The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-20
THE COMMON PRESS GALLERY.
Accounts of It's Work, History and
Occupants by the Speaker of
the House

The thirty-sixth anniversary dinner of the
Newspaper Press Fund was held recently
The Speaker, the Right Hon. William
Court Gully, presided
The loyal toasts having been honored.
the chairman proposed prosperity to the
Newspaper Press Fund" He said that it
seemed to have been common practice
in introducing that toast to begin with
some observation on the virtues, the vices
if there were any-and the functions of
the press. If he abStained from this habit
1t was partly because he did not feel him.
self to be a competent critic, and partly
because the press had quite recently re-
ceiVed probably as much valuable advice
and criticism from persons more compe-
tent than himself to pronounce on these
matters as it was able to digest at pres
ent. He imagined that he had been asked
to take the chair on that occasion because
he had the official control of the press GAL
lery of the House of Commons, which he
understood was the origin and birthplace
of the Press Fund. Reviewing the history
of the press gallery, he said he would go
back to the days when DIR. Johnson COM
posed the speeches both for her Majesty s
Ministers and the Opposition, taking care,
as he observed, that 1.-The Wing dogs did
not get the best of the argument"
That was not what would be called re-
porting nowadays. Reporting did not, as
now understood. begin till the latter part
isfaction that one Of the incidents which
brought about the change from the de-
NAL of the claim to report the debates to
free reporting was the tragic incident that
one of his predecessors was burned in
efligy by mob in the city of London in
l772 In riot which arose cut of the claim
son who had been printing their proceed
lngs without their leave. 1t was said
that the blood of the martyrs was the
seed of the church, and he hoped he
Speaker had sprung the freedom Of print
ing. which was treasured as much as the
right of debate itself. The House came
to the sensible conclusion that II was a
beneft to the House, as 1t was to the pub
lie that, instead Of being i'll, furtively and
sometimes maliciously reported, its pro-
ceedings should be openly and truthfully
reported. AS far as his researches had
gone, however the first trace he could
find Of the history Of the reporters gall
iery was In 1878, when evidence was given
before committee Of the House Of Com
mons by gentleman whom many present
would remember. Mr.. Ross of the Times,
and he said that his recollection went
back fifty-eieht years. to the year 1920.
commodation which the reporter received,
t the Strangers rat GERS Gallery, with his head
atmosphere, with all the strangers talk
tn. House. That was reporting under
tinued to report until the House was
burned down In 1884. Mr.. Charles Dickens
was president at the second annual ban
quet of the fund In 1865, and in his ad-
dress he gave experiences in that old
| gallery, in which he reported from 1881
to 1885. That included the exciting times
of the first Reform bill, and he said he
| well remembered how he wore out his
trouser knees writing with his notebook
on them on that old back bench, thus
confirming what Mr.. Ross had said. Just
as the independence of reporting was
ushered in by the burning OF q Speaker
so the burning of the House Of Com
mons brought reporters another benefit
There was provided for the first time a
reporters gallery, with actually a desk
or slab in front on which reporters
could place their books. That was
thought to be a great convenience, and
so it was. When the present House came
to be occupied everybody seemed salts
fed. From that time there had been but
one alteration.
In 1878. after inquiry, an effort was
made to give accommodation which
should include the provincial press and
as result some portion of the side gal
leries was given to the press. and many
| provincial papers were admitted: AT the
present time there were directly repre-
| scented in the press galleries about twenty
| London daily papers and about thirty
! provincial papers, and the total number
| OF journalists. having the entry to the
| gallery was about 240. AS the represen-
! tative of the House Of Commons. he
| claimed that the House was now up &c
| date in this matter. He appreciated the
! Importance of giving accommodation to