American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-07-16
ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS.
FROM THE DEMoc Ratio PRESS.

eOhSbib5 NotdOAiohiiichA duu iIOuS VI
nearly all the daily papers in London. The volume
is written by gentleman who, for nearly so years,
was engaged in lhe literary department Of some oil
the London Journals. We had supposed we had
some knowledge Of the subjects Of which this vo-
iume treats, yet are Tree 10 confess that some
of the facts have excited no uncomfortable admit
ration IN our minds.
None Of the London editors give credit to sub
scrT,ers. Those papers which are served in Lon
don, are zyeeky paid for by the carriers, who
receive subscribers, and are allowed by the editors a
certain profit. The country subscribers all pay in
Gduance, and the very day their subscription ex-
piies, their names stricken of the books, unless
care has been taken to forward the necessary adj
vance for another year half year, the case may
be The editors oil papers in the United States are
paid in very different manner, * the consequence
10, that they neither can incur the same expense
nor hope 10 realise the same profits as the editors
or rat' er The propretors, OF the London papers,
Few papers IN London are owned by the person
who acts as sdtor. Many OF them are divided into
shares, and owned by considerable number Of pro
prietois, who, In proportion TO their share, bear
their proportion Of the expenditures s receive their
proportion Of the profits.
In the British empire, as well as in the United
States, the main profit of newspaper is derived
from lis advertising customers, The Times, for
merry ministerial, but now an antimiRisteTial pa
per, IS one OF the most expensive newspaper esta
bishments in the United Kingdom, or in the world
The regular literary establishment Of that paper Isl
an editor, at 10 ganeas (46 dollars 20 cents) Del
week an assistant editor at guineas 1921 Der
week; and eleven reporters at guneas 1925 55i
per week each. Thesduty OF those reporters is to
report Parliamentary Debates law proceedings, dis.
cussons at the India House, Common Council.
Livery OF London, and al all other public meetings
Some OF those gentlemen are occasionally sent to-
report important trials and proceedings of public
meetings in the most distant parts Of the kingdom
nus the regular expense of the literary DEPART
ment OF this paper is II guineas 1851 S3) week
or three thousand six hundred and ninety-two gum
cas- (Sl7,229 $50 year, independent of travelling
expenses, &c. &c.
The other expenses we do not exactly know. bu,
they may be inferred iom The following facts; Eachl
paper has stamp, which costs three pence half
penny IL cents) The salary Of the proof reader is
three guineas (Sl4) week. The composi,ors'
wages are twenty Tour guineas (Sll2) a week.
The paper IS printed By means Of a steam engine
press, which is constantly attended By a regular
nechanican. When to these we add the cost ofI
the hater, ink, house rent, clerk hire, &c, still We
have not embraced all the expenses of this great
establishment. There Is confidential agent con-
stantly employed about the Exchange to obtain
commercial information, and procure extracts oil
correspondents. These extracts are purchased
sometimes at very high prices. Domestic occur
Fences, such as the proceedings of the police Off
Ces, at coronerS lnquests, boxing matches, race.
fashionable rouis and assemblies, court intelligence
and nameless detail of minor occurrences. which,
make up the miscellany Of London newspaner.
are furnished by detached body of ire eulars, who
furnish their contributions at certain rate De, |
quantum. They are not paid unless their con,ri-
fad
guars pick up from TWO to eight guineas week /
according to their industry, their talents, and their
opportunities Estimating the expense of this de.
partment OF the Times at but nine guineas f842) al
week, il makes the weekly expenses of the esta.
adjustment, exclusive Of the whole printing lie,
partment, so guneas (S375 80 centsl weet. or
four thousand one hundred and sixty puneasl
{Sl9,4l5 35) year.
AT the time our informant wrote, the daily sal,
Of the Times averaged 5000 papers. We have
before said the price of the stamp is three n.nc.I
hafpenny, therefore, the daily stamp tax on The
Times was equal to S5lS 55, or allowing 3I3 Dub.
lishng days in the year, the stamp duty paid in tha
time by the proprieors of the Times was one HIM
dred and sixty tao thousand tzoo hundred and oins,
sir dollars and thirty cents. The amount of stamnl
tax IS altogether independent Of the tax which ;s
paid for advertisements, which must be very great,
as no advertisement, however short, is inserted
without paying hive shillngs (6o cents) duty to the
government.
To shew the extra expense incurred on impor.
tant occasions, we shall state few facts from the
before US. During the war with France
gentlemen were sent from the Times Office, TO re-
port the operations of the British atmies on the
continent. AT " alcheren, at the commandment ofl
Boulogne; and on other occasions, the Times almost
invariably anticipated the Government dispatches
by days and even sometimes by weeks. Ii
This was particularly the case at Walcheren for
many successive weeks. When operations ceased
there, and the British army was ordered to re-
embark, the Times newspaper published the fnatl,
account of the proceedings three weeks before n
was IN the Government Gazette, and then the
Gazette scrupled not to copy two whole columns
from the Times of three weeks before, An Jr;obl