In 1843 the number of newspapers published in London was 79; in 1877 it was about 320. Nineteen of these are daily papers, 6 of them published in the evening, and 2 out of the 6 mere reprints of the morning papers, with what news had been received during the day. Of these, the most influential for 40 years back has been the Times, established in 1788, of which nearly 70.000 copies are printed daily, and its circulation has been larger on occasions of public interest. It professes independence in politics. The Daily .News, Pall Mall Gazette (an evening paper), Daily Telegraph. and _Morning Post are the most important liberal daily papers. the last named being also the organ of the fashion able world, while the Standard and Globe (an evening paper), represent the conservative party.
The price of the daily papers varies fom id. to 8d. Of the 300 newspapers not daily, most are published once, some twice, some three times, one four times a week, some once a fortnight, and some monthly. They comprise agricultural, sporting, commercial. and railway journals; a dozen or so purely literary, or literary and scientific; military and naval, musical and theatrical, legal.and medical journals. There is a Court Circular and a Court Journal, a French, a GolOiaiiNil'Aiagloamericari, and ti Spanish weekly paper. There are a few pictorial and about half-a-dozen humorous papers. Or these last, Punch, which has been in existence since 1841, is ably conducted, and w Ields nt, small influence. A large number are the organs of particular religious sects or parties. The bankers, drapers, grocers, printers, booksellers, brewers, etc., have their respective journals; the builders have six; and there are many newspapers with a purely local cir culation, some confined to the obscurer quarters of London. The price of the weekly papers varies from 0d. to ld. or id.
The earliest English provincial newspaper is believed to be the Norwich Postman, pub. lisped in 1703, at the price of a penny, but "a halfpenny not refused." It was followed, in 1714, by the Norwich Courant, or Weekly Packet. A York Courant, Leeds Courant. and York Journal were established about 1720; the Manchester Gazette in 1730, and the Oxford Journal in 1740. In 1843, 212 newspapers were published in provincial towns of England, and 8 in Wales. The provincial newspapers of England numbered in 1877 about 980, besides 56 belonging to Wales, and 20 to the islands. About a fifth of the number profess conservative or liberal-conservative principles, a half liberal, a small number perfect independence in politics, and the rest are avowedly neutral. Only a very few of these are conducted with anything like ability. Among the more important arc the Manchester Examiner, which is understood to have a circulation of 35,000, and the Newcastle Chronicle of 36,000, and the Manchester Guardian.. A characteristic feature of
many second-class provincial papers is a column of gossip or scandal, entitled a letter " from our London correspondent." The newspaper press of Scotland began during the civil wars of the 17th century. A party of Cromwell's troops, who arrived at Leith in 1652 to garrison the citadel, brought with them a printer named Christopher Higgins, to reprint the London paper, Jfercurins Politicos. The first number was issued on Oct. 20, 1653, and in Nov., 1654, the estab lishment was transferred to Edinburgh, where the reprinting went on till 1600. On Dec, 31, 1660, the first number was published of the Mercurius Caledon ins, which pro fessed to furnish information the " affairs in agitation in Scotland, with a survey of foreign intelligence." It lived only three months, and was succeeded by ?'he ICngdom's Inteliigencsr. The Edinburgh Gazette, an official paper published by author ity, was established in 1669 by James Watson, a printer of eminence and skill. In 1702 Watson also started the Edinburgh. Courant, which attained its 215th number, and in 1703 the Scots Courant. In 1718 the town-council of Edinburgh gave a privilege to James M`Laren to print the Edinburgh Evening Courant three times a week. on condition that before publication he should give "rue coppie of his print to the magistrates." This paper still exists as the Edinburgh Courant, now a daily paper, and the principal con servative journal in Scotland. The Caledonian Mercury, now defunct, was first pub April 28, 1720. The Scotsman, which esrne into existence in 1817, under the con duct of Mr. Charles Maclaren, and was for a short time edited by Mr. J. R. M'Culloch, the political economist, is the most influential liberal journal in Scotland, and is believed to have a circulation of 55,000, larger than that of any daily paper out of London. Thti earliest Scottish provincial newspaper was the Glasgow Courant, established in 1715. The Aberdeen journal was founded in 1746 by Mr. James Chalmers; the first number contained an account of the battle of Culloden. The number of newspapers published in Scotland in 1843 was 69: it is now 164, 15 of that number belonging to Edinburgh. A few of the leading newspapers of Scotland contain articles little inferior in talent to those of the best English newspapers, and exercise considerable political influence, at least in 'natters relating to Scotland. About a score of the Scottish papers are regarded as conservative, 60-70 liberal, and the rest independent or neutral in politics. Edinburgh has in all 12 newspapers, including the weekly issues of the 4 dailies; Glasgow 17 (with 6 dailies); Aberdeen 3 in all; Dundee 4; Paisley 3. The price of most of the daily papers is ld.; of some it is -1,-(1.; that of the weeklies and hi-weeklies varies from /(1. to 4d.