The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-07

The Evidence of a New York Editor before
Committee Of the British Parliament.


On wednesday, the 10th inst, the parliame ntary
Sn ws
published The following extracts will place be-
fore our readers the statements OF an American
publisher relative to the press in the United States
Mr.. HoRAOx GREELEY called In and examined.
CHAIRMAN-(Mr Miner Gibson)-Are you able
to give the committee any information with respect
to the press in the United States and whether the
absence of stamp in the United States is produc-
tive of any bad effects, your opinon!-l viii resdi-
~ answer your question. We could not compre-
bend the operation of the stamp; it would be i'm
stst S Something with regard to what the press is
doing In our country, but | cannot imagine the ap
plioation Of the stamp at all it would require an
entire revolution in the habits and feelings OF the
people generally.
You are the publisher of "a newspaper, are you
not2-I am.
Whist is the name of 1.-THE Nesc York Tribune
At what price is it pubshedi-In the first place,
there is daily journal, that is the size ofit-(pro-
ducipg the same.) IL is not printed on so good
paper as those in England; it is Published daily for
What Is the circulation of that psper,-Iti is lit
tie under 10000; should say $4,000 copies daily
Is it paper circulated principally in New York
and the neighborhood, or does it circulate extern
sivey through other parts Of the States!-I should
say that lOOOO copies are circulated within the city
and its vicinity, and then the balanceis about equal
y divided between the mail subscribers and the 9th
or towns wherever it is sold; say 5000 are sold in
other towns like Boston, Philadelphia and Albany,
weekly and sem l. weekly in the same form. must
FIRST say that the daily of that size contains half
reading, perhaps ard probably half advertisements
-four pages Of reading and four OF advertisements;
that one penny, less by the year. it Is i've dol
lars for 3l3 copies for year, which is less than
penny when it is subscribed for and is taken from
the Office by the year
Can YOU give the com nittee any idea of the num-
Der of the New York daily papers that are publish
ed THE mum Der OF daily papers that re PUBLISH
ed in New York are ID in ali, in the city.
How and n~v nv
evening papers are there Ten morning and five
evening papers; some Of the morning papers are
also published in the evening; We publish two eve
ming editions, like the Times, and other papers
There are five distin ctive evening papers.
There are fifteen daily papers in New York =
What is the population of New Y ork Five hun
dred and seventeen thousand, but with the suburbs
seven hundred thousand.
Can you inform the committee what the aggre-
gate circulation OF those daily papers Is There
are five Of them cheap ones, at Id. or Sd whose
aggregate circulation Is little over lUO,OOO copies
Der day the other ten sold dearer that is, at,
ten dollars per annum, little more than ID. each,
not I'd. q copy. Of those ten should say that the
average circulation is about 5000, being 80 900 Of
the desrer papers, the commercial sheets, and iO0,
600 Of the cheap journals
The aggregate is 10000 papers daily Yes
What proportion of hose, at rough guess,
should you say consumed by the 700 600 inhabi-
tants Of New York. and what proportion do you
suppose are sent TO remote distances About 6O,-
eco are circulated in the city and its suburbs a1d
about As, 900 sent away
CHAIRMAN-What are the postage regulations in
reference to hose which afe transmitted by post
The postage has been one cent per copy within
the State where is published or within 100 miles;
if out Of the State by the Lew postage regulations
which will come into effect on the LIST OF July, ii Is
reduced about onehalf, except for long distances,
excluding California, which is also reduced, for
900 miles or over the rates, will be equal to what
they now are; out Of the state over one hundred
mil 4 nd half ri
and cent within the state, and q cent and halt
beyond that; and it is to be reduced one half, ex-
cept within certa distances; the average rsduc lion,
think, will be a little more than one third
CHAIasLaN-lt is to be reduced to half cent
within the State but for all gteaer distances it is
to remain it was mo, it is not to remain as IL
say, over 500 miles and increasing again over 1000
milee; ii increases because The newspapers constr
tute the bulk Of the mails and thus, for distances
over !, 600 miles on this side Of the Rocky Noun
than it is now; think it will be 50 cents per an
nnm for the weekly papers, instead of IS; there Is
very little increase on distances over 1000 miles.
The postage is paid every time the paper is sent,
is il not mo, it is generally paid by the quarter
a man pays for his quarters postage, If a weekly
paper and if in the State, cents, and out Of the
State 10 cents.
Mr. EwART-Hov do the government check the
collection Of the postage lit has no. been very
closely checked
Mr. TuFaELL-Supposing an individul wants to
send newspaper, how is the postage paid He
does send it but think since the reduction Of the
postage five or SIX years ago, m individual news
paper has TO be paid for in advance if you put in
one not coming from a newspaper office, you have
to pay in advance.
papers to the partic lar parties TO whom they are
rected9-Yes; but they make some objection to
delivering them when we send large pack ages Of
papers BY package we send twenty copies year
tweekly) Tor twenty dollars, q little less than
penny each. They object to the delivering Of those
without the directions We send, for instance, a
package Of fifty to one Office; and they have a list
OF fifty subscribers, and as they come in they de-
liver the papers TO them; but they sometimes say,
"No; you must write the names each OF the
papers" Ofcourse they must deliver them II the
name, are on them
are called for Yes; they are delivered to the
gentlemen who have boxes; 80 the subscribers at
their houses, they are not distributed without an
Mr.. RIca--where the postage has been either
cent or cent and half that mas been irres pective
of weight. has il NOTIFIES, entirely.
Was there no limit at all None.
Hereafter will there be any limit I'll have kno va
journals sent very large 10 size the limit no Is
1850 square inches, ard If you exceed that, you
pay double postage.
Sou stated tina, the weekly newspapers cost a
penny, or two cents Yes, when sent TO clubs Of
twenty or more subscribers; we charge more for
single copy Of a weekly than Of . daily paper, be-
cause the Advertisements form great part OF the
contents Of the daily journal The charge Is two
dollars year for a angle copy Of weekly paper;
that viii be TIVE pence eaca number; but to the
clubs il is reduced 10 one dollar year-twenty
copies for twenty dollars Tne object lie to get
wider circulation in the different villages by max
ing them cheap. large nun ber Of city papers
are taken so as TO come to about penny each 10
. subscriber, and haltpebny for his postage.
The Publisher does not charge the postage mo,
the postage Is paid per quarter In advance, at the
Post Once where the paper Is delivered.
CHMRMAN-You do net report, in your papers,
the proceedings Of the Congress in the way In which
they report here the proceedings in Parliament =
No. except In the Washington journals, in which
they report them very fully think quite as fully
ss they are reported here We have a telegrsphic
report occasionally Of speech By some distinguish
ed statesman, such az Mr. Clay or Mr. Calhoun, or
any of the leading men they are reported fully;
hut the mass Of the speeches not except that they
are sketched in q tslesrapnic report, occupying
about two columns day, but stretching sometimes
10 four or Eve.