DECLINE OF TORYISM INDICATED BY THE NEWSPAPER RETURNS.

THE state of the Newspaper circulation-the rise or fall in the sale of journals of opposite politics-is supposed, and with reason, to be an index of the state of public feeling. The last return of the Stamps issued to the London Press was appealed to by both parties as proof of the popularity of their polities. With the aid of the renegade Times, the Tories were enabled to exhibit the

largest sale of Daily papers for the half-year ending June 3011. 1835, to which date the returns extended. But it was proved cm the other side, that this was a decreasing majority, whilst the Reforming papers were extending their circulation. It also ap- peared that the Reforming Weekly journals had a very large ma- jority over those which advocated Tot•y opinions. Another return

has just appeared, which supplies the number of Stamps issued month by month to the London and Country newspapers fiefs.' the 30th of June to the 30th of April last inclusive. This document enables us to compare the sales of 1835 with those of 1834, be- sides furnishing four months' data for estimating the numbers which may be disposed of in 1836. We suspect that the results will not be very satisfactory to those who boast of the reaction in favour of Toryism during the last sixteen months.

We find that the sale of The Times and Evening Mail, in 1834, was 3.365,499 In 1835 2,644,994 Decrease 720,505 Morning Herald and English Chronicle, in 1834... 2.612,007 In 1835... 2,249,005 Decrease 363,002 Morning Post, in 1834 727,000 In 1835 688,000 Decrease 39,000 Decrease in the Times... ........ 720.505 Morning Herald 363.002 Morning Post 39,000 Total Decrease 1,122,507 The Albion and Star (now discontinued) sold, in 1834 201,000 In 1835 261,000 Increase ...... 60,000 The Standard, St. James's Chronicle, and two other papers, in 1834 were 1,457,368 In 183.5 1,689.500 Increase 232,132 Decrease on Tory papers 1,122,507 Increase on Tory papers 292,132 Net Decrease 830.375 So the Tory Daily press is dscidedly on the decline, in the com- parison of 1834 with 1835.

But it may be said that these journals are regaining their lost ground, in consequence of the pubic indignation against °Con- tuses. and the populurfursre in favour of the assailed Church of Ireland I Let us see how far this notion is borne out by the re- turns for the first four months of the present year; remembering that the sale of Daily newspapers is fully as great during that period (Farliameut being sitting) as in any other section of the

year.. The number oi-iitamps issued to the Times, in January, February, March, and April, was ...... 843,000 Multiply this number by 3, in order to get at the year's consumption of stamps, supposing that the first four months afford a fair average; and we have 2,529,000,-instead of 2,644,994, the sale of last year,-or a diminution of 115,994 The sale of the Morning Herald during the first four months, was 697,000; which, multiplied by 3, gives 2,091,000, or a diminution of 158,000 The sale of the Morning Post during tbe same period, was 223,000; which multiplied by 3, gives 669,000, or a diminution of 19,000 Estimated decrease on Times, Herald, and Post, in 1836 292,994 The Standard again comes in to the relief of the Tory journals; but this time is not of much ser- vice. In 1835, the sale of the Standard was 1,689.500; in the first four months of 1836, 578,000; which multiplied by 3, gives 1,734,000, or a trifling increase of .. 44.500 248,494 So that, supposing the sale for the whole year to be fairly cal- culated on that of the four first months, the Tory journals will pre- sent a further decline in 1836, as compared with 1835, of 248,494. Now let us turn to the other side, and mark the progress or de- cline of the Liberal newspapers. The sale of the Morning Chronicle, for the first half-year of 1834, is not distinguished from that of the Observer, and other journals published at

the same office ; but in the last half-year of 1834,

it was 324,500: if we double this number for the whole year, we shall get for the sale of the Morn- ing Chronicle, in 1834 649,000 In 1835, the sale of the Chronicle was 1,958,000 Increase 1,309,000 The Morning Advertiser, in 1834 1,164,800 In 1835 1,320,000 Increase 156,200 The Sun, in 1834 ... 580,00 In 1835 768,800 Increase 188.800 Increase on the Chronicle 1,309.000 Advertiser 156,200 Sun 188,800 Total increase on the Liberal papers in 1835, over 1834 1,654,000

There has been a decline on the Globe of 100,500

Courier 97.500 True Sun 179,000 377,000 Total Increase 1,654.000 Total Decrease 377,000 Net Increase 1,277,000

It thus appears, that while 830,000 fewer Tory Daily papers have been sold in 1835 than in 1834, the number of Liberal papers has been augmented 1,277,000-more than a million and a quarter; and this in spite of the ratting of the mighty Times to the opposite side.

Calculating the sale for the year 1836 on the data furnished by the first four months, the result is not so favourable to the Liberal journals : There would be a gain on the Morning Chronicle of 40,000 Morning Advertiser 90,000 130.000 But on the Evening papers there would be a loss of 168,000 Leaving a balance of loss 38,000 But here, again, we must remember, that in this view of the matter, the Tory loss would be no less than 248,494 From which deduct the Liberal loss 38,000 And there still remains an Anti-Tory balance of 210,494 So much for the Daily. There is nothing very striking one way or the other as regards the Weekly newspapers ; but the advantage is on the Liberal side.

In 1834. In 1835.

The stamps issued to the Age, were...... 585,750 510,500

Bell's Weekly Messenger 612,000 636,000 John Bull 264,732 240,590 Old England 107,800 196,000 Record 262,100 255,000 1,832,382 1,838,090 • 1,832,382 Tory gain in 1835. 5,708 Tory gain in 1835 5,708 Atlas 130,000. . . 115,000 Bell's New Weekly Messenger. 257,975 . . . 273,000 Christian Advocate 77.914 . . . 89,300 County Chronicle 130,000 . . . 125.000 Examiner 176,859 . . . 178,250 News 94,500. . . 110,750 Patriot 130,000. . . 133,500 Sunday Times 385,000. . . 375.000 Spectator' 101,000 . . . 123,000 Satirist 293,538, . . 293.500 Weekly Dispatch 1,434,158 . . . 1,532,000 -- 3,210,944 3,348.300 3,210,944 Liberal gain on the Weekly press . 137,356 Deduct Tory gain 5,708 Net Liberal gain 131,648 The Observer is not put down in the above list, because in the first half of 1834 the stamps used by that paper were mixed up with those put down to the Chronicle.

There is yet another mode of looking at this account. By re- ference to the foregoing statements it will be seen, that the num- ber of stamps issued to the

Tory Daily press in 1835, was 7,331,499 Add Public Ledger, which was only commenced in 183.5 , 134.500 Tory Weekly press 1,838,090 9,304,089 10,107.225 Surplus of theLiberal press of London 803,136

It should also be mentioned as a set-off against the majority of Daily papers sold by the Tolies, that each subscriber takes six copies; which would reduce the number of primary readers to 1,244,333; but this rule does not of course apply to the Weekly papers, in which the Liberals have a majority of 4,271,925 to 1,838,090. The secondary circulation of a Weekly paper is at least equal to that of a Daily paper, and we suspect greater. Thus, in whatever way we look at this newspaper muster, the result is unfavourable to the assertion that Tory principles are becoming more popular : the reverse appears from the sale of the Metropolitan journals. We may perhaps take an opportunity of analyzing the account of the Provincial newspaper circulation ; but in the mean while, we must remark that perfect accuracy will not be attainable in that account any more than in the one which we have been just examining; in consequence or the practice of charging stamps used for different papers at the same office under one head, t but more especially in consequence of the frauds prac- tised by certain London newspaper ploprietors, who in order to snake a great display of the extent of their circulation at the head of their journals, purchase stamps fur Country papers, and add the stamps so procured to those which they actually consume. The Country returns prove this very distinctly. For instance— the Liverpool Mercury, an old established paper of large circula- tion, appears to have an extremely limited sale. What London .newspaper proprietor or agent takes out stamps for the Liverpool Mercury There is only one mode of preventing such frauds as these—the mode advocated by the Morning Chronicle. let each paper have its name on the stamps which are purchased for it : only cheats can object to this regulation.

• Our readers will perhaps be well pleased to see that the increase in the Spectakr's circulation exceeds that of any other paper in this list except the Dispatch. -I- For iostauce, who can tea the real circulation of the Standard from the returns? If the Sf. James's Chrurdcle—a long-established paper, and a great Invourite in the country, especially among the parsms—atal which is published three tintes a week, sells 12,000 weekly, and the other two papers published at I he Sarni' (APP. 3.000 weekly. the numbers affixed to the S'aertarri should be 909,500 instead of 1,6719,500.

915,000 768 800 464.500 . 409,500 — 2,557,300 -- 5,835,300 Liberal Weekly press, as by the fore-

going statement 3,348,300 Add Observer and Bell's Life in Lon- don, omitted in the previous esti- mate because the sale of 1834 was

mixed up with that'of the Chronicle 923.625 Liberal Morning papers . . • . 3,278,000 Liberal Evening— Globe Sun Courier True Sun • •