The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-03

discretion of the Executive in any third pape
that may be published in said city. Provides
that charges for such publication shall not b.
higher than such as are paid by individual
for advertising in said papers provided, also
that the same publications shall be made il
each of the papers, as to frequency"
In order to dispose of the advertising of tn
War Department in accordance with the abov
law, desire that you will furnish this Depart
ment, on the second day of September, prox
limo, with q correct statement of the number o
permanent subscribers to whom the journa
published by you in this city is sent.
The Department will require the affdavits O
your book. keeper and mail clerk, that the state
ment 80 furnished embraces none but perma
nent subscribers-that but one paper of eacI
issue is furnished to each permanent subscriber
and that the names of said permanent sub
scri6ers are recorded upon the books of you
establishment.
Respectfully &C.,
JOHN B. FLOYD,
Secretary Of Var.
To the Editor ofMe National Era.
OFFICE NATIONAL ERA,
Washington, Sept. l, 1867.
Sir: In accordance with the request con
tanned in your circular letter of the 3lst ult
in regard to the advertising of the War Depart
ment, l respectfully submit the accompanying
statements and affidavit of the permanent sub
scription list of the National Era, a weekly
newspaper, published in the city of Washing
ton, and now in its eleventh volume.
Respectfully, yours, &C., G. BAILEY,
Editor and Proprietor
Hon. J. B. Floyd, Secretary Of Var.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
City and County OF Washington
Personally appears before me, VIM. Thomp.
son, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for
said county, Lewis Clephane, of said city OF
Washington, and, being duly sworn, deposes
and says that he is the Bookkeeper of the
National Era Office, and also gives his person
al attention to the mailing department of said
paper, and hereby certifes that the National
Era has permanent list of seventeen thousand
(l7,OOO) cash.paid.inadrance subscribers, to
whom the paper is weekly mailed, and but one
copy of each issue, as will appear by the sub.
scription and mail books of the said paper.
Also, personally appears before me William
Blanchard, of the firm of Buell. & Blanchard,
printers of the National Era, and certifes that
they have printed, on an average, for the past
year eighteen thousand three hundred and
ninety (l8,39O) copies of the National Era
Sworn TO before me, this first day of Septem.
Der, 1857. WILLIAM THOMPSON, j. P.
The letter of the Secretary of War shows two
facts-that the Administration was in haste to
obtain the information and make decision
and that it was determined to abandon the old
usage of taking the aggregate issues during
the week as the measure of the subscription
list, and to conform itself to the Law by ascer-
certaining beyond cavil the bona tide perma
nent subscription of the newspapers. Not the
aggregate number of papers issued weekly, but
the actual number of persons permanently
subscribers it demanded. Nor would it have
anything to do with a floating circulation, such
as the penny papers have it would take no &C.
count of any papers unless sent to permanent
subscribers" whose names were recorded on
the books of the establishment.
We heard no more on the subject for three
months, and did not trouble ourselves about it.
The apparent disposition of the Administration
to do right somewhat surprised Us, for we did
not then know the reason, but We had no faith
in it. Some cunning device, we we're sure,
would be hit upon, to rule us out. At last came
another letter, revealing change in the pro-
gramme. The true construction of the Law
would play the mischief; the Administration
had fallen back on the old one. Read the
Letter:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, December %, 1857.
GENTLEMEN: have to request that you will,
without delay, furnish me with distinct an.
swer to each of the following questions:
How many weekly subscribers are there to
your newspaper
How many tri-weekly?
How many semi-weekly?
How many daily2
What is the aggregate number of papers
printed in your office each week
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN b. FLOYD,
Secretary Of War.
To the Editors and Roprietors ofMe
National Era, Washington, City.
The information required to be furnished on
the second of September, was furnished on the
FIRST. The Administration was then in great
haste, and I accommodated myself to its mo-
tions. But it began to consider; the state of facts
presented was unexpected and perplexing. The
National Era having the largest permanent
subscription, and the Union the next largest,
they must be the two newspapers selected.
The Era and the Union-Alarming The
venerable Inteuigencer thrown out--painful |!
The States selected as the third paper as a
matter of patronage, and the Star put out
vexatious 1t will never do; this construction
is of course the true one, bat it won't work
well-honesty this time il not the best policy
SO we must revert to the old usage, although it
shut out the States and keep in the !Star-for,