a newspaper containing an account of such transactions and events, whether of a public or private nature, as are deemed important and interesting. The word is said to be derived from gazetta, the name of a Venetian coin, which was the price of the first newspaper printed at Venice, and came to be applied to the newspaper itself.

The London Gazette was first printed at Oxford in 1665 by the university printer, and the first twenty-three numbers were called The Oxford Gazette. These numbers were reprinted in London, and the publication was then continued in the metropolis. The London Gazette was originally published twice a-week, and comprised two pages of small folio, containing scraps of foreign intelligence, shipping news, appointments of sheriffs, circuits of the judges, orders in council, notices of non-payment of duties, and such like. At the end of two years a few advertisements crept in of goods lost, run-away servants, offenders, and then of lotteries of books, books for sale, and books published, and later the puffs of quack medicines. For the first twenty years the publication continued with little change in matter or form; but in the beginning of the eighteenth century we find extra numbers, the origin of the "Gazette extraordinary," published on the arrival of mails from Holland, and the gazettes extended in size to contain in extenso the despatches from our military and naval officers.

The original use of the gazette is continued to this day. It is the means by which the government formally promulgates all state intelligence, all matters of public interest affecting the royal family, orders in council, proclamations, addresses to the throne, offers of pardon, and military despatches. In it the ecclesiastical, civil, and military appointments are also published, or as it is called "gazetted;" but this does not appear to be governed by any uniform rule, for the appointment of a judge of the superior courts is not gazetted, while the mere nomination of a country solicitor to administer an oath, or to do some other formal act, does not fail to be fully recorded.

The gazette, which so long filled only two pages, now usually extends to thirty or forty. This great addition of space chiefly arises from the number of notices connected with trade and commerce, and required by enactments passed from time to time rendering insertion in the London Gazette a legal formality. All flats, meetings of creditors, dividends, and certificates are inserted under the bankruptcy law, and under the insolvency law all declarations of insolvency, and applications for protection to the insolvency court; dissolutions of partnership, returns of the prices of corn, sugar, &c. are also gazetted. Further insertion is required of notices and decrees of the courts of chancery and exchequer, legal notices of sales under orders of the law courts, notices to the heirs of deceased persons, of the meetings of public companies, &c.

The office of gazette writer was formerly an appointment of some importance, but it has recently been placed upon an altered footing, and an officer who is jointly "editor, manager, and publisher," is now solely responsible for the conduct of the publication. He is appointed by the home and foreign secretaries alternately.

In 1831 the receipts for advertising notices and sale of gazettes was £15,083, and the cost of publishing £7807, the balance or profit being divided between the home office and the foreign office, and applied towards the expenses of those departments. In 1848 the receipts were £17,182, and the expenses £6195, the balance being divided as already described. But from this year a new arrangement commenced, and the receipts were paid into the exchequer to the public account, and the expenses defrayed by an annual parliamentary grant. The advertisements are paid for on a fixed scale; and the charge to the public for the gazette is—not exceeding four pages 4d., for every additional eight pages 8d., for thirty-two or more pages 2s. 8d. The gazette is subjected to the same postal regulations as an ordinary newspaper.

A gazette, called the Edinburgh Gazette, is published in Edinburgh upon precisely the same principles as the London Gazette. In 1853 it was proposed to combine these two publications, to prevent the necessity of inserting certain notices and advertisements in both, and a bill was introduced in the House of Commons to effect this, but was not proceeded with. Up to 1848 the profits of the Edinburgh Gazette were in the hands of private persons. Since then, by an arrangement with these interests, the proceeds have been paid into the exchequer, by which the charge is now borne. In 1849 the receipts of the publication were £3190, and the expenses £1325.

At Dublin a similar publication—the Dublin Gazette—exists. It does not appear that the receipts of this publication have been sufficient to cover the expenses. In 1849 they were £1256, and the outlay £1519.

Government publish also twice a-week a Police Gazette, under the superintendence of the chief police magistrate (Bow Street Court). This publication contains information upon aggravated offences, stolen property, escaped thieves and suspected persons, and lists of deserters from the army, navy, and militia. It is circulated gratuitously to the police, and passed free of postage. It may be purchased at 1d. per number.