of London and the House of Commons, " with a few occasional interruptions, the newspapers were (thereafter ] allowed to publish parliamentary debates.” The victory thus became “ the most
conspicuous incident in the history of the freedom of the Press.” 27 The gradual change came with the slowly developing changes in the organization of the British government until the theory that the representatives of the Fourth Estate are also the representa tives of the other estates had been built into the new Houses of Parliament in the provisions made for reporters' galleries . But it
is still theoretically possible for any member to “ espy strangers ” therein and by vote of the House to clear the galleries. The gulf between toleration and cordial welcome is wide and
deep . William Jerdan describes the difficulties of parliamentary reporting when the work was ill organized, there were no conven
iences, no telegraph, no opportunities, but many obstacles and much disfavor.28 Samuel Bamford had other troubles outside of
Parliament and he gives an account of the reporters from several London papers being excluded from an inquest at Oldham because
they persisted in furnishing daily reports to several London jour nals contrary to the coroner's order and therefore a strict super vision was kept over other reporters.29 The provincial press had its own special grievance in that its representatives were barred from the galleries. As late as 1867, Lord Charles Russell, the Sergeant-at-Arms, said he had repeat
edly been urged to allow representatives of the Scotch and Irish to have seats in the gallery, but he had always fought against it .
" I considered ,” he says, “ that the best way to serve the interests of the public in the Reporters' Gallery was to give every accom
modation to the London Press, and to restrict it entirely to the London Press.” 80 Not until 1879 was provision made in the gal leries for the accommodation of representatives of the provincial press , - a welcome change from the difficulties under which they had worked at an earlier time. Thomas Frost has well described these difficulties as well as the secret favors shown the favored 27 The story is told in full in H . Bleackley, Life of John Wilkes, pp. 260 263. 28 Autobiography, I , chap. XI. 29 Passages in the Life of a Radical, II, 201 -212 .
30 M . Macdonagh, The Reporters' Gallery, p . 4
