No More Learning

, 1824, p. 297.
I Annual Register, 1824, p. 297.
|| An anecdote, given in the notes to Jon Bee's edition of Footc,
refers to the Herald, whilst under the control of Bate Dudley, the public supporter of the Prince and of Sheridan. Jon Bee is speaking of the authors of Newspaper critiques, and other paragraphs of those days, and states how they often gave the credit of saying good things to those perfectly innocent of the authorship. " I remember," says Jon Bee, " one of these collectors of scraps of intelligence for a certain Morning Herald, thirty years ago and more, always gave
the credit to Sheridan for all fathered jokes and for some witti cisms that he knew were manufactured by others. Example :—
152 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
sold it for a considerable sum. Mr. Thwaites, who was connected with a wealthy Lancashire manufacturing family, afterwards became the manager of the Paper, and under his direction, great efforts were made, and great expenses incurred, in the race for priority of in telligence.
Gcede,* a German, whose work on England was translated and published in London in 1821, says, when speaking of the English Newspapers :—" These
journalists are no famished authors, who pawn their civil honour for a piece of gold. Most of them are possessed of considerable property, no less a capital than £18,000 being required in order to bring a News paper into circulation ; and their revenues, therefore, often exceed those of a minister of state. The yearly income of the proprietor of The Morning Herald,
I am well assured, the sum of £8,000; and the clear profits of The Star, I have been informed by one of its co-owners, amounts to about three- fourths of that sum. The property of a Paper, how ever, is sometimes vested in fifty different persons, who
exceeds, as
A person who had been admitted to one of the convivial parties of the Prince, reported to that collector a certain good thing which had dropped from some gentleman at table, whose name he did not know. Our collector inquired whether Sheridan was present- Being answered in the affirmative —' Ay, aye, I know how it was ; it 's Sheridan all over. ' Dick Brinsley sat next to, or opposite the little gentleman, and so the little one caught it up. ' I know, I know, how these things go,' hastily observed the News-collector ; and so it was Heralded about next morning, and now appears in the Sheridaniana. The same cunning fox, I have reason for believing, gave to Sheridan in this manner several more good things that belonged to others, and I think I can myself recollect one score instances at least. " —Life ofl'oote-
* A Foreigner's Opinion of England. By C. A. Gottlieb Goede. London, 1821.
THE TIMES* 153
have advanced the capital requisite for this under taking, divide the annual profits among themselves, and from their joint stock deduct a certain stipend to the writer of the Paper, who is generally a respectable author. But it may easily be conceived that they pro ceed with great caution in appointing any one to this office, and that they keep a strict and jealous eye over all his motions. Such a writer is under the imme diate inspection of the public, of the proprietors, of the opposite party, and of his brother editors, who
detect his failings, and are his professional rivals. They live, indeed, in a perpetual warfare with each other : all the artifices usual with authors, are devised and put in practice amongst them ; and their mutual jealousies sometimes give birth to scenes of an extraordinary nature. "
The Times is still in the hands of the family of its founder, and in this respect stands alone amongst the Morning Papers. It was commenced by John Walter, of Printing House Square, and its first num ber (as we have already seen) was published on the first of January, 1788, and was a continuation of The Daily Universal Register, of which 939 numbers had previously appeared. Both The Times and its forerunner are described in the heading as being " printed Logographically. " This strange-looking term was applied to a patent which Walter had ob tained, for casting in metal whole words, instead of single letters in the usual mode, these words being placed side by side by the working printer, instead of leaving him to compose with single letters.
eagerly
104 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
In short, Walter used stereotyped words, and parts of words, instead of separate metal letters. This new mode is described in a pamphlet,* printed by this process, and published in 1783 by a compositor named H. Johnson, one of its inventors. Walter, who is spoken of as " part contriver of this new method," patented and then went to work to bring the plan into use. He evidently worked with great energy and perseverance, and like all projectors was sanguine of success. The advantages expected to be gained by the logographic mode were, that the ortho graphical errors would be far less than by ordinary printing; indeed, that they must be almost impos sible in the majority of cases that less time and labour would be required; and, consequently, that printing would be cheaper. But practical difficulties arose, and many jokes were made at the expense of the new plan. It was said that the orders to the
ran after this fashion —" Send me hundred weight, made up in separate pounds, of heat,
cold, wet, dry, murder, fire, dreadful robbery, atro cious outrage, fearful calamity, and alarming explo sion. " Another hundred would be made up of honour able gentlemen, loud cheers, gracious majesty, inte resting female, and so on. But neither jokes nor difficulties were regarded Walter. He brought out, on the first of January, 1785, The Daily Uni versal Register, printed in the new manner. This had four pages, had halfpenny stamp, and was sold for twopence-halfpenny and in Mr. Walter issued
An Introduction to Logography. By Henry Johnson. London Printed Logographically. 8vo. Walter.
type-founder
*
a ;
it,
by it
;
:a
:
THE TIMES LOGOGRAPHIC PRINTING. 155
a long address to the public, on introducing his new Paper to their notice, and, in an advertisement, returns thanks for the patronage bestowed on his " new im provements in printing. " It would seem also that the founder of The Times cultivated the acquaintance of
for this first number of his new Paper refers to a Literary Society, established for the
purpose of publishing works which their authors found it difficult to bring before the public. The first num ber of The Daily Register displays no less than fifty- seven advertisements ; some of them, however, rela ting to books, and other speculations of its projector, who was evidently a man of active and energetic mind. In No. 510* we find the following notice of the logographic art, from the pen of its promoter him self. It may be called a passage from the autobio graphy of the founder of The Times : —
To the Public —The indispensable duty I owe to the public, and gratitude to those noble and generous persons from whom I have received encouragement, call upon me to lay be fore them the improvements I have accomplished in printing, by the introduction of logographic types, formed out of letters cemented into syllables and words, and substituted instead of single letters.
The history of arts and sciences evince, that every invention, however rational in appearance, laudable in motive, or useful in its end, becomes obnoxious to a variety of impediments, from the prejudice of custom, the envy of the dull, and the avarice of interested individuals. Suchimpedimentslhaveexpcrienced; but they have stimulated, not damped my endeavours : philosophy, like religion, has always flourished under persecution ; and, as the established truth of an existing Deity, and the axioms of
* No. 510, August 10, 1786. Its price had by this time been raised to threepence.
literary aspirants,
156 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
science have been denied by the disciples of impiety, and the slaves to superstition, it is no wonder that arts should suffer from the dogmatical opposition of folly and dulness.
My enemies have not only openly attacked my plan, but have insidiously attempted to undermine it; but, it being founded on a firm basis, I have stood the test unshaken, while my assailants have been defeated with an exposition of their ignorance, malevolence, and envy.
The end I proposed has been held forth as impracticable ; the means I have adopted for its perfection has been described to be the ebullition of an enthusiastic speculator ; but I am now able to contradict both. I have the power to convince the world that my ideas were not visionary, but founded on reason ; for the justness of my theory is fully proved by practice.
Ignorance and malice, however, have not totally failed in their intent ; they have not only produced many obstacles, but have been a means of considerably encreasing my expenses, which have by far exceeded my original calculations ; but a persever ing and sedulous attention has supported me, and the logo- graphic press is now in a state of improvement that insures the ultimate object of public benefit.
Embarked in a business, into which I entered a mere novice, consisting of several departments, want of experience laid me open to many and gross impositions, and I have been severely injured by the inattention, neglect, and ignorance of others. These reasons, though they will not excuse, will palliate and account for the errors which have appeared in several of the books published at the first working of the logographic press ; for, in fact, these errors were not owing to any defect in the art of printing logographically, but to the readers and editors,
whose duty is was to correct the proof sheets. Complaints, however, will now subside, the cause having been removed, and every branch of the business being at present superintended by men on whose skill, industry, and integrity I can impli citly rely. I shall lay my plan before the public in The Universal Register of to-morrow. John Walter.
Onred letter days, the title of The Daily Register was
THE TIMES LOGOGRAPHIC PRINTING. 157
printed with red ink, and the character of the day stated under the date line. The publication of Friday, the 11th August, 1786, No. 511, is a specimen. It has a red heading ; and, underneath the date, the words, "Princess of Brunswick born. Holiday at the Stamp and Excise Offices, and the Exchequer. " In this number is published the promised Letter II.
In the first letter which I took the liberty of submitting to the public, I slightly touched upon the opposition given to the logographic press, by individuals, and I shall now point out several of the impediments and difficulties which I had to encounter in the arrangement and regulation of the system.
The whole English language lay before me in a confused arrangement ; it consisted of above 90,000 words. This multi tudinous mass I reduced to about 5,000, by separating the par ticles, and removing the obsolete words, technical terms, and common terminations.
Considering, and being advised, that this reduction and ar rangement was sufficiently simple for a first experiment, I had cases formed for different-sized founts, and printed the English Dictionary, on that plan ; but, after severe labour, un remitting attention, and a heavy expense to compositors, whom I was obliged to pay by the week, instead of by the quantity
printed, I discovered many serious objections to this essay, particularly that a great number of the words distributed through the founts were useless, being seldom called for in printing, that, by the rejection of them, the founts might be lessened, and the cells for the types increased in space, the narrowness of which was found extremely inconvenient.
In consequence of these observations, I resolved to alter the whole system, after having incurred a considerable loss, as the cases became useless, and it was necessary to separate again most of the cemented letters from the types of the rejected words, which is done with much ease, and obviates a principal objection thrown out by the trade, that if a single letter was battered, it destroyed the whole word.
158 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
The cases upon which I made my first experiments, were eight in number —their dimensions, six feet and a-half, by four feet and a-half. I afterwards reduced them to six cases, and have now brought the fount in four cases, by reducing the num ber of words, though I have enlarged the cells so far as to answer every purpose of convenience, and facilitate the work of the compositor. In one of those cases is deposited the com mon Roman letter, and it is surrounded by the common particles. A second contains the capitals, and common terminations, with a part of the alphabet in words, the remainder of which, are contained in the third and fourth cases.
The first general arrangement was so far conducive to the end of perfection proposed, that every simple word and root of the language might be joined with facility to the termination required to form the necessary compound, and would answer, with very little variation, not only for English, but for the Latin and French languages (accents excepted), which, to a speculative mind, would have been a fund of amusement. This acquisition, though short of expectation, inspired encourage ment, it expanded hope, and opened a prospect of honour and profit, though shorter of expectation, than my expectation had led me to believe ; but the disappointments I have experienced, and which, in my next letter, I shall explain more fully, has protracted the progress of my endeavours, though they could not sufficiently arrest them, and I am now enabled to assure those patrons, from whom I received encouragement, that I have so far improved the art of printing, as not to retain a doubt of fulfilling my wishes in a very short time.
John Walter.
In the number for 12th August, 1786, we have another display of red ink, it being the birthday of the Prince of Wales ; and also — a subject of more interest to us — Walter's third letter : —
The use of the logographic press may be divided into two heads —saving of time, and saving of labour.
The opposition I have met with could have originated but in
THE TIMES —LOGOGRAPHIC PRINTING. 159
two motives, envy and avarice ; but I have the satisfaction to say, that those who have acted against me, under the influence of either, have been disappointed. The first printer in the country pronounced my plan impracticable ; the critical reviewers at tempted to turn it into ridicule ; but the prophecy of the one has failed, and the ridicule of the others I could now retort upon themselves. Mr. Caslon (the founder), whom I at first em ployed to cast my types, calumniated my plan— he censured what he did not understand, wantonly disappointed me in the work he engaged to execute, and would meanly have sacrificed me to establish the fallacious opinion he had promulgated. How contrary this mercenary conduct to the liberality of Mr.
Jackson, who, comprehending the utility of the plan, exerted his acknowledged abilities in its promotion. Thus attacked and traduced on all sides, and by every branch of the trade, I resolved to cement the materials myself, and, for that purpose, erected a foundry adjoining my printing-house, where I have, with much success, carried on that business, and from which I am able to supply any gentleman with logographic types, who may have
reasons for executing any work of secrecy or amusement, as the types of the words are so easily used in preference to single letters, and, consequently, the knowledge of printing may be acquired with facility. The experiment already made by a nobleman of the first rank and abilities, both in station and knowledge, fully evinces the truth of what is asserted.
I had scarcely extricated myself from the trouble of one opponent, when another arose. Mr. Caslon was succeeded in the generous service of opposing my plan, by one Bell, who has the modesty to style himself a representative of Apollo. Hav ing a pecuniary dispute with this man, respecting a catchpenny publication which I printed, he attacked the logographic press,
through the dull medium of The Morning Post, of which he was then a proprietor ; but the Court of King's Bench deter mined his demands upon me, and a Court of Conscience decided my claims against him, for I recovered in the Court of Conscience, and he lost his suit in the Court of King's Bench.
These disappointed champions have had many successors, who have been equally unfortunate in their attacks.
Thus, through a series of difficulties, naturally arising from
160 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
the pursuit of a new undertaking, and a succession of impedi ments artfully raised against me, I have nearly brought to per fection, an undertaking which has long been an object of contem plation among the greatest men, and the most eminent modern philosophers. Whatever I have already suffered in the execution of a plan so liberal and useful, my country must ultimately reap honour and profit, as it lies open to the inspection of all mankind ;* and, on the expiration of my patent, will become common property. I still, however, confide in the generosity of my country, and trust, that a native, who has dedicated the fragments of a fortune, wrecked in the service of his fellow-sub jects, and his time and labour in the pursuit of an art salutary to the public at large, will not suffer the crash of disappoint ment in the very moment he arrives at the goal, where he has long expected reward to crown his toil.
I beg leave now to lay before the public a catalogue of the books (among a variety of other publications) printed at the logographic press, and also a list of those who are subscribers to a series of works printing at the logographic press by sub scription. John Walter.
* Any gentlemen who chooses may inspect the logographic founts and types, at the printing-office, or at the British Museum, to which place, a fount has been ordered to be removed from the Queen's Palace.
To this letter is appended a catalogue of books published at the logographic press, and a list of sub scribers.
The first number of The Times is not so large as the sheets of The Morning Herald and Morning Chronicle of the same date, but is larger than The London Chronicle, and of the same dimensions and appearance as The Public Advertiser ; which, however, it surpassed in the number of its advertisements. *
* The first number of The Times, in the British Museum Collec tion, has no stamp, showing that sheets sometimes escaped the eye and mark of the Stamp Office in those days.
HISTORY OF THE TIMES. 161
Here is the original prospectus of the Paper, which explains the reasons why the title had been changed from The Daily Universal Register to The Times. The italics and capital letters are given exactly as in the original :
The Times.
Why change the head ?
This question will naturally come from the Public—and we, the Times, being the Public's most humble and most obedient Servants, think ourselves bound to answer :—
All things have heads — and all heads are liable to change.
Every sentence and opinion advanced by Mr. Shandy on the influence and utility of a well-chosen surname, may be properly applied in shewing the recommendations and advan tages which result from placing a striking title-page before a book, or an inviting Head on the front page of a Newspapeb.
A Head so placed, like those heads which once ornamented Temple-Bar, or those of the great Attorney, or great Contractor, which, not long since, were conspicuously elevated for their great actions, and were exhibited in wooden frames, at the East and West ends of this metropolis, never fails of attracting the eyes of passengers —though indeed we do not expect to experience the lenity shown to these great exhibitors, for probably the
Times will be pelted without mercy.
But then a head with a good face is a harbinger, a gentle
man-usher, that often strongly recommends even Dulness, Folly, Immorality, or Vice. The immortal Locke gives evidence to the truth of this observation. That great philo sopher has declared that, though repeatedly taken in, he never could withstand the solicitations of a well-drawn title-page — authority sufficient to justify us in assuming a new head, and a new set offeatures, but not with a design to impose, for we flatter ourselves the Head of the Times will not be found deficient in intellects, but by putting a new face on affairs, will be admired for the light of its countenance, wherever it appears.
To advert to our first position.
VOL. II. L
'
162 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
The Universal Register has been a name as injurious to the Logographic-News-Paper as Tristram was to Mr. Shandy's son. But Old Shandy forgot he might have rectified by con
firmation the mistake of the parson at baptism —-with the touch of a Bishop, have Tristram to Trismegestus.
The Universal Register, from the day of its first appear ance, to the day of its confirmation, has, like Tristram, suffered from unusual casualties, both laughable and serious, arising from its name, which, on its introduction, was immediately cur tailed of its fair proportion by all who called for it—the word
Universal being universally omitted, and the word Register being only retained. "Boy, bring me the Register. " The waiter answers—" Sir, we have not a library—but you may see it at the New-Exchange Coffee-house. " —"Then I'll see it there," answers the disappointed politician, and he goes to the New-Exchange, and calls for the Register ; upon which the waiter tells him that he cannot have as he not subscriber, and presents him with the Court and City Register the Old Annual Register, or the New Annual Register or, the coffee house be within the purlieus of Covent Garden, or the hundreds of Drury, slips into the politician's hand — Harris's Register of Ladies. For these and other reasons, the parents of the Uni versal Register have added to its original name that of the
TIMES;
which, being monosyllable, bids defiance to corruptors and mutilators of the language.
The Times what monstrous name Granted—for the Times many-headed monster, that speaks with an hundred tongues, and displays thousand characters and in the course of its transformations in life, assumes innumerable shapes and humours.
The critical reader will observe, we personify our new name, but as we will give no distinction or sex, and though will be active in its vocations, yet we apply to the neuter gender.
The Times being formed of materials, and possessing quali ties of opposite and heterogeneous natures, cannot be classed
it
a
it ! :
;
is
it
is a
! a
a
if
a ;
it,
HISTORY OF THE TIMES. 163
either in the animal or vegetable genus, but, like the Polypus, is doubtful, and in the discussion, description, dissection, and illustration, will employ the pens of the most celebrated among the literati.
The Heads of the Times, as has been said, are many ; they will, however, not always appear at the same time, but casually, as public or private affairs may call them forth.
The principal, or leading heads, are :— The Literary. —- Political. —Commercial. —Philosophical. —Critical. —Theatrical. —Fashionable. —Humourous. —Witty, &e. Each of which are supplied with a competent share of intellects, for the pursuit of their several functions, an endowment which is not in all time to be found even in the Heads of the State—the heads of the Church —the heads of the Law — the heads of the Navy—the heads of the Army — and, though last, not least—the great heads of the Universities.
The Political Head of The Times, like that of Janus, the Roman Deity, is double-faced; with one countenance it will smile continually on the friends of Old England, and with the other, will frown incessantly on her enemies.
The alteration we have made in our head is not without precedents. The World has parted with half its Caput Mortuum, and a moiety of its brains. The Herald has cut off half of its head, and has lost its original humour. The Post, it is true, retains its whole head, and its old features, and as to the other public prints, they appear as having neither heads nor tails.
On the Parliamentary Head, every communication, that ability and industry can produce, may be expected. To this great National object, The Times will be most sedulously atten tive—most accurately correct—and strictly impartial in its reports.
Though probably a successful Paper whilst in the hands of the first Walter, the logographic printer, The Times did not begin to rise towards the eminence it afterwards attained l
until its management devolved upon 2
164 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
the late Mr. Walter. * He it was who laid the broad foundations of its future prosperity ; the first steps to wards which were taken shortly after his first connec tion with the Journal in 1803, when a bold front was shown to the Pitt ministry, and when the delinquencies of Lord Melville were exposed in its columns. In defending himself against the attack of Wyndham, Mr. Walter described these early days of his connec
tion with The Times, and gave an account, in the columns of that Journal, of the principles he adopted
* The first "Walter endured his share of persecution, having been more than once imprisoned for articles which appeared in his Paper. It has been asserted that he stood in the pillory ; but though sentenced to such punishment, for telling what was no doubt the truth about one of George the Third's sons, he appears to have escaped that portion of the sentence. Here are some notices of the affair from the publications of the time : —
February 3, 1790. —The printer of The Times was brought up from Newgate to the King's Bench, to receive judgment for two libels of which he had been convicted. He was sentenced for the first, which was on the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (charging their Royal Highnesses with having so demeaned themselves as to incur the just disapprobation of His Majesty), to pay a fine of £100, and to be imprisoned in Newgate for one year, after the expiration of his present confinement ; and for the second, which was on the Duke of Clarence, he was fined £100. The libel against the Duke of Clarence asserted, that His Royal Highness returned from his station without authority from the Admiralty, or the Commanding Officer. — (Ann. Reg. , 1790, p. 195. ) The printer was at that time undergoing his sentence of imprisonment in Newgate, for a libel on the Duke of York, for which he had been sentenced to pay a fine of £50, a year's imprisonment in Newgate, to stand in the pillory for one hour between twelve and three, and to enter into recognizances for his good behaviour for seven years, himself in £500, and two securities in £100 each. —(Ann. Reg. ,
1789, p. 229. ) On the 9th of March, 1791, Mr. Walter was liberated from his confinement in Newgate, after sixteen months' imprisonment at the intercession of the Prince of Wales. — (Ann. Reg. , 1791, p. 16. ) Thus it would appear that the whole sentences were not carried out.
HISTORY OF THE TIMES. 165
when called upon to assume the editorial management of a Morning Paper. * He says, " The joint proprie tor and exclusive manager of this Paper became so in the beginning of the year 1803, and from that date it is that he undertakes to justify the independent spirit with which it has been conducted. On his commenc ing the business, he gave his conscientious and disin terested support to the existing Administration —that of Lord Sidmouth. The Paper continued that support of the men in power, but without suffering them to repay its partiality by contributions calculated to pro duce any reduction whatsoever in the expense of man aging the concern; because, by such admission, the editor was conscious he should have sacrificed the right of condemning any act which he might esteem detrimental to the public welfare. That Administra tion, therefore, had, as he before stated, his disinterested support, because he believed it then, as he believes it now, to have been a virtuous and upright Administra tion ; but not knowing how long it might continue so, he did not choose to surrender his right of free judg ment by accepting of obligations, though offered in the most unexceptionable manner.
" This Ministry was dissolved in the spring 1804, when the places of Lord Sidmouth, Lord St. Vincent, &c, were supplied by Mr. Pitt, Lord Melville, &c.
It was not long before the Catamaran expedition was undertaken by Lord Melville ; and again, at a subse quent period, his Lordship's practices in the Navy Department were brought to light by the 10th Eeport of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry. The editor's
* Times, February 11, 1810.
166 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
father held at that time, and had held for eighteen years before, the situation of printer to the Customs. The editor knew the disposition of the man whose conduct he found himself obliged to condemn ; yet he never refrained a moment, on that account, from speak ing of the Catamaran expedition as it merited, or from bestowing on the practices disclosed in the Tenth Report the terms of reprobation with which they were greeted by the general sense of the country. The
result was as he had apprehended. Without the alle
gation of a single complaint, his family was deprived of the business, which had been so long discharged by of printing for the Customs — business which was performed by contract, and which, he will venture to say, was executed with an economy and precision
that have not since been exceeded. The Government advertisements were at the same time withdrawn. "
Walter then goes on to describe the further history of his Paper. " On the death of Mr. Pitt, in January, 1806, an Administration was formed, containing portion of that preceding Ministry which the editor had so distinterestedly supported on his undertaking the management of the Paper. It was by one of these that he was directed to state the injustice that had been sustained in the loss of the Custom
house business. Various plans were proposed for the recovery of at last, in the following July, copy of memorial, to be presented to the Treasury, was sub
mitted to the editor for his signature but believing
for certain reasons, that this bare reparation of an in jury was likely to be considered as favour entitling those who granted to certain degree of influence
it a
a
;
a
it,
it ;
a
a
a
a
HISTORY OF THE TIMES. 167
over the politics of the Journal, the editor refused to sign, or to have any concern in presenting the me morial. But he did more than even this ; for, finding that a memorial was still likely to be presented, he wrote to those from whom the restoration of the em ployment was to spring, disavowing on his part (with whom the sole conducting of the Paper remained) all share in an application which he conceived was meant to fetter the freedom of that Paper. The prin t- ing business to the Customs, has, as may perhaps be anticipated, never been restored. "
This spirit of independence —the very life-blood of a Journal—brought down upon the man who had the courage to manifest it the anger of the Government, whose officials did not hesitate to throw various im pediments in the way of his obtaining early informa tion. Let him tell the story in his own words :— " The editor will now speak of the oppression which he has sustained while pursuing this independent line of conduct. Since the war of 1805, between Austria
and France, his arrangements to obtain foreign in telligence were of a magnitude to create no ordinary anxiety in his mind respecting their result; yet from the period of the Sidmouth Administration, Govern ment from time to time employed every means in its power to counteract his designs, and he is indebted for his success only to professional exertion, and the private friendship of persons unconnected with politics. First, in relation to the war of 1805, the editor's pack ages from abroad were always stopped by Government at the outports, while those for the Ministerial Jour nals were allowed to pass. The foreign captains were
168 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
always asked by a Government officer at Gravesend, if they had papers for The Times. These, when acknowledged, were as regularly stopped. The Graves- end officer, on being spoken to on the subject, replied, that he would transmit to the editor his papers with the same punctuality as he did those belonging to the publishers of the Journals just alluded to, but that he was not allowed. This led to a complaint at the Home Secretary's office, where the editor, after
repeated delays, was informed by the Under Secretary that the matter did not rest with him, but that it was even then in discussion, whether Government should throw the whole open, or reserve an exclusive channel
for the favoured Journals ; yet was the editor informed that he might receive his foreign papers as a favour from Government. This, of course, implying the expectation of a corresponding favour from him in the spirit and tone of his publication, was firmly rejected ; and he, in consequence, suffered for a time (by the loss or delay of important packets) for this resolution to maintain, at all hazards, his independence.
quent period. They produced the same complaints on the part of the editor ; and a redress was then offered to his grievances, provided it could be known what party in politics he meant to support. This, too, was again declined, as pledging the independence of his Paper. And, be it observed, respecting the whole period during which the present conductor has now spoken, that it was from no determinate spirit of opposition to Government that he rejected the pro posals made to him, On the contrary, he has on
" The same practices were resorted to at a subse
HISTORY OF THE TIMES. 169
several, and those very important occasions, afforded those men his best support, whose offers, nevertheless, at any time, to purchase, or whose attempts to com pel that support, he has deemed himself obliged to reject and resist. Nay, he can with great truth add, that advantages in the most desirable forms have been offered him, and that he has refused them.
" Having thus established his independence during the several Administrations whose measures it has been his office to record, he will not omit the occasion which offers to declare that he equally disclaims all and any individual influence ; and that, when he offers individual praise, it is from a sense of its being
particularly due to the character which calls it forth. " To the courage that could brave a Government,
was added sagacity, enterprise, and unflagging zeal. It was evidently the object of Walter's life to rear up The Times, and year by year he went on laboriously, working out various plans for its improvement. The Government having interfered with his despatches from abroad, he arranged a system which, in spite of the authorities, procured him information of events abroad, often before the Ministry themselves were acquainted with them. " Amongst other acts of his early exertions for the press," says the writer who contributed a notice of his career to The Times, " let
us mention his successful competition for priority
of intelligence with the Government during the Euro
pean war, which (to give a single instance) en abled his Journal to announce the capitulation of Flushing forty-eight hours before the News had arrived through any other channel; and the extinction of
170 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
what, before his time, had been an invariable practice with the General Post Office, strange as it may now appear —the systematic retardation of foreign intelli gence, and the public sale of foreign News for the benefit of the Lombard Street officials. "
Walter's greatest merit, however, was that, un daunted by difficulties and disappointments, he first brought the steam-engine to the assistance of the Newspaper press. "Familiar as this discovery is now," says his biographer in The Times,* "there was a time when it seemed fraught with difficulties as great as those which Fulton has overcome on one element, and Stephenson on another. To take off 5,000 im
to have thought nothing impossible that was useful and good, was early resolved that there should be no
impossibility in printing by steam. It took a long time in those days to strike off the 3,000 or 4,000 copies of The Times. Mr. Walter could not brook the tedium of the manual process. As early as the year 1804, an ingenious compositor, named Thomas Martyn, had invented a self-acting machine for working the press, and had produced a model which satisfied Mr. Walter of the feasibility of the scheme. Being assisted by Mr. Walter with the necessary funds, he made con
siderable progress towards the completion of his work, in the course of which he was exposed to much per- « Times, July 29, 1847.
in an hour was once as ridiculous a con
pressions
ception as to paddle a ship fifteen miles against wind and tide, or to drag in that time a train of carriages weighing a hundred tons fifty miles. Mr. Walter, who, without being a visionary, may be said
THE TIMES AND THE STEAM-PRESS. 171
sonal danger from the hostility of the pressmen, who vowed vengeance against the man whose innovations threatened destruction to their craft. To such a length was their opposition carried, that it was found necessary to introduce the various pieces of the ma chine into the premises with the utmost possible secrecy, while Martyn himself was obliged to shelter
himself under various disguises in order to escape their fury. Mr. Walter, however, was not yet per mitted to reap the fruits of his enterprise. On the very eve of success he was doomed to bitter disappoint ment. He had exhausted his own funds in the attempt, and his father, who had hitherto assisted him, became disheartened, and refused him any further aid. The"project was therefore for the time abandoned.
Mr. Walter, however, was not the man to be de terred from what he had once resolved to do. He gave his mind incessantly to the subject, and courted aid from all quarters, with his usual munificence. In the year 1814 he was induced by a clerical friend, in whose judgment he confided, to make a fresh experi ment ; and accordingly the machinery of the amiable and ingenious Kcenig, assisted by his young friend
Bauer, was introduced —not, indeed, at first into The Times office, but into the adjoining premises, such caution being thought necessary from the threatened violence of the pressmen. Here the work advanced, under the frequent inspection and advice of the friend alluded to. At one period these two able mechanics suspended their anxious toil, and left the premises in disgust. After the lapse, however, of about three days, the same gentleman discovered their retreat,
172 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
induced them to return, showed them to their surprise
their difficulty conquered, and the work still in pro
The night on which this curious machine was first brought into use in its new abode was one of great anxiety, and even alarm. The suspicious pressmen had threatened destruction to any one whose inven tions might suspend their employment —' destruction to him and his traps. ' They were directed to wait for expected News from the Continent. It was about six o'clock in the morning when Mr. Walter went into the press-room, and astonished its occupants by telling them that ' The Times was already printed by steam ! That if they attempted violence, there was a force ready to suppress it ; but that if they were peaceable, their wages should be continued to every one of them till similar employment could be pro cured ;' — a promise which was, no doubt, faithfully performed ; and having so said, he distributed several copies among them. Thus was this most hazardous enterprise undertaken and successfully car ried through, and printing by steam, on an almost
gress.
scale, given to the world. On that memor able day, the 29th of November, 1814, the following announcement appeared in The Times: —
Our journal of this day presents to the public the practical result of the greatest improvement connected with printing, since the discovery of the art itself. The reader of this para graph now holds in his hand one of the many thousand impres sions of The Times Newspaper, which were taken off last night by a mechanical apparatus. A system of machinery, almost or ganic, has been devised and arranged, which, while it relieves the human frame of its most laborious efforts in printing, far exceeds all human powers in rapidity and despatch. That the magnitude
gigantic
THE TIMES AND THE STEAM-PRESS. 173
of the invention may be justly appreciated by its effects, we shall inform the public, that, after the letters are placed by the compositors, and enclosed in what is called the form, little more remains for man to do, than to attend upon and watch this un conscious agent in its operations. The machine is then merely supplied with paper—itself places the form, inks it, adjusts the paper to the form newly inked, stamps the sheet, and gives it forth to the hands of the attendant, at the same time withdraw ing the form for a fresh coat of ink, which itself again distributes, to meet the ensuing sheet, now advancing for impression ; and the whole of these complicated acts is performed with such a velocity and simultaneousness of movement, that no less than
1,100 sheets are impressed in one hour.
That the completion of an invention of this kind, not the
effect of chance, but the result of mechanical combinations, me thodically arranged in the mind of the artist, should be attended with many obstructions, and much delay, may be readily ad mitted. Our share in the event has, indeed, only been the application of the discovery, under an agreement with the pa tentees, to our own particular business ; yet few can conceive, even with this limited interest, the various disappointments and deep anxiety to which we have, for a long course of time, been subjected.
From that day to the end of his life, Mr. Walter never ceased to improve on the original plan ; and his successor following in his footsteps, a machine was ultimately perfected, which produces 8,000 copies in an hour—the machine with which The Times is now printed.
Whilst Walter was perfecting a steam-press to produce a rapid supply of Papers, he was equally energetic and successful in securing literary talent, without which his Journal could never have required such means for satisfying the public demand. In the early days of the Paper, he threw his columns open to
174 THE FOCETH ESTATE.
contributions, and encouraged a supply of " Letters to the Editor. " By these means he now and then found a writer of more than average excellence, and when he did so he sought the name of his correspondent, and
secured his help to supply a few articles on the sub ject he was best acquainted with. The copy thus obtained, was subjected to very careful and judicious
editing ; and to the talent and tact with which this was done, may be ascribed one element of the success ulti mately secured. His plan seems to have been not so much to secure a writing- editor, as an editor who could write when called upon, but whose chief duty was a sagacious selection of contributors, and a prompt and laborious editing of the articles they supplied.
Dr. Stoddart, whose name will long live in the satirical verses of Moore, and others, as Dr. Slop, was an editor of The Times, but differed from Walter so completely in his opinions on the subject of Napoleon and his character, that an explanation became requisite between them. Dr. Stoddart seems to have laboured under a perfect mania as"regarded Bonaparte, who, to his mind, was the real Corsican fiend. " In spite of all suggestions, Stoddart continued to pour out his ultra opinions, and for a while the articles were
Still, however, on, on, he went with a re lentless force, which no suggestions, no remonstrances, no proprietorial directions, could check, and the arti cles were put aside unpublished. A crisis ensued, and Walter, with the liberality which is described as one of the marked features of his character and another element of his success, proposed that Stoddart should cease to be connected with the Paper, receiving
printed.
THE TIMES MR. BARNES. 175
a handsome retiring compensation. The sum was left to be settled by two mutual friends, and they pro ceeded to deliberate on the matter. Their decision had not been arrived at, when, one day, Stoddart wrote to them and to Walter, to say that the affair need not trouble them any further, as, on the follow ing Monday, No. 1 of The New Times would appear.
The successor to Stoddart was Thomas Barnes, who remained for many years at the head of The Times' literary corps. We are informed by a member of that body that Barnes had been a Blue Coat Boy, and from Christ's Hospital went to Cambridge, where he was the college contemporary and rival of the present Bishop of London, Dr. Blomfield. The latter suc ceeded in carrying off the honours of three years, Mr. Barnes holding the second place, though the on dit of the members of the University at the time was, that though Blomfield surpassed as a Greek scholar, Barnes was unrivalled in his general acquirements. After graduating, Barnes entered as a student at
the Temple, intending to prepare himself for the Bar. While thus engaged as a law student, he ac
quired the friendship of the late Hon. George Lamb (brother of the late Lord Melbourne), then also a student occupying chambers in the same building as those held by Barnes. As a relief from the mono tonous routine of Coke and Littleton, and the other solid works which should form the basis of a law stu dent's reading, Barnes wrote a series of letters after the manner of Junius, on the leading political cha racters and events of the day. These letters were addressed to and published in the columns of The
176 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
Times. Attracting some attention, the author of the articles was sought and found by Walter, and an en gagement was concluded between them, which first introduced Barnes as a reporter into the Parlia mentary galleries, and subsequently placed him in the editorial chair of a powerful daily Paper.
It was during his editorship, and Walter's manage ment, that the Paper gained its great circulation. Many eminent men became contributors, but their names never appeared. When they wrote for the Paper their voices became its voice, and their talents swelled the fame of The Times. Perhaps a dozen well paid men were at one time in the receipt of hand some stipends on the Journal, and when any one was " written out," he made way for another. Printing
House Square has " used up many a crack writer;" but it is said that none of them ever complained of want of liberality on the part of the man in whose aid they had lent a pen. One of these was a Captain Stirling, who was considered the author of many of the clever, reckless, torrent-like leaders that gained the Paper its
of The Thunderer. He seemed to write
cognomen
exactly to the temper of the English public of his day. He lived at Brompton ; had a stipend, it is stated, of nearly £2,000 a-year ; and when he did visit the office, which was seldom, it is said great secrecy was observed ; and it seems that Walter was fond of pre
serving a degree of mystery as to the authorship of what appeared in thePaper. Stirling is declared to have been a man rather deficient in information of most kinds. When he was to write, it was necessary to cram him with the facts and points, but when he had
BARNES AND LORD BROUGHAM. 177
once got them, he clothed his case so admirably in its garment of words, that all the world—except those he hit at—were charmed. Barnes is said to have written very few leaders, but of course this is a point not known; certain it is he had the credit of very many, and now and then was threatened by wrathful politicians who had felt the weight of a severe leader. It is said that more than one minister had sought to fix a personal quarrel upon him ; but, unlike some of his brother journalists, we have no record of any hostile meeting. Lord Brougham, who has figured in so many characters, had also the credit of an occa sional leader. A Newspaper tradition says, that Barnes went one day to Brougham, then Chancellor, and, wait
ing for him in his private room at the court, took up The Morning Chronicle, in which there was that morning a denunciation of an article Brougham had the day before written in The Times. Barnes sus pected the authorship from the style, and when the legal dignitary left the judgment-seat to speak"to the editor, the latter saluted the Chancellor with Well, this is almost too bad to demolish yourself in this way ! " Brougham was taken aback. Barnes saw at once that the random guess was a hit, pursued his advantage, followed up the attack, and Brougham admitted that he was the writer of the reply to his own onslaught.
Though Barnes wrote very few leaders* he had the
* Barnes wrote other things besides political " leaders. " A con tributor to the New Monthly Magazine says :—" While I was part proprietor of The Champion weekly Newspaper, Barnes was engaged to write a series of critical essays on our leading poets and novelists, which he did under the appropriate signature of ' Strada,' with whose ' Prolusiones' the scholastic reader will not be unfamiliar. The series
VOL. II. M
178 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
power to shape the contributions of others, so as to avoid the strong contradictions that sometimes after his death appeared in the columns of The Times. Probably his successor had not the power to touch the copy of certain writers. Hence much disrepute.
A life of incessant labour was unhappily closed by a death of pain. After long suffering from an attack of stone, Barnes resolved to submit to an operation ; which, though performed most skilfully by Liston,
embraced most of the eminent bards, living and dead, from Campbell and Rogers, back to Milton, Shakspeare, and Spenser ; but of the novelists the list was scanty, beginning and ending, if I mistake not, with Mrs. Opie and Miss Edgeworth. These Papers displayed great acumen, as well as a delicate taste ; and though the writer, entertain ing a very decided opinion as to the merits of the different authors, expressed them with a correspondent frankness, his unfavourable verdicts were free from the rude dogmatism and scurrility that dis graced his angry ebullitions when he became 'the thunderer. ' As these papers excited a great deal of attention, and were deemed highly advantageous to the Paper, it became a matter of importance to secure their regular appearance, an object not easily attained with a writer whose habits were rarely temperate, and never methodical. After several complaints of his irregularity, he himself suggested a scheme by which he might be guaranteed against future disappointment ; and it proved successful, though it did not, at first, present a very promis ing appearance. Writing materials were placed upon a table by his bed-side, together with some volumes of the author whom he was to review, for the purpose of quotations, for he was already fully imbued
with the characteristics, and conversant with the works of all our great writers. At his customary hour he retired to rest, sober or not, as the case might be, leaving orders to be called at four o'clock in the morning, whon ho aroso with a bright, clear, and vigorous intellect, and, imme diately applying himself to his task, achieved it with a completeness and rapidity that few could equal, and which none, perhaps, could have surpassed. Be it recorded, to his infinite praise, that in later life he must have totally conquered all the bad habits to which I have alluded, for perhaps there is no human occupation which requires more incessant industry and rigorous temperance than that of theeditorof The Times. "
THE FIRST PARLIAMENTARY " SUMMARY. " 179
gave a shock to his system, worn down by mental work and bodily pain, which it never recovered. His death occurred on the 7th of May, 1841, in his 56th year, and his remains rest in the cemetery at Kensall Green.
We have spoken only of Mr. Walter the journalist, of Mr. Walter the Member of Parliament, we have, in this volume, little to say. The fact, however, must not pass unnamed that he sat in the House of Com mons for many years, and that his last appearance there was in the session of 1843. He had earned distinction and wealth, and closed a long and active life on the 28th of July, 1 847*
When the reports of the Parliamentary debates in the daily Papers had swelled to such unwieldy length, that few found leisure to read them through, an ingenious plan was adopted. A summary was written by a gentleman who sat through the whole debate ; and this, being printed in large type as the first leading article, gave those who had no relish or time to read long columns of debates, a complete
* The following paragraph " went the round" of the Newspapers :— " The will of the late John Walter, Esq. , of Bearwood Hall, Berks,
and Printing-house Square, London, was executed by him on the 19th of Feb. , 1847, and he died on the 28th of July. He has devised to his son, John Walter, Esq. , M. P. for Nottingham, the entire freehold premises and warehouses belonging to the establishment of The Times, in Printing-house Square, and leaves him all his interest in the business. The freehold and copyhold estates which he possessed in the counties of Berks and Wilts, together with the right of presentation to St. Catharine's Church, Bearwood, he leaves to the trustees under the terms of the settlement on the marriage of his said son. The residue of his real and personal estate to his wife, Mrs. Mary Walter, for her own absolute use, and has appointed her sole executrix. The personality was valued for probate duty at £90,000. "
M2
180 THE FOURTH ESTATE.
idea of all the points that had arisen during the previous night's discussion, with the names of the chief speakers and the positions they took up. The first person who wrote these articles for The Times was Horace Twiss, afterwards the biographer of Lord
Eldon. Twiss was a clever barrister, who, towards the close of the rotten borough system, joined the
Tory camp, and spoke and wrote, cleverly and most diligently, in favour of the cause he had espoused. Had he lived thirty years earlier he might have reached the House of Lords, through one of the many avenues open to legal talent. The ultra party whom he had joined, were, however, left behind by the advancing tide of public opinion, and Twiss zealously and honourably worked on in an equally useful, if less
He satin the House of Commons for some years before the Reform Bill passed; but, after that measure had become law, he was only once more
elected, though he stood several contests. Out of Par liament, as a member, he took his seat as a representa
tive of the press, and certainly instructed and gratified the public much more by his summaries in The Times than he could have done had he sat for all the boroughs heevercontested. * Twissdied on the 25th ofApril, 1848.
* A biographic sketch, which appeared in The Morning Chronicle immediately after his death, states that Twiss was the son of " a highly accomplished and learned person. His mother was a sister of John Philip Kemble and Mrs. Siddons, and was every way qualified to do honour to her gifted family. Mr. Twiss, after receiving an excellent education, was placed for two or three years in an attorney's office, and then became a member of the Inner Temple, and in due time was called to the bar. He travelled the Oxford circuit for some years, and became one of its most distinguished leaders; but during
distinguished sphere.
THE GREAT CONTINENTAL FRAUD. 181
With one other incident in the history of The Times, we may close this notice of that Journal. It is now about ten years ago that the then Paris cor respondent of the Paper, Mr. O'Eeilly, received secret information of an enormous fraud that was said to be in course of perpetration on the Continent. The
the latter period of his professional career, he attached himself ex clusively to the Equity Courts. No one can doubt that his legal abilities and knowledge very far exceeded those of many of his competitors, who have obtained forensic, or even judicial eminence. But his chances of success were materially lessened by his social, literary, and political celebrity ; for the world are slow to believe that any man can be first-rate in more than one walk at a time. Mr, Twiss's Vers de Societe, and other light compositions, were sufficiently popular in their day to earn their author a place among the wits. But his chosen field of ambition was the House of Commons. At the conclusion of his first speech on Catholic Emancipation, the Duke of Norfolk, who had been seated under the gallery, requested to be introduced to him, and thanked him in the warmest and most flattering terms for his advocacy ; and the late Lord Londonderry, an excellent judge, shook him cordially by the hand, and said, ' Tou may speak as often as you like now, for the House are sure to listen to you. ' His speech on the bill for allow ing counsel to address the jury for the defence in cases of felony was another highly successful effort ; and a speech in the Court of Chancery is generally understood to have led, by the powers of arrangement and reasoning displayed in to his appointment as Under-Secretary for the Colonies, on the formation of the Duke of Wellington's administration in 1828. But Mr. Twiss's Parliamentary career was interrupted by the Reform Bill. Wootton Basset, the borough which he had repre sented for many years, was placed in Schedule and although he subsequently succeeded in getting returned for Bridport during one Parliament, he found impossible to establish durable hold on the constituency. Nor was he more fortunate at Nottingham, Bury, and two or three other places at which he subsequently became candidate. His energies, however, were inexhaustible. Aide toi et Dim aidera, was his motto. His fortune was limited he had large family to provide for and finding his forensic gains inadequate, he devoted his talents to the press.