The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-22

termine. nor how 1hr Il will benefit the con-
Germ, nor where the res jssto exactly lies
The case appears to stand In the ratio of six for
one to half dozen for the other. The public
ought to look into it,
Corpes alton Adversising-A Trio Of Disinter-
/ essed N. wspapeSs.
We do not often comment upon the course
which our contemporaries think ft to pursue J
Newspaper poemics seldom result in elicit
ing truth; abuse Of individuals too frequently
takes the place of argument and the reckless
journalist is too apt to pander to the depraved
taste for personalities which custom has fos-
tered among his readers. The bulk Of the pub
lie are doubtless convinced by this time that
each paper will consult it's own interest and sa-
tisfy its supporters by pursuing its course in
dependently of it's neighbors, and by observing
towards the latter the same scrupulous silence
VIII oh high-mnded men Of business in other
callings practice towards their competitors.
But however wel-founded the rule, it admits,
like all others, of certain EXCEPTIONS and it is
one of these exceptional cases which induces us
to transgress it to- day.
1t is within the memory of all our readers that
among those journals which have visited the
Common Council of New York with the most
marked severity the Euening Post, the Er-
press and the Commercial Advertiser have
stood pre-emnent. Language rarely used in the
waImest political debate has been repeatedly
employ ed by these papers to cover the Aldermen
and Assistant Aldermen with shame and infamy.
Epithets hardly known In respectable circles
Gcaal hur lo1 in Of nj ut tho
heads of these luckless officials. That they have
been excelled in grossness Of tone and vulgari-
ty of dicton by some among their allies we
cannot undertake to deny but where Billings
gate !" is the rule coarseness is no evidence of
peculiar malevolence. So far as the usual
course of papers enables US to elicit from their
language the animus which inspires them we
feel safe in asserting that by no journal has the
Common Council of New York been pursued
with more acrimony and more uncompromising
rancor than the three we have mentioned.
Shortly previous to the commencement of
these diatribes the Euening Post, the Express,
and the Commercial .adpertiser, which were in
the habit of publishing the corporation adver-
tisements, petitioned for an increase of compen-
sation for the service. Their petition ran as
follows =
To THE HON. THE COMMON COUNCIL -
The Undersigned publishers of the several news
papers employed by the Corporation 20 publish its
oceediDgs, ordinances, &c, respectfully represent
to your honorable body
1hatthe compensation now allowed for the services
Ly the subscribers falls far short not only
OF fair compensation, out of the actual expenses
incurred III doing the work.
When the present contract was entered upon the
sum then allowed barely indemnhed US for our &C.
|
deIed Is many times greater than it was then and
your etitioners think they entitled to, and do
beIt by ask that from aud after this date, annual
sum more proportionate to the expenses incurred be
allu we'd them. WM.,C. BRYAST & Co.,
PrOprietors Of the Evening Post.
j. IL E. BROOKS,
New York Express.
FRANCIS HALL Co.,
| Commercial Adrsrf,ser.
The committee of the Common Council to
whom the petition was referred drew up the
following report
The Committee on Ordinances, to whom was re-
ferrtd the annexed petitions, respectfully report
that they have carefully considered the petitions
and deem it inexpedient to recommend their
| adopton:
Firstly. Because before and at the time the selec-
ton Of corporation newspapers was made there Was
complaint by the petitioners that the compensa
ton inadequateto the services rendered.
Secondly. Because they have propositions of news
papers Of as large circulation those of the petit
TONERS, TO do the corporation printing at the same
rare paid them, viz, one thousand dollars per
annUm.
Thirdly Because the Common Council has en-
| plcyed almost double the number Of newspapers
hitherto employed, which has greatly increased the
eXl OF corporate IN printing; and considering
the enormous taxes Imposed upon the city they
, do not feel disposed to recommend any unnecessary
increase.
Four,hly. At the time the sele ,ton was m de
your committee disposed to continue petitioners
papers in the employment OF the corporation,
they had long been employed by the corpo .ation
t. do their printing, and as they were still
DESTROYS to lie retained in the rOra.ipn
employ, Notwithstanding the newspapers were of
limited circulation which has long been a subject of
complaint by our citizens. This induced the CON-
niltee on former occasion to recommend an in
cease Of tie number OF corporation newspapers.
amogg which was the New YosK HERALD (Which
rect neI daton received the unanimous appreciation
Of the two Boards and the sanction Of the Mayor at
three thousand dollars per annum; because its daily
circulation among all classes OF citizens
Iearly forty thousand, while the circulation Of its
cotenpararies only from three to five thousand.
And here it may be proper to state that at
the tine they recommended the present corporation
hewsI apers they ascertaiBed as as they could
that the tonm9cm Adretiser, EUensng Post and
Mo, ning E1press, did not exceed four i've
thousand each, while the daily HERALD was nearly
forty thousand. Thus, admitting the circulation Of
the three above named newspapers to have been 1--WE
| thousand each, the aggregate circulation of the
Conmerc,oi Posi- AZ Eapiess, (each receiving one
thousand dollars leraunum, for corporation printing!
is only fifteen thousand per day, while the daily
htFALD Eas nearly forty Thousand shoscrioers, OF
about twenty five thousand per day more than the
Ccm~s,eioI, Post and Express altogether Thus
| in paying the HERALD three thousand dollars per
aDILm your committee did the petitioners no ia
justice
Finally the committee, in selecting the HERALD,
ADOPTED the policy OF our national Congress, which
selects newspapers throughout the country for post
office advertisements, remunerating them according
TO their circulation and pubic utility.
This report was never formally presented, as
the petitioners, having been made aware of its
tenor. very properly withdrew their petitions.
The above draft is however, authentic.
We have no intention ofquestoning the Justice