Preston two, Plymouth three, Sheffield three, Sherborne two, Stamford two, Whitehaven two, Worcester two, and York three. And this list (we have not minuted places where papers are published once a week) by no means includes all the country journals published. In England and Wales however, it extends its enumeration to one hundred and thirty-three, all of which are weekly, except the two belonging to Canterbury, which appear twice a week. The Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey, produce each two weekly journals. Scotland has thirty-one in the list, to which Aberdeen contributes two, Air two, Dumfries two, Dundee two, Edinburgh nine, Glasgow four, Inverness two, Kelso two, and Montrose two. Of these, three Edinburghs are published thrice a week, and three twice; two Glasgow's thrice a week, and one twice; Greenock twice a week, and one of the Kelso's twice a week; raising the whole to forty-seven within that period. Ireland is enumerated up to fifty-six, whereof Belfast has four, Cork four, Clonmell two, Dublin sixteen, Ennis two, Gal. way three, Kilkenny two, Limerick four, Tralee two, and Waterford two. Among these, four of the Dublin are daily, and there are others thrice and twice a week, to make the total weekly, one hundred and twenty-six publications. The summa is-weekly. 135 English Provincials And to the honour of these be it stated, that not one of them is published on the Sabbath-day, which practice is confined to London alone. Many of the Country newspapers have a very great sale, so that we should not probably far exceed the truth if we averaged them at 2,000. The result would be above 620,000 weekly, or 36 millions and a half annually, to be added to the mass of the Metropolis, and augmenting the grand total to above fifty millions millions of sheets within the year, or a weekly million distributed over the country, and dispatched abroad! We shall pass the Weekly, and just sketch a Morning Newspaper; the contents of which would make a three guinea volume, as books are now fashionably got up. In the first place, the advertisements are continually printing. During the sitting of Parliament, each journal has from six to ten, or more gentlemen of literary acquirements, engaged in reporting the debates. These succeed each other in rotation, in the gallery of the House of Commons, or space for strangers in the Upper House; and remain, as may be requisite, half an hour, an hour, or two hours respectively, to take notes of what passes; as one retires, another occupies his place; and the succession lasts till the business is done. In the same way, the matter is delivered to the printers: the first reporter goes to his office and writes out his part of the debate, while the second is carrying on the system of note-taking; and so the whole proceeds through three, four, five, six, seven, or ten individuals. This division of labour renders that practicable which we daily see, and which would otherwise be thought impossible. The same principle is seen in the printing office, or chapel as it is called.-The principal printer receives the debates written on slips of paper, and distributes them to his ten or fourteen compositors, to be put in type. When finished, the matter is put regularly together, and impressions are taken as the work goes on, which are submitted to another officer, called the Reader, for correction. A lad reads the MS. to this person, while he cons the proof, and jots on the margin the needful alterations. Again handed to the compositors, these alterations are made in the type; and the proof is read twice more before it is finally made up into columns for the editor, and for putting into the shape in which it is published. The news, and politics, and all other branches of the paper, undergo a similar process; and it is altogether curious to see the busy and active scene in which, perhaps, ten able writers, a great number of clever printers, superintending readers, correctors, printers, and editors, are all co-operating to the same end-the publi cation on the morning of the morrow, of that well-filled sheet, of which the very commencement was witnessed some twelve hours before. The circumstances of get. ting the sheets stamped at the Stamp Of fice, wetting for printing, and submitting them to the press, in pages or forms (i. e. two pages together), it would prolong this article too much to detail: we shall only mention that, for expedition sake, it is often necessary to print the latest made. up pages two or three times over! so that, GENT. MAG. Suppl. XCI. Part I. G though only one sheet is produced, it is frequently set up, in fac similes, twice or thrice. To conclude the whole, the publishing of a large impression is, in itself, remarkable. The speed with which reams of moist paper are counted, and disposed of in quires, dozens, and single papers, to the various newsmen-the clamour of their boys, and the impatience of the devils, constitute a spectacle of no common kind. The Evening Papers, which take their reports from those of the Morning, are, of course, spared a very considerable expence. Some of the leading morning journals disburse, for literary assistance and printing, above 2001. weekly: none of the Evening, we presume, expend one half of that amount, however liberal they are in providing for the public entertainment and information. In the Weekly prints, the system is nearly the same; only they proceed more leisurely, in consequence of their work being spread over six days. Few of them employ reporters, or look much after original matter; except, perhaps, that some of the leading Sunday newspapers obtain an account from the law courts on Saturday, and of any late news on that day. Their expences are thus comparatively inconsiderable, and their emoluments great. It is not easy to speak with certainty, nor would it be right in us to do so, of the profits of any particular journals; we shall therefore conclude by stating the common rumour, that, at least, one morning paper is worth from fifteen to eighteen; two from eight to ten; one evening, more than ten ; and one, or perhaps two weekly, from three to five thousand pounds per annum. Literary Gazette. NEW STYLE OF ENGRAVING ON COPPER IN ALTO RELIEVO, INVENTED BY MR. W. LIZARS. The progress which has been made during the last thirty years in the mechanical arts, and in the application of science to the useful purposes of life, has been no less remarkable for its rapidity than for the variety and importance of the inventions by which it has been marked. The history of the fine arts, during the same period, though it does not present us with any very splendid achievements, bas yet to record some striking specimens of their advancement. One of the most important of these is, undoubtedly, the invention of Lithography; an art by which copies of drawings of all kinds can be multiplied with such a degree of accuracy and facility, as to be a complete substitute for copper-plate engraving, and, at the same time, at such a cheap rate, that the original cost of the stone, and the expence of preparing it, either by a transference of the drawing to be multiplied, or by a di rect Literature and Science.-New Style of Engraving. rect delineation of it upon the stone, bears no proportion to the expense of cutting it on copper. It is impossible to speak too highly of the great advantages of stone-printing, in those cases to which it is really applicable; but there is some risk of forming too high an estimate of its powers, and we fear that the public expectations are too sanguine to be ultimately gratified. In all those cases where the expence of copper-plate engraving is very great, compared with the expence of paper, and of taking off the impressions, whether this difference arises from the smallness of the number of impressions, or from the difficulty of the engraving, the art of Lithography is peculiarly valuable. But when the subject to be engraved is a mere outline, such as diagrams, the expense of cutting, which on copper is very trifling, or when the expense of paper and of taking the impression is very great from the number of impressions to be thrown off, then the original cost of the engraving, even if it has much work upon it, forms such a small part of the whole expense, that it would not be adviseable to multiply it by stone-printing. When we consider that the expense of paper is the same in both arts, and that the method of taking impressions from stone is more troublesome and less certain than in taking them from copper, we shall have no difficulty in distinguishing the particular cases in which we should have recourse to Lithography. In The art of engraving upon wood, though imperfect, from the very nature of the process, possesses great advantages. If we wish to illustrate a subject by a single diagram, we are enabled to do it by a wood engraving, which is printed from it along with the types, and which, therefore, saves all the expense of throwing off the impressions separately, and also the expense of a separate leaf of paper. many instances this saving amounts to a great sum, and the original expense of the wood-engraving is comparatively nothing. We have, besides, the great advantage of having the diagram or figure adjacent.to the description of it-an advantage which those only can appreciate who spend much of their time in the study of mathematical and physical works. The new style of engraving upon copper, which Mr. Lizars has invented, is a substitute for wood-engraving, in the same manner as lithography is a substitute for copper-plate engraving; but while Mr. Lizars has given us a cheaper art for a more expensive one, he has also given us a more perfect art for one which is full of imperfections. The invention of litho graphy, on the contrary, was the substitution of an imperfect for a perfect art, and [xcl. whatever progress it may yet make, we can never expect it to exhibit that union of bold and delicate touches by which stroke-engraving is characterised. In wood-engraving, all the white parts are cut below the general surface of the wood, while all the black lines, which constitute the picture, are left on the level of the general surface. Hence it is impracticable to hatch or to leave upon the surface of the wood elevated lines, which cross each other, without cutting out the small white lozenges, which would be a work of immense labour, and by no means perfect, even if it could be accomplished. All the shadings, therefore, in wood-engravings, are formed by parallel lines, which never cross one another. In copper-plate engravings, on the contrary, all the black lines are cut below the general surface, while the white parts correspond with the general surface of the copper. The art of hatching is therefore extremely easy in this art, and we have only to cross the lines cut out by the engraver in the same manner as we do them in drawing with the pen. These observations will prepare the reader for understanding Mr. Lizars's invention, and for forming a correct estimate of its value. In the operation of engraving, the desired effect is produced by making inci sions upon the copper-plate with a steel instrument, of an angular shape; which incisions are filled with printing-ink, and transferred to the paper by the pressure of a roller, which is passed over its surface. There is another mode of producing these lines or incisions by means of diluted nitrous acid, which is well known, and in which the impression is taken in the same way. The new mode of engraving is done upon a principle exactly the. reverse; for, instead of the subject being cut into the copper, it is the interstice between these lines which is removed by diluted acid (commonly called aquafortis), and the lines are left as the surface, from which the impression is taken, by means of a common type printing-press, instead of a copper-plate press. This is effected by drawing with turpentine varnish, coloured with lamp-black, whatever is required upon the plate; and when the varnish is thoroughly dry, the acid is poured upon it, and the interstice of course removed by its action upon the uncovered part of the copper. If the subject is very full of dark shading, this operation will be performed with little risk of accident, and with the removal of very little of the interstice between the lines; but if the distance between the lines is great, the risk and difficulty is very much increased; and it will be requisite to cut away the parts which surround the lines with a graver, in order to prevent the dabber with the printing-ink from reaching the bottom, and thus producing a blurred impression. It is obvious, therefore, that the more the plate is covered with work, the less risk will there be in the preparation of it with the acid, after the subject is drawn; and the less trouble will there be in removing the interstice (if any) from those places where there is little shading.. A great degree of facility will be obtained by etching out the first line with the common etching-needle, and afterwards putting on the cross-line with the varnish; and by this means there will be much more variety, regularity, and beauty in the effect, than if the whole had been done with the varnish. Although this discovery must still be considered in its infancy, and very incomplete, yet it is probable that much may be done with it, if proper materials can be found out to work with. It possesses every advantage which common engraving does, and at the same time all the advantages of engraving on wood; and, above all, it enables us to procure as many impressions as can be taken from types. The greatest difficulty to be sur mounted, is to obtain a substitute for the varnish which will flow from a pen or pencil like Indian ink; for as the varnish has a tendency to dry, and get tough in the pencil, the operation is by this circumstance very considerably impeded. Other substances than copper may be used; and experience may prove them to be better adapted to the purpose. I have tried wood covered with white lead and strong glue, with considerable success, but not so much as copper; and it may be as well, for the sake of those who may think it worth their while to make other trials, to mention, that I have used lead, pewter, type-metal, zinc, and brass, all . with various success, but have still found copper superior to them all.-Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. Report from the Select Committee on WEIGHTS and MEASURES. From the Reports of the House of Commons. Ordered to be printed 28 May, 1821. The Select Committee, appointed to consider of the several Reports which have been laid before this House relating to Weights and Measures, and of the proceedings which have taken place for determining the length of the pendulum vibrating seconds, and to report their observations and opinion thereupon to the House; have considered the matters referred to them, and have agreed to the following Report. Your Committee concur entirely in opinion with the Commissioners on Weights They also concur in recommending, that the sub-divisions of Weights and Measures employed in this country be retained, as being far better adapted to common practical purposes than the decimal scale. For the reasons assigned by the Com missioners, your Committee recommend that the Farliamentary brass standard of three feet, now in the possession of the House of Commons, and made by Bird, in 1760, be henceforth considered as the authentic legal standard of length of the British empire, so that the distance between the centres of the two gold pins in serted in that scale, the brass being at the temperature of sixty-two degrees by Fahrenheit's thermometer, be one yard. And it appears from the experiments made for determining the length of the pendulum vibrating seconds at London in a vacuum, and reduced to the level of the sea, that the distance from the axis of suspension to the centre of oscillation of such a pendulum, is 39.1393 inches of the above standard distance: and that the length of a platina metre at the temperature of thirty-two degrees of Fahrenheit's ther mometer, supposed to be the ten-millionth part of the quadrant of the meridian, corresponds with 39.3708 inches of the said distance. Your Committee recommend, that superficial Measures remain as they are now defined by law, namely, that the perch, pole, or rod, be a square of 16 feet, that the acre consist of 160 such perches, and so of the rest. They further recommend, that the standard brass Weight of two pounds, also in the possession of the House of Commons, and made in 1758, be consi dered as authentic; that one half thereof, as gravitating in air at the mean height of the barometer and with the thermometer. at 62, be henceforth the legal, troy pound, of the British empire, containing 5760 grains and that 7000 grains troy be de clared to constitute a pound avoirdupois. And it appears that a cubic inch of distilled water weighs in a vacuum, opposed to brass weights in a vacuum also, at the temperature of 62 degrees of Fabrenheit thermometer, 252.72 such grains; and consequently a cubic foot of distilled wa ter, |
