The Glasgow Argus was a Scottish newspaper, published biweekly from 1833 to 1847. It took a reforming editorial line, supporting abolitionism and opposing the Corn Laws.[1] The Argus was perceived as the paper of the supporters of the Glasgow merchant and politician James Oswald.[2]
History
The Glasgow Argus was inaugurated at a meeting on 4 February 1833, chaired by Colin Dunlop of Tollcross, Charles Tennant, George Crawfurd and James Lumsden.[3] At this meeting, it was agreed that the business would be floated on the joint-stock principle. Two hundred shares were issued at a value of £20 each. Shareholders were only permitted to hold a maximum of ten shares.[3]
Initially, the journal was printed by Robert and James Hedderwick, but in 1833, a printing department was created, ostensibly to save money.[3]
The first editor, William Weir, not only made the Argus the recognised organ of the "Clique", as Oswald's Whig and Liberal supporters were known, but pursued a radical editorial line of his own.[4][3] Eventually in 1839 he was sacked for his radical stance on free trade, incompatible with the Whig views of the proprietors; Weir wished Whig parliamentary candidates to pledge immediate repeal of the Corn Laws.[5][6] Weir had also upset the shareholders of the paper by printing material critical of leading Whigs including the Lord Advocate, Andrew Rutherfurd.[7]
At the time of the 1847 United Kingdom general election, Charles Mackay disagreed with the paper's management on the choice of local Liberal candidate, and left the position of editor.[8] Although the newspaper had been recently enlarged, it was still making a loss and it was decided to wind it up on 29 November 1847.[7]
Editors
- 1833–1839 William Weir,[5] an Edinburgh advocate. He took a salary of £250 with 20% of the profits. He resigned in 1839 having been perceived as being too radical. He went on to be editor of the Daily News in London.[3]
- 1839–1840 Thornton Leigh Hunt[9]
- 1840–1844 William Lang[10][3]
- 1844–1847 Charles Mackay[11]
References
- William Lloyd Garrison. The letters of William Lloyd Garrison: No union with slaveholders, 1841–1849. III Harvard University Press, 1973^
- Tait's Edinburgh Magazine W. Tait, 1836^
- Kenneth J Cameron. Finance, politics and editorial independence in the early Victorian provincial press: the case of the Glasgow Argus, 1833–47 Publishing History, 1979^