The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-19 00:00:00

coming more general; and with a wider diffusion of
the circulation, the press is more able to pay for it.
Mr. litcn—ls it a profession apart ?—No ; usually
the men have been brought up to the bar, to the pulpit,
as printers, and so on ; they are not originally literary
znen.
Cnalamem—Your extensive circulation of those
cheap papers is based, to some extent, upon the fact
that your whole population can read ?—Yes.
I presume that the non-reading class in the United
States is a limited one ?—Yes, except in the slave
states.
Do not you consider that newspaper reading is cal-
culated to keep up a habit of reading ?—I think it is
worth all the schools in the country. I think it creates
a taste for reading in every child's mind, and it in-
creases his interest in his lessons ; he is attracted to
study from the habit of always seeing a newspaper,
and hearing it read, I think.
Supposing that you had your schools as now, but
that your newspaper press were reduced within the
limits of the press in England, do not you think that
the habit of reading acquired at school should be fre-
quently laid aside ?—I think that the habit would not
be acquired, and that often reading would fall into
disuse.
/qr. Rtcn—Does not the habit of reading create a
demand for newspapers, rather than the supply of
newspapers create a habit of reading ?—I should
rather say that the capacity that is obtained in the
schools creates a demand for newspapers.
The greater number of persons who read in the
United States accounts for the greater number of
newspapers that are published, does it not ?—There
is no class in the free states who do not know how to
read, except the immigrant class.
But in proportion to the number of persons who
can read will be the number of persons supplied ?
Yes. - _ _ _

CHAIRMIN-But the means of obtaining cheap
newspapers enables people to keep up their reading,
does it not ?—Yes. .

Mr. EWART—Must not the contents of a newspaper
bare a great effect upon the character of the popula-
tion, and give a more practical turn to their minds ?
--I should think the difference in intelligence would
be very great between a population first educated in
schools, and then acquiring the habit of reading
journals, and an uneducated non-reading.
If a man is taught to read first, and afterwards ap,
plies his mind to the reading of newspapers, would
not his kdowledge assume a much more practical form
than if that man read anything else ?—Every man
must be practical. I think that the capacity to in-
vent or to improve a machine, for instance, is very
greatly aided by newspaper reading; by the educa-
tion afforded by newspapers.
Having observed both countries, can you state
whether the press has greater influence on public opi-
nion in the United States than in England, or the re-
verse ?—I think it has more influence with us ; I do
not know that any class is despotically governed by
it, but the influence is more universal ; every one
reads it and talks about it with us, and more weight
is laid upon intelligence
.than on editorials ; the
paper which brings the quickest news is the one
looked to.
The leading article has not so much influence as it
has in England ?—No ; the telegraphic dispatch is the
great point.
Mr. COBDEN—You stated, did you not, that your
New York paper contains two or three columns of
telegraphic news ?—Three to five columns in times of
Congresses and Legislative sessions ; always from one
to five columns.

Do you, in New York, publish any telegraphic re-
port of the proceedings in your Legislature at Albany ?
•—Every day.
To what extent would the proceedings be tele-
graphed from Albany ?—From half a column to two
columns ; sometimes three columns when the matter
is of great interest.
Observing our newspapers, and comparing them
with the American papers, do you find that we make
much less use of the electric telegraph for transmit-
ting news to newspapers than in America ?—Not a
bundredth part as much as we do.
That is a considerable item of expense there, is it
not ?—Enormous ; but it is cheaper with us than
with you.
An impression prevails in this country that our
newspaper press incurs a great deal more expense to
expedite news than you do in New York ; are you of
that opinion ?—I do not know what your expense is ;
I should say that 100,000 dollars a year are paid by
our association of the six leading daily papers, besides
what each gets separately for itself.
20,0001. a year are paid by your association, con-
sisting of six papers, for what you get in common ?
Yes ; we telegraph a great deal i❑ the United States.
For instance, the Scientific Association held its an-
nual meeting in Cincinnati this year, and we had
telegraphic reports from that place, though we, and I
presume other journals, had special reporters to re-
port the proceedings at length ; so we have reports
every day 1,000 miles—Prom New Orleans daily, and
St. Louis, and other places.

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