The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-27
IONDON PRESS


A return has made its appearance of the num-
Der of stamped sheets of paper issued to the newspa
pers OF the United Kingdom from July, 1855, the
period Ofwhch the compulsory newspaper stamp was
abolished, to the end of the last year. 1857. Com
menting upon it, the Star says: "BetOre the abroga
tlon of the Compulsory stamp on newspapers, such
returns clearly established the amount OF the circu-
lation OF every journa but since that stamp ceased
to become compulsory, the return before us can
scarcely be regarded an index; except in so far
as the old and dear ella newspapers NAV be con-
cCrned. The circulation of the cheap press, which
relies much upon its sale of unstamped sheets,
and to an extent which the dear newspapers never
contemplated, cannot by any means DO even guessed
at by an examination OF these stamp returns. Yet
it is obvious that many well-wshers to the cheap
press prefer to have their copies sent to them
through the post, rather than the new channels Of
the news-venderS
The old and high-priced morning journals chiefly
print upon stamped paper, and we may, therefore,
get a notion of some kind as to the present condi-
ton of such journals. First to the Times. In
that paper we discover a manifest decline. 1t will
be obvious il we give the figures for eight consecu
tive quarters
The Times COyieS.
In September quarter 1S55........ L ass 975
In December quarter 1850. 9Oj
In March quarter 1856. $40
In june quarter, 9SO3bO
In nSepemher quarter, 1856 NS,160
In December quarter 1856. &30999
in March quarter, 1857 SSS,S34
IN "une quarter o'2'nlo
In fact, the decline, as here presented is as grad
ua and steady any could wish rising circu
lation to be gradual and steady. 1t is due to the
Times, however, to say that in the two quarters
which follow the above and which complete the
return little rise is exhibited, if great efforts
had been made to recover lost ground. The Daily
Ncrs also exhibits decline from S5,306 stamped
copies in the March quarter 1855, down to 54,903
in the last quarter of the return; and it is also
ticeable that the figures gradually get lower, as
with the Times. The Morning Chronicle also grad
ualy sinks from 81 800 to 10000. So does the Morn
ing Herald, from IL, 900 to 81 900, or about
half less. The Norning Post goes down from ll2
600 to 100000; and the Morning Adrertiscr looks
very vacatng, being in one quarter
low l6S5, in another high 10000,
and iattcrly 10000 and 80 600. Upon the
whole, if stamp returns afford any criterion, it ap
daily press is losing ground in the public estima-
ton 1t is the same if we look at the high priced
evening papers. The return for the Globe begins
! with $4,000, and ends with 10000: the Express,
with nearly 100000, comes down to less than l50,-
000 the Sn. y 600, and then $4,000 So with the
Ereptng Mail the satellite Of the Times,) which, in
the first quarter of the return, shows 300 900 stamps
in the last only 100000. Upon the whole, these
facts may be considered to be a revelation to the
! changed circumstances in which the metropolitan
press now finds itself
In the next place, our readers may be interested
to know how it fare as far as stamped copies
concerned with what are considered the best estab
shed and best known weekly journals published in
London. The truth is that they, too, would appear
to be going down hill Let us again take the first
nd last eof md bovv