The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-01
The Penny Press In England,

anu pOWeriess 10 oppose tnenl.
The Penny Press In England.
Nearly two years have elapsed since the news
paper tax was repealed in England, and the
effects of that measure have had time to be fully
tested. Several newspapers have been started at
low prices, and considerable efforts have been
made 10 force them into general circulation
Some OF these have died. Others still survive !;
but if we may judge frem their appearance and
the general tenor Of the reports concerning
them, they are not in healthy condition In
word, SO far as appears at present. the expert
ment Of cheap newspapers in the British capital
has been failure Yet it is quite certain that
cheap literary food and news are commodity
for which a large demand exists in London and
the whole Of England. 1t follows that the causd
Of the failure of the penny papers has -
the wroDgness of the basis upon which,
been arted, but some errors IL
manner in which they have beeS(
In examining the princi
London, such as the 81 D.6e
fir 3 sig which - INC accus-
to- D. yss is that they
an - the Tiv,e. They
han 800 heavy editorial, about the
same heavy Parliamentary subject, writ
ten in the same conventional British
newspaper slang, and intended for the private
reading of select circle Of politicians. Again
they have the same heavy Parliamentary de-
bates, whole columns of solid small type about
MaynOoth grants, or the rights of the Bishops,
filling up one side Of the paper. Their news is ON
the same plan. Their foreign correspondents en-
terrain them with grave and strictly gentlemanly
conjectures about the probable designs of certain
foreign courts. Their domestic reporters acquant
them with the fact that there was an eclipse visi-
bic from the dome of st P.ul s, and that H. R.
H. r Albert went QUO shooting attended by d.
yers lords and colonies in livery. Their adver-
tisemeDts. even, are cut in the same solid block,
and penned with the same strict eye to British
propriety. We have serious announcements that
the Typhus Assurance Company is prepared to
take lives at the shortest notice and on the low
est terms; that the ship Enterprise will sail for
Calcutta on such day; that Mr.. Robins sells
Paradise on Tuesday, and a pbaeton And pair
1.-THE property Of gentleman removed to the
Continent) on Wednesday, at ten.
Now, we cannot speak confidently for our
transatlantic Deighbors, but we strongly suspect
that this sort of reading is not more interest
ing 10 them than it would be TO us The
class Of society which enjoys elaborate
leading articles full of double en,endres
and delicate illusions, Maynooth grant debates,
and coy soporifcs about the designs of the
Court of Berlin or Austria, can afford TO pay ten
cents for the Times, and rather piques itself on
subscribing to the most expensive newspaper To
attempt to wean the sturdy British commoner,
the man of acres or bank stock from his Ta,vs, is
certainly to lose ones pains.
On the other hand, the class which would be
glad of penny paper does not care for any Of
these heavy matters 1t wants news but light,
agreeable, popular news; not stupid political
speculations; but accidents and murders, and
battles and shipwrecks, and runaway matches, and
the like. Then ii wants editorials not about the
private squabbles of lords, but about the high
price of fish and the Sunday music, and the great
pgead of scarlet fever, and the reasons why the
marines haven't got their prize money, and the
consequences Of emigrating to America, aud the
on, through all the range OF subjects which form
the ordinary conversation of the intelligent poor
IT should not do violence TO these peoples minds,
by attempting to cram down their tbroats things
they don't like; but should lead them. gently,
Turing them by promise Of familiar to a know
ledge of better things. So for domestic news. A
paragraph is all that Parliament deserves. The
rest of the domestic news columns should be de- |
voted to the reporting Of such meetings as we |
always give in full here, aud they never notice in
England, and 10 record of the short but simple |
annals Of the poor" A paper framed on this |
model would, We think, be likely TO succeed in /
England at the price of penny: and in the |
course Of ten years II might have revenue Of |
clio 000 to 9l2,000 and would be power in the |
realm greater than the TINES or the House OF /
Lords
But the idea, hitherto, seems to have fallen
upon stony ground.
A.