HC Deb 07 May 1822 vol 7 c366
Mr. Hume

said, that during the last session the House had made an order for a return of the number of advertisements from the different public offices inserted in the English newspapers. That return had not yet been made. It appeared, that some of the papers published in London greatly exceeded their contemporaries in circulation. Now, it was evident, that if the intention of government in inserting advertisements in the newspapers was to give publicity to them, that object would be best effected by sending them to those papers which had the most extensive circulation. "The Times" had a greater circulation than any other two papers in England; and yet to it the government did not send one advertisement; whilst in other papers, which published only a few hundreds, they inserted the same advertisements over and over again. He trusted that the same system would not be introduced here which had grown up in Ireland, where some newspapers had been set on foot solely with the view of making profit by the government advertisements. Government advertisements had been inserted in some favoured Irish papers, two years and seven months after the transactions to which they related had been settled. It was shameful that government should use the public press in this manner. He had the authority of ministers themselves for stating that they refused to give the public the benefit which they would derive from having their advertisements inserted in "The Times" and one or two other papers. He concluded by moving, for the renewal of the order of last session, for a return of the amount of all sums paid to different English newspapers, for advertisements of all descriptions, from public offices.—Ordered.