Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-02-23


And, first a few words as 10 the present position
of the London publishing trade and the state Of the
book market throughout the Kingdom. All that we
have heard leads to the conclusion that both are IN
very fourishing and healthy condition; and this
opinion is confirmed by the result of Mr.. MURRAY 8
great annual trade sale, which has been held in
London during the present month Few Of your readers are
probably aware that it is the of the great London
housesMurays and Longmanso put their books up to
kind Of auction every year that the sale preced by din
ner which all the booksellers g Of credit in London are
invited to be present; and that the cloth is
moved the auconeer the business of the day by
Offering the books sat in the printed catalogue the
attention of the guests. The Aenaum gives the following
description Of the mode Of conducting these sales
The practice not, at other auctions knock the lot
down to the highest bidder but to put the book up
tain price, below what is usually called subscription price,
in other WORDS below the figure which the book be
obtained any other OCCASION is also the put
up books not ready for delivery but only nearly and is
curious to watch the interest that felt throughout the
when book OF name is offered for the first time. II
Ter of ancient and proper Difference the great houses
the Row begin. Thus, with popular work, Longman
Will start with 350 SmPkn with the number, Whita
ker with ESQ, Hsmon and Adams with the NUMBER till
at last It comes to twenty fves and ves and
only one Not less interesting to behold the eager way
IN which the numbers called out placed promptly paper
by the several booksellers the quick adcsmanke manner
which they up the several totals and look with mute
establishment at another the greatness of the demand
Sales Of this description limited the houses
have mentioned and always looked forward TO with ne
res aording an index of the approaching Mr.
Murray last sale the best he has had since his fathers
death, he dspong of books that day the Of
O00L Nor will this be wondered when the numbers
sold put together For instance the trade took that
occasion 2, 900 Of Lord Campbe's Chief Justices 5000
volumes Of The Colonial Library, 400 ofLayards Nin-
eveh, 400 Of Byrons Works volume, 1900 copies
Of Mr. Borow's new work, 'LAyengro,' 900 Of the
edition Of Mr. Cunningham's Handbook for London $50
of Mr. Grotes Greece, $50 ofMr. Curzons Levant and
600 Of NJ Guzot's new work School books sold in still
greater proportions 5000 Markhams Histories, 1000
Little Arthur's History of England 1000 Wordswoth's
Latin Grammar zoo somerviles Geography, and even
Mrs. Rundel, though thought to be anquaed, maintained
her reputation with her dishes and in her dress Au
thors benefit well as booksellers by sale like this.
The immense product Of the Press during ls4s may be
thus stated in round numbers the figures furnished
by Mr. BEsrLEr, the January number of his Miscellany.
And first Of the Daily Press To crafty the desire which
all more or less have know the general Of the day.
the press sends forth in the daily printed surface which
amounts in the year to 34s 3OsOOO superficial eet and if
we add to these all the papers that printed weekly and
otherwise In the metropolis and the provinces the whole
amounts to 466 900 square feet the annual surface
Of printed matter covered by the newspaper press the Uni
ted Kingdom The newspapers printed during $40 in Great
Britain and Ireland would surface of 49, 65s acres
and would extend placed side by side l3s s43 miles,
the earth the equator very nearly six times The
monthly and quarterly publications Of s49 would spread
out sheet by sheet 700 aeres and would extend
breadth of foot 49, 900 miles, These publications
have during the year used considerably than thou
sand tons Of paper BEsTLRr says when speaking Of ha
giant Of the press, The Times That paper keeps foo
upon its staff bot the very abes writer's the acute
with intelects Of the highest ORDER with mind
the gifted with talents the most distinguished with
quirements the most vaed and such is their energy
tiviy thought and enterprise, that they will suffer none
have equal energy with themselves. And daily th
Of the daily united tolls Of this phaanx Of able
What mass Of information they conrve day by day
lect together and how ably they arrange how briefly the
state it, how accurately they report Nothing Of geners
interest escapes their vigilance notice. subject is be
meath them none hard for them whatever concern
others them, aud hence the patronage The Time,
receives and the circulation obtains The Times pub
fishes daily, according the of the year, from 49, OO
1000 copies probably 10000 is the daily average h
year This paper and its supplement- if spread out woult
surface Of feet by q ls square feet and the pa
pers printed annually would of $50
and their purchase twice much The issue during
eighteen months would encircle the earth the equator
The whole number of newspapers published in London
is ll3.
If from the newspaper press turn the book press
find that about works. editions Of old ones
issued from the press Of the metropolis during the year
ls49 We know nothing Of the number Of impressions
these works which have found their way the public is
interesting subject discover what the press has been
most busy uponwhat class Of books the public patron
ize or what writer's ought conclude the public would
like have The result Of this inquiry is cretabe both to
the and the public No doubt there has been than
enough both Of trash and waddle to weary the patient
and wakeu Of reviewers works of this kind had received
check previous to ls4s. There not much complain Of
on this among the publications Of last Generally
speaking the books issued in have been works real
funes of great present interest," and Of lasting Importance
Oneih Of the works which have issued from the London
press during the past year Of religious character nde
pendent four millions and upwards Of books and tracts
circulated within the year by the Society for promoting chris
an knowledge and of the eleven hundred thousand dst
bued by the British and Foreign Bible Society and Of the
large number by the Religious Tract Society To
these add the thousands upon thousands Of Bibles yearly
from the presses of Oxford and Cambridge The fact that OF
the four thousand publications. they announced in
the trades circular which the press of London has been en-
poyed upon during the past year. than eight hundred
religious character, speaks loudly 10 favor Of the
sound religious principle Of great majority of the English
people, and fully for the tranquility enoy and
for the sober quiet way which pursue several
cations
Books upon Law rank in point Of number, next to those
10 Divinity. About 500 works have been issued Of legal
character no doubt many of them Of high professional
value and Of them very instructive books to all classes
n. H.