The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-09 00:00:00

20 .

TR E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY .

circulating in all quarters of the country, an 3 among all
classes of the community ? 'l'hev must have essentially
contributed to ':rise the public mind to that high tone of
morals and intelligence by which it is at present characte-
rised, and which so strikingly contrasts with what it was
even within the short apace of twelve or fourteen years.
In attempting to form some conception of the salu-
tuary results produced on society by the publications
in question, it is to be remembered that the num-
ber of their readers is not limited to the number of
their purchasers. Every copy of these periodicals is
eagerly and regularly perused by a greater or less number
of individuals. In many cases—in reading and coffee.
rooms, for example—they are severally read by from fifty
to sixty persons ; and even in many private families, in-
cluding acquaintances who pay friendly visits, the number
of readers is not less than twelve or fifteen. But, even
taking the average number as low as five, see what a vast
aggregate of persons are the constant readers of these pub-
lications I The 70,000 purchasers of • Chambers' Jour-
nal,' would in that case present us with no fewer than
350,000 readers. The readers of the Penny Ma„an-
zinc,' assuming that its present weekly sale is what it has
been represented to us to be, namely, in round numbers,
45,000, v. ould, on the supposition we hare made as to the
proportion the purchasers bear to the readers, be 225,000,
or nearly a quarter of a million in number; while the
readers of the Saturday Magazine,' if cur information
be correct, that its present sale is 35,000, would amount
to 175,000. This would make the aggregate number of
persons who are in the habit of perusing these Journals zo
less than 750.000. How great, then, must be the amount
of individual and social good, which must be produced by
the powerful influence, simultaneously and steadily exerted
by these publications on the minds of 750,000 persons !"
Taking a more comprehensive survey of the cheap
periodical press, Mr. Grant, in the same article, further
says—

" Although we have confined our observations hitherto
to three of the existing cheap publications of popular
literature, we must not overlook the important fact, that
there are several other weekly journals in the field, having,
though of inferior circulation and influence, the moral and
social improvement of the community more or less in view.
They are of various prices ; some of them sell at two•
pence, some at three•halfpence, and others at a penny.
There are at least seven or eight of these publications with
which we are familiar, but whose titles it is unnecessary
here to introduce ; and we are sure we do not over estimate
their conjoint sale when we represent it as being 50,000
copies, which on the assumption before made of there
being five readers on an average to every purchaser, would
give us 250,000 as the number of readers of these journals.
If this number be added to the above 750,000, it will pre-
sent us with an aggregate mass of no fewer than
1,000,000 of persons w ho are in the habit of reading our
cheap periodical literature. Who, we again ask, can com-
pute the vast amount of present good which must be pr!,-
duced by such an extensive agency on the minds of the
community? If viewed in its bearings on posterity, the
mind is utterly lost in its efforts to estimate the magnitude
of the good which must be accomplished through the con-
joined instrumentality of the various existing cheap pub-
lications which are conducted on enlightened and moral
principles."

This new Journal, which we ought to observe, is
published in monthly parts for the convenience of read-
ers in the country, as well as in weekiy numbers, is got
up in a very elegant manner. In this respect it need
not fear a comparison with any existing periodical,
weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The provincial press,
we observe, has unanimously hailed its appearance, and
we understand it has already obtained a very consider-
able circulation. We shall give occasional extracts
from it, in order that our readers may form some idea
of its varied contents.