London’s Newspapers

Hawera Star, Volume L, 25 October 1930, Page 16

London’s Newspapers

r pilE recent fusion of the “Loudon Daily -Nows” and “Chronicle,’ rixiiices the number of London’s dailies, apart from, those of sectional interest, to twelve. The “News” was nine years older than the “ Ohroiivile ” which had been in existence for 7b years.

Charles Dickens was the first, editor of the “Daily News,” and took a I prominent part in its foundation S 4 j years ago, but lie found the editorial 'position irksome, and after a few weeks •made wry for his friend .lohn Forster, I whose term- lasted only a few months. Forster in his “Life of Charles Dickens” writes concerning the “Daily Nows”: “Its prospectus is before me in his (Dickens) handwriting, but it 1 bears upon itself sufficiently the character of his hand and mind. The i paper would be kept free, it. said, from ' personal influence or party bias, and 1 would be devoted to the advocacy of all rational and honest means by which wrong might be redressed, just rights maintained, and the happiness and welfare of society promoted. The day of the appearance of its first number was that which was to follow Peels speech for the repeal of the corn laws, but brief as my allusions to the subject are, the remark should be made that even before this day came there .were interruptions to the work of preparation, at one time very grave, which threw such “'changes of vexation’ on Dickens’ personal relations to the venture as far as to destroy both ins faith and his pleasure in it. Xo opinion need bo offered as to where most of the blame lay. it would he useless now to apportion the share that might possibly -have belonged to him,self, but owing to this cause, his editorial work began with such diminished ardour that its brief continuance could not be looked for. A little note written before going home, ad (5 o'clock in the morning of Wednesday, January 21. 1840, to toll mo that they had been at press three-quarters of an hour, and were out before the ‘Times.’ marks the beginning, and a note written on the night of Afoiidny, February !». ‘tired to death ■ail'd quite worn out.’ to say that he had just -resigned his editorial functions, describes the end. To the sp promo control which he had quitted 1 succeeded. retaining it very rchic-tanfily for the greater port of that, weary, anxious, laborious year, but in little more than four months from the day the paper started the whole of Dickens’ connection with the “Daily news,’ even that of contributing letters with his signature, had cea-seil.”

John Dickens, the father of the novelist, was in charge of t'h,o reporting staff of the “Daily News” when if. started, and George, a brother-in-

Story of the "News”

Dickens the First Editor

law, wss the musical and dramatic critic. Harriet Alartineau joined the staff a few years after the paper started. and. wrote many leading articles for it. Arehibokl Forbes, the famous war correspondent, was a member of the staff during, the Franco-Prussian war, ail'd, sent, it a vivid' me count of the burning of Paris by the communist's. which enabled it to beat its j rivals by 24 hotirs. Henry Labou-|-chore, who had become; a part proprietor of the paper, was in Paris during | the seige by the Prussians, and publishj ed in its columns his diary of a besieged resident in Paris. j Only t'wo of London’s daily newspapers are older than the “Daily Xews.” These two are the “Morning Post” and the “Times.” The “M-orn-ing Post ” which was- started 157 years ago, is almost twice the age of the “Daily Xows,’ which is in, its ,85th year, and the “Times,” which was started in 17-8.5, is 61 years older than if. The founder and editor of London’s oldest paper, the “Morning Post.” was a rferyman named Henry Bate, who afterwards became Sir Henry Bate Dudley. He was only 27 years old when he began his career as the proprietor of -r.i newspaper destined to outlast its rivals of that generation, anil many of those of succeeding generations. Bate became known as the “Fighting Parson” after an affray at V-nuxhn.ll Gardens, -where lie thrashed a professional pugilist who had been employed by a -coxcomb named Fitzgerald' to assault him. The quarrel between Bate and (Fitzgerald arose cut of Fitzgerald's insulting attentions to Airs. Hartley, an actress” whose sister Bate had married.

After eight .veers of editorship Bate retired and settled down a.s a country parson. Two years later the paper was sold with the premises ami printingmaterial to two brothers. Peter and Daniel Stuart, for the modest sum of £6OO. Bate had, served a sentence- of twelve months for being too outspoken in his paper, and a subsequent editor. Xichol-:;« Byrne, was murdered in his office by a- man who had a grievance against, the paper. There has been some famous Jirera-rv men on the staff of the “Morning Post” during its long career. These include Coleridge, Southey, Wordsworth, Charles Lamb and George Meredith. When in 1803 Daniel Stuart, who was then editor and proprietor of the paper, sold it. Charles, Lamb who -was employed at the India H-cuse, but had ample leisure for writing, transferred his services front the “Post” to the “Albion.” which was owned bv a. man who had bee hi in pillory for libelling the Prince of Wales. Lamb scon regretted the change, for he wrote: — “Wo sigh for -cur more gentlemanlike occupation under Stuart. What a trail-

sition! From at handsome apartment, from rosewood desks and silver ink stands to an. office—no office but a den rather—from a centre of loyalty and. fashion, to a focus of vulgarity and sedition."

The newspaper of one hundred years ago contained very little news as we understand news to-day. It was not until 1836 that the telegraph was invented, and in its early years the telegraph was an* expensive luxury. Newspapers used it only for the purpose of obtaining brief announcements of sensational eyelids, fuller reports being .sent by mail or courier. Before the invention of telegraph the foreign news published in London newspapers (iCnsisted of several columns of extracts from Continental newspapers received by mail.

The usual size of the London daily newspapers a hundred years ago was four pages of four columns each. But despiterheir small size, the papers gave lengthy accounts of sensational matters. because there was generally a dearth of exciting news. The Sunday “Observer” (which is the oldest Sunday paper in England, having been in existence for 1.18 years) gave 19 of the 20 columns -of its issue of 10th November. 1523. to the' \Veare> murder at l’adlett. including woodcuts of the seme of the crime. The murder excited a great deal of public interest, and for weeks the London papers gave promince io it. The “Observer's ” account of the trial of the murderer covered 38 columns.. That issue of the paper -was double the ordinary size (and double the usual price of so vonpence). but the trial filled all but one column.

The “Times” of December 22, 1524, gave fifteen’ columns to the report of a breach of promise case, in which Miss Foot, an actress, sued Mr. Hay no, “a man of fashion and the world.” A sympathetic jury gave the lady a. verdict for £3OOO dam ages. Long before t ire court opened a large crowd, including some ladies, hadi assembled 1 outside the doors, seeking admission. “It was i:o sooner opened, than filled to repletion, amidst a 't-cno of confusion which baffles description ” wrote the represent a(i ve of the ‘‘ Ti mcs. ” “ The constables were busily employed—first m calling out lustily, ‘Clear the .road! : end afterwards in laying lustily with tlveir staffs on the heads of those who refused to obey their mandates. Although the Lord Chief Justice, who presided, threatened: to commit to Newgate prison any person brought, before him. by the constable for making a noise, this threat produced only a momentary calm, awl the disappointed feelings c-f those who could not obtain admittance again vented themselves in angry ■ shouts and attempts fo burst into court.”