180
��NOTES BY THE WAY.
��Sketch of its history.
��It absorbs a crop of journals.
James Silk Buckingham.
��Francis Place.
��Walter Coulson.
��Instruction as
to reviewing
books.
��The Globe, in its interesting ' Sketch of our History,' states that the files from the first years have not been preserved, and the earliest impression known to exist bears date " Thursday, February 6, 1806." This is numbered 972, showing that it had appeared without a break, Christmas Days and Sundays excepted, since its first publication. The price of the single sheet of four pages, including the 3%d. stamp, was 9%d. The paper contains an account of the battle of Austerlitz, and the Parliamentary column is taken up with the moving of new writs consequent upon Mr. Fox taking office. The 5 per cents stood at 62, the 3 per cent consols at 61 J ; English lottery tickets fetched 19 guineas. The only survival of The Globe's projected encouragement of literature is to be found in the announcement of a pamphlet called ' Vaccination Vindicated ' and of a book by Mr. Craig, ' The Complete Instructor in Draw- ing.' Of its politics at that time " there is not much to be said. The Tories were firm in office, and The Globe ranked among the supporters of the Opposition. Queen Caroline's trial gave it an opportunity both for journalistic enterprise and for vehemence of language." In the course of years The Globe absorbed a whole crop of journals, including The Evening Chronicle and The Argus, two of the short-lived enterprises of James Silk Buckingham, whom James Grant describes as being " the most desperate journalistic speculator it was ever my fortune to be personally acquainted with." On the 30th of December, 1822, The Traveller it was in The Traveller that John Stuart Mill, at the age of sixteen, first appeared in print was amalgamated with The Globe, and to this day forms its second title. Col. Torrens acquired the main interest in the paper, and brought with him Walter Coulson, who had been editor of The Traveller. He was a protege of Bentham and a friend of the Westminster Radicals James Mill and Francis Place, " the Radical tailor of Charing Cross," of whom my friend Mr. Holyoake relates that, on the occasion of Place being spokes- man for a deputation of working-men to the Duke of Wellington at Apsley House, the Duke, having given them an abrupt dismissal, called out, " Come back." He then said to them, " You seem to be men with heads on your shoulders. Take care you keep them there." Coulson was the means of attracting men of celebrity in the literary world ; these included Thomas Love Peacock and the Rev. Richard Harris Barham. In 1826 the profits were 100?. a week, and Mr. Gibbons Merle was appointed sub-editor. Mr. Merle afterwards went to Paris, where he became one of the editors of Galignani's Messenger, and was made a baron by Louis Philippe.
The following curious instruction as to the reviewing of books is quoted from the minute book of the 4th of April, 1827 : " In reviewing, only a brief analysis, with extracts, should be given, without much praise or censure, to avoid giving offence to other publishers." It is also directed that " admission tickets for places
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