Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/585

REPORTING 499 REPOUSSE the reign of George I. the "Historical Register," published annually, professed to give reports of parliamentary speeches. The "Gentleman's Magazine" began a monthly publication of the de- bates August, 1735. The Commons in 1588, and the Lords in 1698, passed resolutions declaring such publications a breach of privilege and that offenders vi^ould be severely punished. The reports, notwithstanding, still ap- peared, but under the disguise of "De- bates in the Senate of Lilliput," in the "Gentleman's Magazine," and "Debates in the Political Club," in the "London Magazine." Dr. Samuel Johnson was employed by Cave, publisher of the "Gen- tleman's Magazine," in the composition of his parliamentary debates, and the re- ports from 1740 to 1743 are held to have been entirely prepared by him. It was not till 30 years later that the parlia- mentary debates descended from the magazines to the newspapers. The ever-memorable contest between Parliament and the press began at the close of the year 1770. The House of Commons followed up another solemn thi'eat by prompt action; and the Lord Mayor of London and Alderman Oliver were sent to the Tower for refusing to arrest some printers of reports on the warrant of the Speaker, John Wilkes taking an active share in the contro- versy. The city of London loudly pro- tested against the arbitrary proceedings of the House, and the whole country responded to the appeal. The power of Parliament to imprison ceased at the end of the current session, and on the day of prorogation, July 23, the Lord Mayor and Alderman Oliver marched aut of the Tower in triumph, and at night the city was illuminated. In the next session the House of Commons tacitly acknowledged itself beaten. The printers defied the House, continued to publish their proceedings, and slept, not- withstanding, secure in their beds. In a short time the House of Lords also con- ceded the point, and the victory was com- plete; though it is still in the power of any member, who may call the Speaker's attention to the fact that "strangers are present," to exclude the public and re- porters from the House. The old machinery of newspaper re- porting was susceptible of immense im- provement. One of the Woodfalls (a brother of the Woodfall of Junius) had so retentive a memory that when editor of the Morning Chronicle," he used to listen to a debate in the gallery, and write it out next day, the taking of notes being at that time forbidden. His succes- sor established a corps of parliamentarj' reporters to attend the debates of both Houses every night in succession. He thus brought out the night's debate on the following morning, anticipating his rivals by 10 or 12 hours. The improve- ment in the reports of the debates from the period of the American Revolution till the year 1815 was but gradual. At the close of the French war, however, the publication of parliamentary debates became an object of national importance, and in the course of a few years as- sumed its present full, detailed, and ac- curate character. Increased facilities for the discharge of their important and arduous duties were from time to time given to the reporters, who till then had no means of entering the Stranger's Gal- lery except those which were common to the public generally. Among the profes- sional parliamentary reporters of this period Charles Dickens was conspicu- ous. He was at work for the "Morning Chronicle" in 1834, and was one of the best reporters of his time. The system of parliamentary report- ing underwent a change of great impor- tance about 1847, when the electric tele- gn^aph was brought into general use by companies formed to work it. They pro- posed to supply papers out of London with London news, and a report of par- liamentary debates was part of the news thus supplied. In order to get this re- port the telegraph company obtained ad- mission to the gallery for its reporters, and thus broke the monopoly which the London daily newspapers had up to that time enjoyed. The methods of newspaper reporting in the United States have been developed to a degree of the greatest efficiency. It is usual for the reporter to be a proficient in the art of stenogi-aphy as well as in that of mere literary composi- tion. Further than this, in some of the large cities the reporter must also be an operator on a typewrriting machine, in order that his "copy" may go to the compositor in its most legible shape. The rapidity with which reports of speeches, meetings, notable incidents, etc., are furnished to the press is something almost incredible to the uninitiated. The various press associations of the country are the principal factors in the work of disseminating the results of re- portorial work, and greatly facilitate the interchange of intelligence between distant points. REPOUSSE, a term applied to a ki .id of ornamental metal work, formed in re- lief by striking on the metal from behind with a punch or hammer till the required forms are roughly produced in relief on the surface; the work is then finished by the process of chasing. The work o£