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Comparison of Newspapers.

We have given occasionally, heretofore, statistics in relation to newspapers published in the United States. Amongst the more recent items of this description which have come to hand, is an account of the receipts for advertisements of several leading Western journals. For the year ending June 30, 1866, there was returned by the Internal Revenue, officers, upon which a tax of 3 per cent. was paid to the Government, the following sums received for advertisements from the journals named: 
Chicago Tribune .........$217,551
Missouri Republican ..... 212,702
Cincinnati Commercial ... 179,580
St. Louis Democrat ...... 165,061
Cincinnati Gazelle ...... 138,786

These are all journals published in States where it does not cost as much for paper, composition, labor, etc., as in California. While composition in St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati is but 40 cents per thousand ems, the cost in San Francisco is 75 cents. And nearly every other item which goes to make up the expenses of a paper in California is at least one-third more than in the cities named. The cost of publishing the Bulletin is about $150,000 per annum. According to this statement the advertisements alone in either one of the four Western journals noticed would pay the entire expense of issuing this paper, and leave a surplus profit, saying nothing of the circulation, daily and weekly, which amounts to a large sum. The statement here published shows the wonderful strength of the five journals named, which has scarcely a parallel even in the largest cities of the Union. 

In California there are four journals which may be considered as having gained a substantial footing. These are the Bulletin, Alta California, Sacramento Union and the Morning Call. 

The amount of advertisements for which the Government received a tax stands, for the year ending the 30th June, 1866, (the same as that for the journals before given.) as follows:

Bulletin ............$88,140 50
Alta California ..... 78,370 00
Sacramento Union .... 40,253 85
Morning Call ........ 63,697 30

Of the other journals published in this city, the Flag paid a tax upon $23,743; and the Examiner, for 9 months, on $6,926 86. 

We have heretofore stated that the publication of the Bulletin costs $12,000 per month, and over, or about, $150,000 per annum. As large as is our circulation, being at least one-third more than any high-priced paper in the State, the entire circulation, that is, all the money received from subscriptions, sales of papers, etc., does not nearly pay the expenses of publication. In other words, the disbursements which we are required to make exceed every source of income except that for advertisements, and a considerable portion of this last item even is absorbed in expenses. Papers furnished to readers are, therefore, in part paid for by advertisements; each number sold actually costing more money than we receive for it from the purchaser. 

Failures of Justice. 

The foundation principle on which the system of trial by jury rests is the honesty, uprightness and intelligence of jurymen. The Constitution presumes that the citizens of the United States, in the average, are so virtuous and judicious that any twelve of them, drawn indiscriminately, may be installed as supreme arbitrators of all matters of fact and credibility. In practice it has been found that the great majority may be safely trusted to decide any questions affecting the property, character and liberties of their fellow-countrymen. Unfortunately, however, there is in all communities a small minority who are either so deficient in sagacity or so wanting in integrity that their occasional presence in a jury box brings the institution into discredit. 

The impanelling of one dishonest juror may do as much injury to a plaintiff or defendant in the courts of the most enlightened republic, as he could suffer from the cupidity or cruelty of the most barbarous tyrant that ever ruled. Men may form different opinions of a subject; they may draw different deductions from a statement; they may accept or reject any or all the testimony, and if they are actuated by pure motives and have a conscientious regard for the sanctity of their oaths, they are not amenable to criticism. If, to the best of their ability they well and truly try a cause according to the testimony, even though we might think them mistaken in their finding, their verdict is entitled to respect and should ordinarily meet with acquiescence. But if, as we are informed was the case not long ago in Judge Hoffman's court, a juryman tells his fellows, with an oath, that he does not care for the evidence, that all the testimony in the world would not induce him to join in such a verdict as they considered would be just, that man is guilty of the double crime of dishonesty and perjury, and it is the interest of society, if he and those like him cannot be excluded from the panel for the future, that their power of evil should be neutralized as far as possible. 

In a case tried a few days ago in a district Court the verdict was so contrary to the evidence, and so incompatible by any reasonable hypothesis with common sense and justice, as to to attract the attention of the officials of the Court and of many of our cotemporaries. A person sued another for damages sustained by the loss of some property entrusted to him as a common carrier. The value of the property was definitely sworn to and the fact of its loss admitted. The jury awarded one-eighth of the sum, thus acknowledging the liability of the defendant. The defense did not dispute the value of the goods lost, but rested their case on the allegation that the complainant was a consenting party to the particular disposition of the property which led to its destruction. After giving a verdict which sustained the charge of wilful negligence and ignored the defense, but yet denied any practical redress, eleven of the jurors apologized to the complainant for the absurdity and injustice of their finding, on the ground that but for 
the perversity and obstinacy of one man they would have given damages approximating the amount asked for. In this case, it was said, the obstinate juror was interested in the same line of business as the defendant, and refused to listen to the reasons or to talk over the evidence of the witnesses with his brother jurors. 

We are aware that these failures of justice are few in number when compared with righteous decisions, but one such finding makes more impression on the public mind than a dozen honest verdicts. And it behooves the lawyers and officers of the Court to mark such men and exclude them from all participation in the administration of justice for the future. If they cannot be punished by law, let them bear the obloquy of being purposely debarred from the discharge of one of the most honorable duties which the citizen of a free country can ever be called upon to perform. 


Arrival of H. B. M. Steamer "Scout." - 
H. B. M. steamer Scout, 4 1/2 days from Victoria, arrived here October 16th. She has a crew of 275 men, 25 guns, and is 1462 tons burthen. Immediately on her arrival she proceeded to Mare Island. Following is a list of her officers: 

Captain, A. P. Price; 1st Lieutenant, E. Jermain; 2d Lieutenant, William E. Fitzgerald; 3d Lieutenant, P. Aldrich; Sub-Lietenant, Nelson Byrne; Paymaster, E. R. Myall; Chief Engineer, F. Bully; Surgeon, James Sproule; Assistant Surgeon, William Carmichael; Lieutenant of Marines, W. H. V. Tom; Master, Frederick Townsend; Assistant-Master, Jas. Douglass; Assistant Paymaster, C. Lanarge; Paymaster's Clerks, W. C. S. Hyne and J. F. Hill; Chaplain, Rev. A. Buckley; Engineers, T. Catchpole, C. A. Dewar, T. McFarland, W. H. Fitzgerald; Midshipmen, H. W. Savile, A. H. Coker, E. H Genn, R. H. Bailey, E. Bogue, J. N. Hunt.