The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-18
RISE OF THE NEWSPAPER PRESS
From the New York SUM-

In paper recently read before literary society in
Engand we have interesting facts regarding the
rise of the newspaper press in England The first mode
of disseminating the of the day was by news let
tiers the writers of these being mostly dependents OF
great men, who employed them to collect and furnish in
tegence of passing events In the capital AT later
period subscription lists formed and the subscribers
were supplied with separate news letters Then came the
printed circular of news In May l622, the first news
paper the Weekly News, was printed in England. IL
contained brief notice of foreign intelligence, cautiously
worded but this did not the editor from the inter-
ference of the government m sssas. .ss :
For long time the newspaper press had hard strug
gle for existence in England and government made re-
pcated efforts to crush it, Yet Notwithstanding the
prosecutions and prosecutions which publishers and ed
tors suffered seventy journals in existence du
ing reign Of Charles H. and the government found
it necessary establish the Oxford Gazette under the
editoshp Under Secretary of State to counteract
the influence of the opposition journals. Upon the &C
ccssion of William Ill, twentysx new journals were
started and in the reign of Anne the jury system
to the help of prosecuted editors and favorable yedcs
released them from the prosecutions of the crown The
year 1903 important epoch in the history OF news
papers, for then appeared the Couan Spectator Tattler
Guardian and Freehodcr which originally publish
ed as newspapers, with advertisements and news
Failing to exteminate newspapers by prosecutions the
government had resort to stamp duties and heavy tax
paper but this did not prove successful In the reign
of George L. the srngency Of the press laws was in
creased but parliamentary reports were then for the first
time published and the press continued TO make steady
press came off in the reign of George I'LL, when the
North Briton scurilous paper edited by John Wilkes
suppressed and he committed to the Tower under
order OF general warrant. The press however,
the victory for the judges decided in Wilkes favor and
pronounced forever against general warrants.
The letters of Junus addressed to the Public Aver
tiser and first published in 1862 effected complete
oution in newspaper literature There leading
articles in those days. and comments public affairs
appeared in the form of letters without signatures. In
unius found the germ of the modern leading arti
cleso potent in stirring up thought and influencing
the public opinion by which the affairs Of free nations
regulated The Oldest existing London journals tho
Morning Chronicle, established in 1869 by William
Woodfall celebrated parliamentary reporter the Morn
ing Post established in l772 by John Bale the Morning
Herald, established in 1880 and the Times established
in 1888 by Mr.. Walter. The Times acquired no great
reputation under its first proprietor but under his sons
management, 1t rapidly improved. In 1874 after much
opposition from the printers IL was printed by steam,
and in $780, it took the lead In the reform agitation
and secured position of superiority which 1t has since
maintained Since the recent removal Of the stamp u-
ties, lo7 journals have sprung into existence.