without prejudice or partiality the journal which is first entitled to notice is the times the distinction of being the first in the will be to it by every one however much he may differ from it in politics the times once called itself die leading journal of europe and it has � been sneered at at least ten thousand times for so doing by its perhaps the assumption of the title by itself was not in th best but few of what sir once ae of europe will dispute tiie ice of ite to it for die last years and upwards during whidi it has been under the control of mr it has exercised an of england such as no other journal e ki this er iti any other country it is not to be denied that it has often represented rather than sentiment but it � equally true it has frequently given a tone to public opinion and a to public action on questions of the greatest importance on which the public mind bad been asleep before its voice of thunder was and what no less strikingly the power of the times in many of the instances to which i refer was the wonderfully short time in which ite articles produced their intended effect i recollect on various occasions the mind not only in the bat throughout the has its � the been called the e it once spoke oc thundering forth an � i again give up the good taste of so character own articles but must at the same time that no term could a better idea ef the r by of its the press evinced the most intense interest on questions but a few weeks previously no one even thought o much less talked about who does not what it did in the way of interesting the public mind on behalf of the spanish who were of hunger in this country some years ago but to go back and to give one very instance who has yet the influence it exercised over the minds of the people of england in the case of queen it is generally believed that the question was regularly and formally decided by vote among the proprietor whether the times should support or oppose the cause of that unfortunate lady and that it was agreed by a majority of one that its most exertions should be made in her favour be this as it may the fact was that the did the cause of queen and with an energy a perseverance and talent which were the admiration of her friends and which filled her foes with indignation and dismay and the success of the ad with the skill the singular boldness and commanding talent of the the public sympathies from one extremity of the empire to the other were all pa in of queen and even manifested themselves in such a way as to cause the house of lords to shrink from r turning a verdict of guilty to the times belonged in a great measure the glory of ing the triumph of that princess � though she unhappily did not live many months to enjoy it not less striking was the display of the power of the times during the great crisis of the reform bill day after day did it send articles in favour of that measure which tor vigour of conception and energy of expression have never been surpassed by any tions in the english language their great on the public mind was visible to all it was doubtless also sensibly felt by the members of both houses of parliament who can help that so powerful an ally in of liberal that did such signal service to the public cause � should now the very it once so and with such marked success to destroy the amazing power of the times is admitted by men of all parties but people often express at a loss to account for it my impression is that various s to produce it people frequently ask is the ability rf its leading articles the s the n� source its undoubtedly is one element in it and it is one in the absence of which all the others go for nothing there other elements in the great ence of the times is for example the of its vast its circulation is greater than that of any daily journal in england and is only surpassed in europe by one or two paris papers were its circulation limited the talent it would have no field on which to operate its light to use a phrase would be hid under a but in the proportion which the circulation of the toils amount of power regard must not be had to the mere extent of circulation the character of that must be taken into account well then one of the leading attributes of the circulation of the is its other papers some cases almost read by classes the times is read by all it of its ten thousands of readers among upper there ib not a member of house of who does not read it there is n m � s club which not take it in while if is read a eagerness and by of the lower indeed may it ie read by you never meet by with any person who any pretensions le who does not by some means or other see the times what is somewhat singular is that even those who are most liberal and hearty in th ir abuse of it are its most eager and constant readers every one knows that time after time the have entered into a sort of solemn league and te it altogether and to convert house square to some other us than that of broad sheets they groan at it at their public me until they make themselves hoarse au the at these meetings their of abuse 