Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-02
PARLIAMENTARY REPoRTERs

hty, be so IN some degree 10 others. (;cnereuv
speaKng the public are profoundly ignorant of the
details and machinery by which the great engine of
public opinion is brought into existence. The cit,-
zen or country gentleman finds the Times paper on his
table, and 1t rarely occurs to him to ask whence
comes the mass of intelligence which 10 daily Iorn
IN its columns! Who are the writer's of the lcadig
articles, which, from their character and intrinsic,
cellence, penetrate the closet and influence opinion
through every portion of the British empire, What
Is the value of the property of this lournaP
On few subjects the public under more mson
Prehenson than on the absolute and relative circua
ton OF several portions of the London daily press.
Inc greater part of the people would startle were
'hey to'o the Times circulated probably under 1000
uuy on an average; the paper one may sas
IN every pot house III London and all over tho coun
Try; and yet this i, all its number.
Inc property OF a paper is matter of which mos,
neopie nave very vague md Imperfect knowledge
sehcrc am very near the truth when I slg,s thu
gross proceeds of tho Times at Is ooOL vcar Tao
present proprietor of the Morning Chronicle rave far
it, believe, 100000 The absolute property of the
Courier according to The current OF its shares
Is between 100000. and 100000. ESTIMATING tho
value Of the Globe on the same scale the absolute
property OF 1t is somewhat about 35, 0O0l The pro-
hts OF paper arise almost entirely ont of its ndycr
sements, and hence the difference in value between
the two last, Notwithstanding their circulation is So
nsariy equal. newspaper gets its advertisements
by degrees, aud rs II is supported by the public tL,
numbers increase; but retains them lonr after In,
cause by which they were acquired has vanshed-
II, tI.p.
nents when It basked in all the sunshine ministerial
patronage, retains these when its numbers arc relu
ced by one half and tito counenancc of Government
Is no longer held out to it.
IlcSe however, IL must bc admitted arc ,,r ,yrizrs
VI the lotery of newspaper speculatiOn and in this
Us IN c'cfv other lottery, there moro blanks than
prizes. Mr.. MHrrRy, after hsving expended unwa rds
OF 10000 on his Representative, sold it to the pro-
prletors OF tho New Times for about 500 pounds, and
the British Press. after having ruined know not
how many capitalists. sold 10 the same concern
for, believe, considerable smaller sum-
The most remarkable, the peculiar feature the cir
cnnstancc which gives its Importance TO an Emil
newspaper as the organ of public opinion. is 10 be
found IN the copious and faithful manner in which the
proceedings of the House of Commons arc rcnnrtcd
without SUCH means of communicating their acts
10 inc people OF England, and to tho world the Com
mons House OF Parliament would become q mere in
strumont ofthc sovereign or the aristocrncv True
and unquestionabe this is It is not less Irpe thnt
the reporting these proceedings is breach OF their
privileges, and IN direct violation of the standno or
aers READ at the commencement of every session
such person as reporter is not known within tho
walls OF 81. Stephens Chapel His existence il not
recognized He is at any moment liuble 20 be com,
hIted 10 Newgate on the motion of any member of
the tiOuse and 1t Is only necessary for any member IN
call out strangers in the gallery and the Speaker
must instantly order the gallery to be cleared
IN despite OF all thus, year Rttor year does this folly
go on-thc house disowning the existence o; renor-
tiers; and yet, year after year the Speaker il crnr
glng their comforts and conveniences. in ,hr tp,n
OF Woodfall and Johnson they were not distinguish
ed from Strangers-had no privileges apart from
mere strsnger--had no accommodation whstever.-I
1T was the practice on all important occasions tot
open the gallery carly eight or nine ocioc;, in
the mornlng-it was instantly 6lied-and the hpif,
less reporter whose tGrn did not begin probably be-
lore midnight, compelled to whit this lono il, a-
val, amid pressure, and a pcrspratiOn which would
nave sitioeated an ordinary man. Notes they
could take none--the very sight OF gooscqui would
AYE cleared the gallery instantly In this way were
collected most of what s SPLENDID in the bararrurs
If Chatham, Pitt, Burke, Fox, Sheridan, &c Nv de- !
frees the back row of the gallery was SECURED 10
ne exclusive of the reporters, and on occasions
when crowded house ~as expected, their admit
apce was secured by private entrance. This yas
1 great point gained; but IN the frequent chanres
which arose out of the succession fne,v nc
their turns round great difficulty ,yas cxDe
rlenced III getting III end ont Of the gallery q, the two
doors appointed for strangers. TO obviatc this LiF
Guilty central door was provided for their private
use, by winch their ngrcss and cgress I, effected
without Inconvenience, at least as little inconya
mence as can be reasonably expected. Another ac-
commod1tlon has been recently added in the shno7
ola small room at the end OF the gallery, appropr
ated to the Of the reporters where tIey can
up their coaks and hats, repomt theft pencils repai
their pens. supply their ink bottles rest themselves
over the news of the day
This la believe, pretty nearly the present state
OF things. Tho only question nDw is whether r.
would be possible TO locate the3 more conveniently
the ore hand here is an obstacle arising out Of the
privileges of the house; md on the other sort Of an.
atiy among the reporters themselves sprinrjno ont
Of the conviction, that if greater facilities were fur
nshcd, greater responsibility would be imposed n
responsibility which they conceive t. be ready vrcat
enough
II is the fashion for some rnou to speak djspar,.
glhgy Of reporters, and dcspisc, affect to desuise
at once, the art and It's professors. 4 Mr. -
for instance, whose speeches are not of succn, val
nc TO he very nnutciy reported looks into .kc Ncu
Times and The Morning Chronicl, and ne finds what
he had very eaboratey spoken very briefly reported
and with considerable difference in the two olynnli
lie at once jumps TO tho conclusion that there ia no
magic in the orl and that because his speeches arc
not accurately reported. IF not very Insnfor-
ined, tho worthy member is in the habit Of arguing
thus.
Now the fact is this that cannot happen once in
thousand times that this very worthy man. but not cl-
oquent Speaker, great Statesman, can have ouy
thing to say Of which onyrcadcr Of newspaper, from
the Lands End 20 john o'tiroats, would want TO
know n"rc than the moro substance, compressed in