A LECTURE ON NEWSPAPERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2361, 27 August 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A LECTURE ON NEWSPAPERS.

I.\ a lecture at Penrith ‘ About Newspapers,’ Mr A. 1., Davidson, MVA., headmaster of the Appleby Grammar School, said that some writers asserted that newspapers had their origin in tho Acta Diurna of the Romans, which was gradually extended, but, leaping over the Middle Ages, and coming to the year, 1560, they found in Venice a paper called the Gszetta, and, about the same time, one in France under the title of the Affiebo. Their forefathers had a News Loiter issued in London, and subsequently convoyed into the country. It was then a common practice for a number of magistrates to club together for tho purchase of a News Letter, which after having been circulated among themselves, was passed on to the parson, aud from him to others, until it eventually found its way to tho alehouse, where it became common property. The first printed newspaper made its appearance in the reign of James L, when Nathaniel Butler published the Weekly News, hut the matter which it contained was more curious than valuable. In the clays of the Great Rebellion newspapers began to assume a political tone, and to this period, indeed, the origin of the press as it at present exists is ascribed;- The revolution which set William III; on the throne was an important epoch in the history of the press, and in 1695 the censorship of the press established on the restoration of Charles IT., was abolished. In this reign, too, the first provincial newspaper made its appearance in Lincolnshire. In the beginning of Anne’s reign the first daily papers made their appearance, and they increased rapidly until the Stamp Act was passed in 1712, which had the effect of extinguishing the most of them. At first the tax appeared to be a death-blow to the Press, but the political rivalry which then obtained had the effect of infusing new life into'it, and statesmen began to use it for party purposes. The lecturer turned his attention to the principal newspapers and periodicals of the present day. Commencing with the'Morning'Post, as being the oldest, Mr Davidson said it was first started in 1772, under the editorship of Parson Bats, the price being 1 Jd. It had a circulation of about 7,000 copies per day, and among its contributors were Wordsworth, Coleridge and Lamb. Coming to the Times, founded by John Walter in 1783 (having existed for three years, previously under the title of the Daily Universal Register), the lecturer referred to the logographio printing then introduced, hut which was, however, found to be impracticable, and to the introduction of steam printing by the second John Walter in 1814. This innovation was strongly objected to by the pressmen, but Walter’s shrewdness was too mnch for them. Mr Davidson then referred at some length to the amount of work involved in the production of the Times, and read an extract giving an account of the Times’ premises, and alluded to various daily papers. He also spoke of our local papers in complimentary terms, of the origin and character of Punch ; and in dealing with some of the characteristics of present journalism he referred to the World and Truth, to ‘ interviewing—’ which he described in a highly-amusing way, but thought that, upon the whole, it was a useful innovation—and 'to special correspondents, among whom he mentioned Dr. Russell, Archibald Forbes, Cameron, and others. Whatever the future might have in store, in regard to the history of the press, it now stood out, and woald stand out, among the greatest records of civilisation.