, 1866-01-12

~ Registcr.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.l
LONDON, Dec 1a, 1855.
The cheapening Of the daily press In Eng
land, which followed the removal Of the duties
on paper, has quietly worked change In
division of journalism which was once OF the
first importance in the political progress of
England. When the daily papers were sold at
five pence copy, they were out Of the reach of
u large part Of the middle classes, and were, Of
course, only seen by artisans and mechanics
in the rooms OF an institute or at coffee
house. The intelligence which they con-
tanned, was kind of thIdden wisdom' to
the working classca until the Saturday or
Sunday when 1t came closely packed and
condensed in weekly paper, which either
they saw at public house, or half dozen Of
them united to pay for. But when the penny
press began hurrJing out morning after morn
ing with al the news - with kilograms from
abroad; trials, Casualties, crimes, political
meetings, leading articles-just IS In the old
high priced journals, then the value Of the
weekly PAPERS declined. What was the uBe
ofthe twenty columns of 'snews''-ouce SO In
viting-when 1t was NIL stale! The class of
people who read papers at all, soon began to
see, somewhere or other, a penny daily paper,
and there they swallowed tho precious NOR
sels as they were cooked. Whereupou tho
weekly press felt the time had come 70. some
entire change, II they were not to be swept
Of the face of the Garth, and this revolution
In their existence Is only just being brought
about.
The wisest heads to be found In the Offices
of the weekly papers, were Laid together and
the product Of the temporary union and col
usion, was the dictum, that to succeed hence
forth, the weekly papers mnst lay the scls-
eors aside and use the amount Of time at their
disposal in supplying original material. A
new journal, started under influential patron
age showed them the way. The Saturday
Retie1D was the first Of our weekly papers to
take for granted that its readers were
acquainted with the details ofthe news Of the
week and to use the whole Of Its space In
commenting upon, not In communicating, in
telligcnce. Others gradually :woke up to a
sense Of the e1pediency Of the proceeding,
and the example was followed by one alter
another until now, We ara deafeued BY tho nul-
titude Of our advisers. Assuming that some
account Of how We stand In this regard, viii
| not be without interest here aud there, at all
events, In American society, propose to de-
vote this letter to certain amount oflofotma-
tion on the subject, for 1t il one TINT has an
intimate bearing upon our social condition
and national life.
THE EXAMINED.
The first English weekly journal that occurs
to relormer on entering upon r revisw ol
the newspaper field, 1s uoquestionably the
Etaminer. In days gone by, this paper did
great things for the liberal cause, and every
one who knows the name OF Leigh Hunt,
knows how much NC are indebted to 1t.
Albany Fonblsnque subsequently made The
Examiner Al celebrated for Its wit. a. 1t had
been for Its radicaltsm but some years ago
be Was offered lucrative appointment under
government and the sweets Of Office won him
from the bitternesses Of the editorial avoca-
tions. From time to time he haz contributed
to Its columns md readers Of the paper have
exclaimed that week, "Ahi this Is like the
Examiner Of the olden timc-'' But those
flashes have become very rare. In the stats.
tics Of the Beard Of Trade, the wit that onct
left light where It went, has been buried. We
must suila as We can, st the humor Of dul1el
men. Mr.. Forster, whose elves Of the States
men or the Commonwealth and excellent
biography Of Goldsmith are widely known II
America, was for . long time editor Of tht
E1amfner, Of which paper he is partly the
proprietor, but a government berth
has seduced him too from the
arduous tolls Of Journalism. Mr.
Savage, who succeeded. wrote som.
capital novels, 1.-THE Bachelor Of the Albany p
"My Uncle the Curato" aud few others
LIT Journalism is not his forte. Mr.. Henri
Morley who has been the editor for the lasi
two years, is m excellent critic. When hs
gets amongst books aud paintings aud dramas
be Is governed bya taultless judgment, hui
Ike his predecessor, be Is little Of politician
Within the Inst fortnight be has been elected
Professor Of English Literature at the Londor
University, post for which his life Of PalissJ
the Potter, Of jerome Garden, Corneliul
| Ag7ippa, and other works, have proved hin
| to be peculiarly qualified Tho Examiner wa
dreadful1y wrong about the American war
perhaps 1t Is making some sort Of slow amend!
by its vigorous structures upon the admins
tration Of Governor Eyre In Jamaica. II.
columns are open TO free discussions upon 70
forms Of opinion in the church, and much O
its remaining popularity IL due to this fact
Il still gives m abstract Of the news Of ths
week, but I suspect thla Is only - ".paddIng.'
Nobody reads what is given.
TIE SPECTATOR.
The Spectator is written out from the FRS
pngs to the last, every day of It's life. Tht
editors, AIr. r. Hutton and Mr., Townsend
are men Of aoillty and principle. Next to Mr.
James Asrt1ncau, we hnye not In England
pr,hably 4 writer who upon snme suhtects