Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-05-13
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

practical kind but the continual abuses Of the Elec
trio Telegraph have led us to think that there is
much wisdom in the combination of the epithets
" sloU and SUR" and much truth in the old Eng
lish adage of "more haste and toorse speed" The
old mode of transmitting information was "slow
and sure" the modern mode, by the Electric Tele-
graph, is neither 'sloao" nor sure." 1t is quick,
but not to be depended upon; it makes "more
haste but not /" better speed" if by speed we un-
derstand practical reliability as the foundation of
action. We must not, however, deprecate the use
of any thing because it is abused like the woman Who
seeing executed for forgery, exclaimed, "this
comes of reading and writing 1t is true that the sle
graph always communicates the truth that is, it
municates truly that which is committed to it, but its
wires often made the medium Of communicating
truths and hopes and fears fair commercial dealing and
wild and knavish speculatons the victories and defeats
of the battlefield and the results pro and Of foreign
and domestic diplomacy acted upon encouraged or the
reverse and receive their impress and colorng best
suits the interests the opinion of the party who
ploys for the time this wonderful winged Mercury
Bishop WILKINS who had some imperfect gimmerings
of the two centuries ago. called the magnetic pow
We cannot expect that this abuse will long
as many thousands of persons get their daily bread by
universal commercial world by the telegraph These
persons on the Stock Exchange in London, the
Bourses of Paris Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin, Ham
burgh, and Vienna; at Trieste, Constantinople, and
Odessa, and very likely in Wall and elsewhere
America We will say that they banded together
brotherhood Of deceyers but they each ply the wires
in connection with other persons for purposes Of de-
cepton and sef-adyantage The question is not now,
what is the cards." but 81 what is the wires I"
The abuse of the telegraph will not be diminished by the
extension Of one Of its arms from the companys office in
Lothbury to the new Stock Exchange in Throgmorton
street. which has just taken place. With this subject is
closely allied the amazing amount of business which is
done in London every day. built upon speculation
and totally unconnected with any commercial reality
based upon any supply Of commercial materials the
remedy Of any commercial necessities. Thus person
buys hundred hogsheads of tobacco thousand
bales Of cotton of another person who does
of either and sells them again advance if he cam
hrd person. who does not expect to receive any thing but
slip paper receive any thing beyond the diff
ference between the price which he agrees pay and the
price Of the article stated day These bargains
they in almost every article of produce and the
Corn Market well the Stock Exchange and the
teegraphc wires vibrae continually with the messages
which these gamblers transmit along them to their
purposes and to promote rise fall in the articles
in which they interested We have idea that this
vile system poutes the Royal Exchange that place where
merchants most do congregate and which, believe is
yet the resort Of British mercantile honor integrity and
truth The system to which aude very dsgracefu
feature of London life we will not dshonor commerce
by connecting with its honorable 1t is gambling
Of the very worst kind and ought to be put down
dsgraceful and dangerous than the ves gambling houses
or he they strongly but properly denominatcd,
But will turn from this dsrepuabe feature Of Lon
don life to another of recent appearance and of very
different object and character, the Penny News Rooms
London has long been famous for its chop and coffee
houses where double season their chop favor
their coffee with Backwood Fraser and extra butter
their muffin with the Times Daily News but now not
only the city but the suburbs sprnkled with
penny rooms The outer door of these establish
ments exhibits pacard announcing in large characters
Latest from the seat of war" another Turkish victo
ry Indian mail for particulars of which any is
to apply Within and may make himself master Of the
at the expense of penny The character and ohooso
Of these establishments not always precisely alike,
but the mechanical physiology Of those in the large tho
roughfares is follows You pay your penny coun
official person, and find yourself at once in
large room filed with rows of tall DESKS upon which
spread the morning and evening journals Of day.
readers the most fortunate of them perched tall
anky stools amongst which, as in other scenes Of life
vacancy no sooner occurs than it is pounced upon with
great eagerness Around the hang the leading pro-
vincia papers Further down the lie tables in
ooser array the weekes, with crowd of literary Pc
rodcas magazines and reviews while other tables are
reserved for French, Italian Belgian, German and Anne
rican newspapers. Here person may by patience and
promptness chair and after gathering the news
he may IL he will turn to the strangely crowd of
readers from the regular old politician, who is steadily
going through the I'm column Of the debates, to the bu
siness man who is hastily mastering the summaries and
glancng ut second and third editions to the louDger who
earelessy cancring through the magazines to the me-
chanc who Is earnestly making the most Of the few mi
nutes which he from labor to the robust day abo
rer whO in right Of his penny, is digging through the
columns Of his favorite sheet he would dig through
bank Of gravel Moustaches and boards crowd the for
egn department and sometimes, Though rarely repre-
sentative Of the fair brghens the dim apartment and
bravely selects her place among the silent crowd We
hail these penny news another attempt to popu
larire the means Of education and mediums Of inte
gence by the perusal Of the best and higher species Of
journals the attention would be turned from many Of
doubtful evidently perncious character which now oc-
eupy too much attention.
This IL Easter week and HOLIDAY time Parliament has
adjourned for fortnight and the greater part Of
wsArsd Legislators in the country enjoying this de-
lightful season Of bud and blossom" Easter week,
49, hal If