NEWSPAPER. The oldest newspaper in the world is the King-Pau, or Capital-Sheet, published in Pekin, and, since the 4th of June, issued in a new form prescribed by special edict of the reign ing emperor Quang-soo. It first appeared A.D. 911, but came out only at irregular intervals ; since the year 1351, however, it has been pub lished weekly, and of uniform size. Until its re organization by Imperial decree, it contained nothing but Orders in Council and Court news, was published about midday, and cost two cash, or something less than a halfpenny. Now, how ever, it appears in three editions daily. The first, issued early in the morning, and printed on yellow paper, is called Hsing-Pau (Business-Sheet), and contains trade prices, exchange quotations, and all manner of commercial intelligence. Its circulation is a little over 8000. The second edition, which comes out during the forenoon, also printed upon yellow paper, is devoted to official announcements, fashionable intelligence, and general news. Be sides its ancient title of King-Pau it owns another designation, that of Shuen-Pau, or Official-Sheet. The third edition appears late in the afternoon, is printed on red paper, and bears the name of Tilani-Pau (Country-Sheet). It consists of ex tracts from the earlier editions, and is largely subscribed for in the provinces. All three issues of the King-Pau are edited by six members of the Han-Lin Academy of Sciences, appointed and salaried by the Chinese State. The total number of copies printed daily varies between 13,000 and 14,000. About the year 1880, the Chinese at Shanghai had three daily papers, and the Shuen Pau circulation was 16,000 daily. Japan has several newspapers.
The Hindu and Muhammadau courts of India, from the most ancient times, kept news-writers at towns of importance, but in British India the first vernacular newspaper of the kind familiar to Europeans was the Smnachar Durpun, issued by Mr. Marshman, who was also for many years the editor of The Friend of India. The next news paper was the Cowmoody, of which Raja Ram Mohun Roy was one of the editors.
The first newspaper of British India in the Eng lish language, appeared in Bengal on the 29th January 1780. It assumed a great latitude of ex pression, and the Government of India established a censorship, supported by penalties, which was continued for nearly 30 years, and at times great restrictions were put upon it. Comments were for bidden on the acts of the higher authorities, and the press for a long time was a mere receptacle for advertisements. About the year 1820, how ever, Mr. James Silk Buckingham commenced to write freely, and as the Marquis of Hastings, then Governor-General, avowed that good government had nothing to fear from the light, Mr. Bucking ham commented freely on the acts of the Govern ment ; but succeeding Governor-Generals strin gently applied the existing penal rules, and deported Mr. Buckingham. Subsequently Lora Amherst and Lord William Bentinck again per mitted freedom of discussion ; and during Sir Charles Metcalfe's administration, supported by Mr. Thomas Babington Macaulay, the press was declared free, and it continued so until the begin ning of 1878, when a censorship of the native press was re-established.
The Vernacular Press Act (Act 9 of 1878) em powered the provincial Governments to take repressive measures against such vernacular journals as might transgress certain very wide canons of loyal conduct and of political criti cism ; but the orders of the Supreme Govern ment of India, approved by the Secretary of State, further required that no repressive mea sures should be instituted under the Act without the previous sanction of the Supreme Government in each case. In 1872 there were in India about 300 newspapers published in the various vernacular languages,—chiefly in Bengali, Urdu, Mahrati, Gujerati, Tamil, and Telugu ; in English 142, ver nacular 223, in English and vernacular 66 ; total, 431. There are also nearly 20 journals published in English, of which the chief are those of Cal cutta, Bombay, Madras, Allahabad, and Lahore.