Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-13
A Great Newspapers Road To Success.

From the Nineteenth Century.1
The success of the Times was not rapid.
Writing in December, 1889, Horace Walpole
asks the Countess of Ossory, " Have you seen
Mr.. Cambridges excellent verses, called the
Progress of Liberty's They were printed
last Wednesday in a newspaper called the
Times, but they are ascribed to young lady. ;,
Mr.. Walter often felt his post of editor a
trying one. In 1856 he had to pay fine of
e150 for libel upon Lord Loughborough
In 1889, being convicted of libeling the Dukes
of York, Gloucester and Cumberland, the Ii
bel consisting of the remark, probably well
founded, that they were ''insince-en in their
professions of joy at the Kings recovery, he
was sentenced to pay fine of ESQ, to stand
for an hour in the pillory at Charing Cross
to be imprisoned in Newgate for 12 months
and to find security for good behavior for
seven years after leaving prison. When in
prison two other libels were laid to his charge
he was accused of publishing that the
Prince of Wales and the Duke of York had
demeaned themselves SO as to incur the lust
disapprobation of his majesty, and that the
Duke of Clarence had returned home without
authority from the Admiralty or his com
manding officer. Mr.. Walter was brought
from Newgate on the Sd of January, 1890, to
receive sentence for these heinous offenses
For both Hbels he was sentenced to a years
Imprisonment in Newgate, to date from the
expiry Of the year he had to serve, and to
pay e200. After being imprisoned Is months
he was liberated on the intercession of the
Prince of Wales. In the reigns both of
George III. and his son, imprisonment for
libel occasioned as little disgrace as it did in
France during the reign of the third Napole-
on, when some of the best men were in pris-
on and some of the worst in office. However,
Mr.. Walter was disheartened by the treat
mont he received that he contemplated giving
up the Times, and confning himself to print
ing and publishing books. The journal was
conducted at loss, and to be subjected to
fine and imprisonment, in addition to losing
money by the journal, was as trying to his
temper as to his pocket. Instead however
of discontinuing to publish the Times, Mr.
Walter wisely associated his eldest son in its
management, and in 1908 made him sole con-
ductor. Mr.. John Walter, jr, was born in
1776; like Henry Sampson Woodfall, the en-
inent editor of the Public Advertiser, he was
educated at Merchant Taylors school. He
went to Trinity college, Oxford, afterward,
whore he remained one year only. He stud
il at Oxford with the view of entering the
church, but at his fathers request he aban
doned his original intention. He had been
regularly apprenticed to his fathor, and had
mastered the art of printing. 1t was for the
purpose of giving the Times another and a
last chance, that John Walter, ir, was ad-
mitted to share in its management Hehad
the great qualification, in addition to remark
able natural gifts, of thorough ACQUAINTANCE
with the details of printing and publishing.
He was ~ when he undertook the sole man
agenent of the Times, an early age. it is
true, yet not SO early by eight years as that
at which Henry Sampson WoodfalI became