Robinson has described in his Diary the manner in which he
became connected with the foreign correspondence. "In January,
1807," he says, "I received, through my friend J.D. Collier, a
proposal from Mr. Walter that I should take up my residence at
Altona, and become The Times correspondent. I was to receive
from the editor of the 'Hamburger Correspondenten' all the public
documents at his disposal, and was to have the benefit also of a
mass of information, of which the restraints of the German Press
did not permit him to avail himself. The honorarium I was to
receive was ample with my habits of life. I gladly accepted the
offer, and never repented having done so. My acquaintance with
Mr. Walter ripened into friendship, and lasted as long as he
lived."[1]
Mr. Robinson was forced to leave Germany by the Battle of
Friedland and the Treaty of Tilsit, which resulted in the naval
coalition against England. Returning to London, he became
foreign editor of The Times until the following year, when he
proceeded to Spain as foreign correspondent. Mr. Walter had also
an agent in the track of the army in the unfortunate Walcheren
expedition; and The Times announced the capitulation of Flushing
forty-eight hours before the news had arrived by any other
channel. By this prompt method of communicating public
intelligence, the practice, which had previously existed, of
systematically retarding the publication of foreign news by
officials at the General Post Office, who made gain by selling
them to the Lombard Street brokers, was effectually extinguished.
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