Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/550

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NEWSPAPER.
476
NEWSPAPER.

news columns recorded facts. While this type was most completely developed in the Times, it was apparent in all English periodicals, daily, weekly, and monthly, from the Napoleonic wars until the defeat of Gladstone's Irish Home Rule Bill recast party relations and based the Conservative-Imperialist majority on a mass vote. With this period, now nearly twenty years distant, English dailies began developing circulation independent of influence, signed articles and the personal journalist became conspicuous, and the publisher with an avowed commercial aim had an increasing control and influence. The earlier newspaper, like the Times, waned in weight, and the type of the new is not yet developed.

The earliest provincial English newspaper was the Worcester Postman (1690), which, under the name Berrow's Worcester Journal, still circulates freely through the West Midlands. Five years later was founded the Mercury, now called the Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury. In 1706 appeared the Norwich Postman at a penny, with the announcement that a halfpenny would not be refused. It was followed by the Norwich Mercury (1714), which still exists. Among other early successes were the Nottingham Courant (1710), which with changed name continued till 1886, when it was incorporated with the illustrated Weekly Express; the Newcastle Courant (1710), with a present large circulation in the north; the still prosperous Hereford Journal (1713); the Leeds Mercury (1718), one of the best of provincial papers; the Salisbury and Winchester Journal (1729), now an influential paper; and the Birmingham Gazette (1741), to-day one of the leading Midland dailies. These examples, without the catalogue of numerous failures, show how the newspaper spread through England early in the seventeenth century. They were, however, small sheets, and continued to be such till about 1860. Still other well-known English papers are the Leeds-Yorkshire Post (1754), with a daily since 1866 and an evening issue since 1890; the Newcastle Chronicle (1764), now issuing two daily editions; the Liverpool Courier (1808), two daily issues and a weekly; the Leicester Daily Post (1872); the Sheffield Weekly Telegraph, with a circulation of 215,000; and the Manchester Guardian (1821), which has a reputation far beyond England for its independence and able comment. Wales depends largely upon the newspapers of the border counties. She has, however, several English journals of her own; as the North Wales Chronicle (Bangor, 1807); the South Wales Daily (Cardiff, 1872), in the Liberal interest; and the Western Mail (1869), in the Conservative interest. A few newspapers are printed in the Welsh language. Among them are Y Genedl Gymreig (The Welsh Nation) and Baner ac Amserau Cymru (Banner and Times of Wales).

Scotland very naturally had a hand in the numerous sheets employed to circulate information during the civil wars. The first to be printed in Scotland was the Mercurius Politicus (Leith, 1653; Edinburgh, 1654-60). Under the title Mercurius Publicus, it continued till 1663. The Mercurius Caledonius (Edinburgh, 1660) failed after ten issues. The establishment of the newspaper in Scotland was due to James Watson, who was both editor and printer. He started the Edinburgh Gazette (1700); the Edinburgh Courant (1705), a tri-weekly, which suspended after fifty-five numbers; and the Scots Courant (1706), continued till 1718. In 1718 appeared the Edinburgh Evening Courant, and two years later the Caledonian Mercury, which continued for nearly a century and a half. The Scotsman (Edinburgh, 1817), a daily since 1855, the most substantial journal in Scotland, is also most favorably known in the United States. Among the numerous other good Scotch journals are the Glasgow Herald (1782), an independent daily with a weekly issue; the Glasgow Weekly Mail (1862); the Dundee Advertiser (1801), daily; the Dundee Weekly News (1855), having a circulation above 250,000; the Aberdeen Journal (1748), daily and weekly; and the North British Daily Mail (Glasgow, 1847).

Ireland. During the civil wars there were printed in London several sheets containing news from Ireland, as Warrented Tidings from Ireland (1641) and Mercurius Hibernicus (1644). The first real Irish newspaper was the Dublin News-Letter (1685). Fifteen years later came the first Dublin daily, Pue's Occurrences, which was continued for a half century. In 1728 appeared another daily, Falkener's Journal. Esdaile's News-Letter (1744), changed to Saunders's News-Letter (1754), a Dublin tri-weekly and then a daily, lasted till 1879. The official Dublin Gazette (1710?) still continues. The oldest provincial Irish newspapers still existing are the daily Belfast News Letter (1737), the semi-weekly Waterford Chronicle (1766), and the Limerick Chronicle (1766). Among the most flourishing Dublin newspapers are the famous Freeman's Journal (1763); the Weekly Nation (1847); the Evening Telegraph (1877); and Sport (1881). The Belfast Northern Whig (1824), with a large circulation in Ulster, is also well known outside of Ireland.

The British Colonies. In British North America the chief places from which newspapers (daily and weekly) are diffused are Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, and Halifax. Among the earliest journals were the Halifax Gazette (1751), which lasted hardly twenty years, and the Montreal Gazette (1765), now a daily and weekly. Toronto, though later in the field, takes the lead to-day with its five dailies and many weeklies, among which are the Globe (morning, evening, and weekly), the Daily Mail, and Evening News. Quebec and Ottawa support several dailies and weeklies in French.

India. The deportation clause in the early libel act, censorship, and a rigid license act restricted journalism in India, and a press law still leaves all newspapers published in the vernacular subject to administrative suppression. Anglo-Indian journalism began with the Indian World, Calcutta, edited by William Duane in 1794, deported by the East India Company. He was afterwards editor of the Aurora, Philadelphia, Pa. About thirty years later J. S. Buckingham was deported for a like reason. In 1800 nine newspapers were started and soon suspended. Early in the nineteenth century the English papers were the Englishman, started in 1821 as John Bull in the East, Hurakarn, Calcutta Star, and Friend of India. Much of Rudyard Kipling's early work appeared in the Lahore Civil and Military Gazette. In Calcutta nine dailies are published in English and seven in the vernacular. The Indian Daily Mirror (1863) is the first daily in English edited by natives. The Hindu of