New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-17
English Penny Literature md Its Influences
LETTER FROM cKIRLEs LANE


LITTER FROM cRIRLES LANE
LONDON. Friday. Jan II. 1881.
DEAR TRIBUNE: Strenuous and steady exer.
tons are now put forth by the friends OF Free
Trade and free thought to procure the abolition Of
the various imposts on our Literature which arc
at once oppressive to trade and tyrsnnicsl to the
mind. We suffer under heavy duty on paper,
another on Advertisements and 90 weigh.y q
stamp on each newspaper sheet, be il of what
size il may as entirely binders the furnishing Of
such an article for the poor man as his means can
compass. Apparently small as a penny may
seem the effect of the stamps TO raise the price Of
every paper to Eve pence, though il is past doubt
that bat for this imposition, newspapers Of good
quality, that is to say, containing exactly what
the People want to know, could he procured for
one penny each. The additional penny does not
simply double the original one, but has the elect
of raising the price 500 per cent
This operation, of course, confines the daily
diffusion Of political information to the Weather
classes; and this is the very effect which the
makers of the said law have aimed at. They
think it would be dreadful thing TO let the
People be informed constantly and instantly Of
the arts and plots Of their own Executive and Of
the other Governments of Europe. But lately
there is less alarm on the subject. Jack Steam
appears less terrible than old John Ball he has
less inclination to mobs and more to books. SO,
with great effort, we may gain that degree Of
liberty Tor the press which you enjoy, and which
would certainly afford the best educative means
for the People, and the best moral control over the
Government
Now. the active fraternity of printers and pub.
I.ho alr
appetite for reading, have for many years sup
piled the market with several and sundry peri
odicas which have attained wide circulation by
reason of their cheapness, and those the Govern
ment do not attempt TO put down, as the conducs
ors do not attempt the insertion OF news or the
discussion of affairs connected with Church or
State Eorthese, should remark, arc the dreaded
crimes which would subject an unstamped paper
and its owner to unmtigsted ruin. The very
roads in which il would be useful and delightful
to walk being thus shut up, there have remsined
open the vast wilderness Of Imagination and tho
garden of morality for the freer labor of our liter
ary laborers. The field OF science has, however,
never been shut by force of law, as The attrae-
tions it presents touch only few mind.
Into the regions of nonsense, accordingly, our
public caterers freely wander, In order that some
thing may be provided that the people may, can
and will read but of which We cannot add they
should or ought to read There are three or four
weekly penny sheets OF large size, OF which the
circulation reaches from 10000 to 10000 copies,
and thus they average. perhaps, hall million OF
readers each. The first in respect to time, and
the best in quality is the Family Herald which
il complied with steadiness and care aud as much
novelty as the law permits. The editor is Rev.
J. E. Smith NJ. A, who is, | believe, South
cottian, or there abouts, and holds peculiar duai
doctrine which enables him very cleverly 10
write on both sides OF question without contra
dieting himself and often oscilatng freely aud en-
ticing YOU to follow. he lands you just-nowhere-
| do not, however hesitate to pronounce MS edi-
torals the best portion OF our vulgar gs15 NJ
ture. The hspiGcs tales and novels written down
10 the lower tastes and the translation Of Eugene
Sues productions insure harvest season 20
them all.
Ii should not be omitted to be mentioned that
the shackles on sound literature give oslsse@ee
TO class of indecent and vicious puohcatons,
which could not continue an hour II the press were
completely free But the Government which
trembles at virtuous knowledge, can rejoice over
obscene degradation.
The influence of our cheap literature must
be very great And though novel reading
l. not the best pabulum for the youthful
mind, the hard working classes are not
likely 10 be seriously damaged by their weekly
pennywortbs Besides, they will notlong remain
youthful The realities Of life will impar ROBUST
ness 10 their thoughts, and they will demand
better food This is, in fact, now the coming
event. Ten or fifteen years Otreading these smaii
and inferior wares have generated On appetite ior
more important matters, and decidedly qualified
new pubic for free press. Instead OF being dan
be felt to be dangerous to refuse It,.
With the " liberty of unlicensed printing as
Iobn Milton calls it, think the Old Country would
quickly tread upon the heels Of your progressive
country. As teacher, the people would pay the
press for its aid, without calling for national SUD
sidy AS the avenue to political equality, we
should by it soon attain to universal suffrage aud
as a help to industry, both directly by increasing
employment and indirectly by cheapeniDg goods,
we should enter with vigor into more rivalries
Besides the cOmmOnest penny periodicals, there
is host Of productions printed more in book form,
and which most decidedly take higher moral
ground Among the writer's ia this list are TO be
lound the names of Leigh Hunt, Charles Dickens,
Eliza Cook, who each designate their works
by their own names. These works also
have for contributors some OF the best
writers of the age, for there are very lew
authors in our day who deem 1t degradation 20
appear in q penny periodical. No one OF these
works has however, so large a circulation as that
of the Family Herald The competition, am
happy 10 say seems greater on the higher plat
form The higher class OF w0rkmen are more
abundant than those who will sell themselves to
inferior ends.
should not forget to single from the crowd
'Tornlins's Help 10 Self EducotOrs, which adj
dresses itself TO the real wants OF the day more
than any other such work. The author Is hrF'
q Tomlins no produced tragedy last year en-
titled Garcia and 10 or was proprietor and editor
of the Weekly ke1s, originally Douglas jeroids
paper. This style of publication would suit young
Americans as well as young Engllshmen, VINO
are struggling 10 help themselves. han ts
success as hopeful sign Yours H.