NEW JERSEY.

Newspapers were not published in this colony before the declaration of independence.

The New Jersey Gazette,

Was published at Burlington, December 3, 1777. It was printed weekly, on Wednesday, with a good, long primer type, and on a sheet of crown paper, folio. Imprint, "Burlington: Printed by Isaac Collins. All Persons may be supplied with this Gazette for Twenty-Six Shillings per Annum. Advertisements of a moderate Length are inserted for Seven Shillings and Six Pence the first Week, and Two Shillings and Six Pence for every continuance; and long Ones in proportion." This paper was neatly printed, and well conducted. Its publisher, although of the society of Friends, was a firm supporter of the rights of his country; and he carefully avoided publishing any thing which tended to injure the religious, civil, or political interests of his fellow citizens. It was discontinued in 1786.1

1 The New Jersey Journal was printed on a cap sheet by Shepard Kolloch at Chatham, of which No. 71 is dated June 21, 1780.—M.

MAGAZINE, &c.,

PUBLISHED IN NEW JERSEY BEFORE 1775.

New American Magazine.

This work was begun at Woodbridge by James Parker, in January, 1758, and was continued monthly more than two years. Each number contained forty pages, octavo. Although this was a valuable literary work, and but one of the kind was then published in the colonies,' there was not a sufficient number of copies sold to defray the expense of printing, &c. It was, therefore, discontinued, after being published twenty-seven months. Ten years after, a large number of the copies were sold by the printer for waste paper.

The editor was the honorable Samuel Nevil, under the signature of Sylvanus Americanus. Judge Nevil was from England, and had been editor of The London Evening Post. He had received a liberal education, his knowledge was extensive, and his writings commanded considerable attention. He was a judge of the supreme court of New Jersey, speaker of the house of assembly, and mayor of the city of Amboy. He died at Perth Amboy, in November, 1764, aged sixty-seven years.

1 The American Magazine or Monthly Chronicle, printed at Philadelphia; but which was discontinued soon after the appearance of this from the press at Woodbridge.

The Constitutional Courant.

After the American stamp act was passed by the British parliament, and near the time it was to be put in operation, a political paper was privately printed in Woodbridge, which attracted much notice. It was entitled " The Constitutional Courant, containing Matters interesting to Libertybut no wise repugnant to Loyalty." Imprint, "Printed by Andrew Marvel, at the Sign of the Bribe refused, on Constitution-Hill, North America." In the centre of the title was a device of a snake, cut into parts, to represent the colonies. Motto "Join or die." After the title, followed an address to the public from the fictitious printer and publisher, Andrew Marvel. This paper was without date, but was printed in September, 1765. It contained several well written and spirited essays against the obnoxious stamp act, which were so highly colored, that the editors of newspapers in New York, even Holt, declined to publish them. See Appendix L.

A large edition was printed, secretly forwarded to New York, and there sold by hawkers selected for the purpose. It had a rapid sale, and was, I believe, reprinted there, and at Boston. It excited some commotion in New York, and was taken notice of by government. A council was called, and holden at the fort in that city, but as no discovery was made of the author or printer, nothing was done. One of the council demanded of a hawker named Lawrence Sweeney, "where that incendiary paper was printed?" Sweeney, as he had been instructed, answered, " At Peter Hassenclever's iron-works, please your honor." Peter Hassenclever was a wealthy German, well known as the owner of extensive iron works in New Jersey. Afterwards,

other publications of a like kind frequently appeared with an imprint, "Printed at Peter Hassenclever's iron-works."

Only one number of the Constitutional Courant1 was published; a continuance of it was never intended. It was printed by William Goddard, at Parker's printing house in Woodbridge, Goddard having previously obtained Parker's permission occasionally to use his press.

This political paper was handsomely commended in some of the periodical works published in England, after the repeal of the stamp act.

1 1 See Buckingham's Reminiscences, 1, 246. There is a copy of this paper in the University library, at Cambridge.-M.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Before the year 1719, only one newspaper was printed in the British North American colonies. It was published at Boston; and, on the 21st of December, in that year, the second American journal appeared at the same place.1 On the following day the third paper was brought forward in the capital of this province.

PHILADELPHIA.

In 1760, there were only three newspapers published in that city, viz: two in English, and one in the German language. In 1762, two English and two German papers existed; one of the latter was afterwards discontinued; and from that time until the year 1773, only three papers, two English and one German, were printed in Philadelphia. The first newspaper in Pennsylvania was entitled,

No. 1.

The AMERICAN

Weekly Mercury.

TUESDAY, December, 22, 1719.

It was printed on a half sheet of pot. Imprint, "Philadelphia: Printed by Andrew Bradford, and Sold by him and John Copson." May 25, 1721,2 Copson's name was

2

1 The Boston Gazette.

Copson at that time opened the first insurance office in Philadelphia.