Reporting
an important branch of journalism; the act, system, or practice of making reports of meetings, debates, or the like. Accounts of single speeches, and at times of entire debates in the English Parliament, having come down to us from a very early period. Sir Symonds d'Ewes edited the "Journals of Queen Elizabeth's Parliaments," and the Commons "Journals" contain notes of speech speeches in the Parliaments of James I.
Rushworth, assistant clerk in the Long Parliament, 1640, took down in a species of shorthand any speech of importance; and his account of "Remarkable Proceedings in Five Parliaments" forms one of the most valuable portions of his "Historical Collections." In the reign of Queen Anne, a monthly pamphlet, called the "Political State," gave an outline of the debates in Parliament. In REPORTING REPOUSSE the reign of George I. the "Historical Houses every night in succession. He Register," published annually, professed thus brought out the night's debate on to give reports of parliamentary the following morning, anticipating his speeches. The "Gentleman's an's Magazine" began a monthly publication of the debates August, 1735. The Commons in 1588, and the Lords in 1698, passed resolutions declaring such publications a breach of privilege and that offenders would be severely punished .
The reports, notwithstanding, still appeared, but under the disguise of "Debates 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 "Gentleman's Magazine," in the composition of his parliamentary debates, and the reports from 1740 to 1743 are held to have been entirely prepared by him. It was not till 30 years later that the parliamentary 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 threat 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 controversy. The city of London loudly protested against the 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 out 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 rivals by 10 or 12 hours. The improvement 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 , detailed, and ac- Increased facilities curate character. 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 Gallery except those which were common to the public generally. Among the professional parliamentary reporters of this period Charles Dickens was conspicuous. He was at work for the " Morning Chronicle" in 1834, and was one of the best reporters of his time .
The system of parliamentary reporting underwent a change of great importance about 1847, when the electric telegraph was brought into general use by companies formed to work it. They proposed to supply papers out of London with London news, and a report of parliamentary debates was part of the news thus supplied. In order to get this report the telegraph company obtained admission to the gallery for its reporters, and thus broke the monopoly which 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 stenography as well as in that of mere literary composition. Further than this, in some of the large cities the reporter must also be an operator on a typewriting machine, in publish their proceedings, and slept, not-order that his "copy" may go to the withstanding, secure in their beds. In a short time the House of Lords also conceded the point, and the victory was com.. plete; though it is still in the power of any member, ember, who may call the Speaker's attention to the fact that "strangers are present," to exclude the public and reporters from the House .
The old machinery of newspaper reporting was susceptible of immense improvement. 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 successor established a corps of parliamentary reporters to attend the debates of both 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. is something almost incredible the uninitiated.
The various press associations of the country are the principal factors in the work of disseminating the results of reportorial work, and greatly facilitate the interchange of intelligence between distant points.
REPOUSSÉ, a term applied to a kind of ornamental metal work, formed in relief 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 of REPOUSSE Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1570), in this branch of art, is the most celebrated.
Common work of this kind, as for tea or coffee pots, is executed in pewter and Britannia metal, and then electrotyped.
This art, as practiced by the silversmith and artist, is almost entirely dependent on the manual dexterity of the operator. The kind of repoussé here suggested depends more on appliances than skill. It is not, however, assumed that any set of devices can be made to serve in lieu of taste and judgment.
To carry out this method, a piece of heavy cotton lace, or heavy openwork fabric, or a piece of a basket may be glued to a block of hard wood to serve as a sort of die for producing the impression in the metal. The fabric or basket work is not only attached to the block by means of glue, but its finer interstices are filled with glue, so as to present a surface resembling the original fabric only in the most general way. When the l fabric glue is perfectly dry and h hard, the die is laid on a solid foundation, and a piece of very thin, soft copper or brass is secured to the block so as to cover the the lace. A piece of cork about one-quarter inch thick and about three inches wide and six or eight inches long is laid over the metal, and struck with a mallet. The cork yields sufficiently to push the metal down on the die, and cause it to take the pattern of the lace or whatever is used in forming the die. A piece of rather hard rubber packing will answer this purpose in nearly all respects as well as the cork. or
Designs may be cut from strong paper or pasteboard and glued to the block, a stencil design may be sawed from hard wood. The lines and scrolls are discontinued in places, so as to cause the wood to hold together. If it is desired to render the lines continuous at these points, they may be run through with a V-tool.
Dots are picked out with a small gouge or with the point of a revolving drill. In all these cases the metal is attached to the block and treated as above.
REPPLIER on which is drawn in outline the sign which is to be produced in relief. The board may be of pine or any closegrained, soft wood for lead work; but for brass or copper, the wood should be hard. To the frame is attached the plate of metal by means of screws. The board is removed from the frame, and the portion of the design which is to form the most prominent feature of the relief is sawed out of the board, when the latter is replaced in the frame , and the metal is forced into the opening of the board by pressing on the surface of the lead oppo, ing it by means of the mallet. As soon site the hole in the board, or by pound. as this feature is complete, the next in order is sawed out of the board, and the operation is repeated till all of the general features are developed. The progtime by removing the board. ress of the work can be observed at any The features may be corrected or modified by working from either side of the plate by means of the convex mallet and the wooden punches and chisels. If a support is desired for any part while the work is progressing, a stout bag filled with sand may be placed under the part. A few very small bags, say 1 inch or 1½ inches in diameter, will be found convenient. If desired, the drapery of the background may be chased by means of hard wood or metal punches, bearing the desired figures.
The relief, if of lead, looks well with an antique finish. This may be secured by rubbing the prominent portions of the relief with fine emery cloth, then going formed of a small roll of cotton cloth over the entire surface with a swab swab being dipped in dilute nitric acid encircled by a coil of copper wire, the before application to the relief.
The copper is dissolved and deposited on the bright right prominent portions, while a dark deposit is made in the hollows, which when dry has a green tinge.
To give the work the appearance of antique iron the surface may be blackened by the application of a solution of Either panels or continuous strips may inent portions may be semi-polished sulphuret of potassium and the prombe embossed in the manner described, and these are to be used in making frames, with by briskly rubbing the entire surface vases, and various ornamental objects. a piece of canvas or Brussels If the metal is too thin for a certain carpet. case, it may be strengthened by flowing soft solder over the back of the plate by means of a soldering iron. As to finish, plate by any of the several well known methods ployed. of oxidizing or lacquering may be employed.
Bas-reliefs may easily be made by a method which is a modification of the one described.
To a wooden frame is fitted a board,