The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-29 00:00:00

The Metropolitan Weekly Press.

(From tire Guardian.)
A return of stamps issued to newspapers for the 12
months succeeding the last published return—viz., from
June, 1861, to June, 1863, has been issued. Of course it
does not include the unstamped issue, and affords only a
proximate estimate of circulation, but it may be interesting
to compare the numbers given. We give the average
stamped circulation of each paper during the last four years :
1860. 1(61. 1852. 1863.
Guardian .. .• .. 38;7 4008 4201 1217
Saturday Review .. 28.7 3.69 3595 3750
Record .. •• .. 2068 2946 214 2713
Evening Mail .. .. 2692 2468 2115 2211
Law Times .. .. 1875 1971 2115 2067
Athenzeum • • .. 227 1846 1816 18a6
Clerical Journal .. .. 2142 2396 1975 1558
Nonconformist .. .. 1587 1481 1375 1461
Tablet .. • • .. 1363 1414 1395 1313
Lancet .. .• .. 1303 1389 1420 1361
Observer .. • • .. 1750 1500 1250 1131
Examiner .. .• .. 1726 1174 1269 1082
Watchman • • 11('6 1154 1231 1019
Weekly Register .. 1327 1342 1062 1(00
Medical Times .. .. 1075 1103 1385 083
Patriot .. .• • 037 906 018 923
Medical Circular .. 1630 . 134.1 1225 871
Economist •• .. 1048 976 957 827
Reader 769
• •
•• .• •• •• ..
Press .• • • .. 611 MO 1010 72
English Churchman .. 650 C5O 65) 663
..
Church Review .. .. .... 616
John Bull .. .. 769 721 6:35 596
St. James's Chronicle .. 962 807 772 571
Spectator .. .. . 863 C 96 510 518
Literary Churchman .. 596 787 558 511
United Service Gazette.. 70 587 638 508
Railway Times .. .. 461 470 433 452
Wesleyan Times .. 891 577 423 452
Sunday Times .. • • 700 451 437 3 5
Critic; .. .. .. 1165 1115 904 125

SALMON FISHING ON THE ESK.—On Monday
afternoon last a very itfluential meeting was held
at the Angel Hotel, Whitby, under the presidency of the
Marquis of Normanhy, to take into consideration the pro-
priety of adopting the provisions of the 24th and 25th Vic.,
c, 109, for facilitating the passage of salmon to the upper
waters of the River Esk, and also of procuring a supply of
spawn for restoring the river with salmon. The noble
marquis opened the proceedings of the meeting, which was
of quite a conversational character, by referring to his own
angling experiences in Nova Scotia and Canada. The
meeting was quite unanimous in favour of securing the
object in view, and in furtherance thereof it was decided to
form an association of gentlemen resident in the neighbour-
hood for the purpose of preserving and increasing the breed
of salmon. A supply of spawn will be introduced into the
river, and ladders and passes will be placed in the most
suitable places. The marquis announced that he should
give a donation of £lO to start the movement, and other
gentlemen in the room put down their names in the sub-
scription list. It is estimated that the cost of making these
improvements will not exceed £5O.
PEG WOFFINGTON.—A curious letter was sold on
Thursday last—ouo written by Peg Woffington,th@
theatrical beauty of the last century, who, as her contem•
poraries asserted, could not write. There, however, the
letter was, at an auction-room, with the signature at foot,
and extending to two full—not modern note-paper size, cer-
tainly, but—large folio pages. The epistle is directed "For
Master Thomas Robinson, at Goodwood, in Sussex," and
is full of musing banter; Peg ',Eliding to her famous
" breeches" character of Sir Harry Wilduir. The letter is
considered unique, and it realised a very large sum. The
statement that Peg Wuffiagton could not write was asserted
of most of the gay actresses of thr last and preceding cen-
turies. Of Nell Gwynne it was said that she could neither
read nor write ; but an autograph note discovered a short
time since showed that she could express herself on paper,
althorgh a dismally-scrawled E.G., with lull stops at every
bend of the :nitials, was all that Mr Peter Cunningham
could find to reproduce in fac simile in his little "Story of
Nell Gwynne." Those persons who have read Charles
Reade's novel,tte will remember what that author has told
us of Peg's beauty, talent, generosity, and indiscretions.
She is said to have been the first female who acted male
characters ell the English stage,—Lonelon ,R(Vict(a