The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-06 00:00:00

THE LAW OP BLASPHEMOUS LIBEL.

The discussion upon the question of how far the
law of bleaphenions libel le consistent with freedom of
opinion was yesterday evening reituned, at the ordinary
meeting of the Juridical Society, oval. which Dr. Lan
presided.

Mr. PHTNN, Q.C., in the courts of the discussion,
observed that be took • blasphemous ',be] to mean a
denial of the divinity, in fact, the enpreesion of practical
atheism, and it was worthy of oonsideratioe whether it was
dearer* that the perislusent of tt should be retained in the
law of this ocuintry ; and to the next place should the punish-
ment be amended to oars beyond the denial of that belief,
which was comma to every nee of mankind. In Frame eli
indecent end irreverent attacks upon the religion or le;
m of any rot reoegehed by the law wen_ punishable ;
but in the code of Louisiana, as prepared by Mr. Living-
stone, it wee stated that there could be no defamation ere
corporation of religion, or of good morals. These wens the
=deuce. Now, with rasped to denying the orris the re
of ridicule as a weapon, he err no reason far doing Do, es
the truth could never ander from any such attacks ; bat
whatever the new law might be, ha hoped abet no expreseirt
of opinion bona Ado given to elicit fair argument, would OM
be punished as • blegpbessons libel, but that the oars*
should stand on the ern principle es • nuisance, and Imply
nothing don than en open injury inflicted open the common
rights of all.
Mr. STDNLY Sumt argued that • country was bond to
protect the established religion of the State. He thought
the re-action which had eel in ea the oreatien of intolerance
was going too far, and that by and by we should be tolerating
everything.
Mr. Commix, Q.C., earephileed that Mr. Lwls in his
paper, as published in the Solicitors' Journal, argud au V
atheist and infidel were convertible terms. For blmeslf be
would •pply to blasphemous libel the rule laid down by
Starkey in regard to libel in emend, and leave to the jury to
decide whether the publioadon was made bona-fillo or sure-
, _ _

Mr. MONTAOII CE•1111111$1, Q.C., argued that ft would
be en inoonalatenc_y in Oa kw if it permitted the area
and ridicule of the Deity while it guarded the noose sob.
jeot of the realm ler them.
Me. Dewitt, Q,C., as • Christian and • member of the
Church of England. repudiated all State protection. He dill
not dread the attacks of ridicule; on the contrary, hers pam-
pered to encounter them, and say in answer to the scoffer—
" The fool hash said in his heart there is no God." With
regard to protecting the yang sad the *wrest from the
baneful of ecta of keynoter writings, be 12.1 d that to be •
matter of education to be geeeded against by the permit or
even by the mate.
After tome ob.ervallees tees Mr. Rimy the further dig-
er Mon of the qualm we pasheesed to the next night of
meeting. tno keynotinye seemioAd is the weal mom.

CRUEL OUTRAGE DT AN AUSTRIAN SOLIGIN.—a
A Letter of Novemterr 26, from the Mario, appears in the
"At Idireaule. near Ban Benedetto, on the Pe, •
tahernian was securing hi,. smack, which wee In danger of
Doing capsized, when two Auetrian soldiers hailed from the
oppoeim bank. Am the man did not Annear, a seidiee fired at
him with hie rifle. The bullet passed over the flattermast's
bead, end struck In the abdomen a girl, thirteen yams et
age, who was drewieg water near her house." The Arose
mimeo, of Milan, of November 29, relate. the sante feet, we
foliose : Patrons worthy of credit Inform us of a mournful
occurrence, which, they may, took place Last week at
Borgoforte. The Austrian government, which 1:01111M914 the
left bank of the Po, had given orders to the on persons pre-
senting themselves at the opposite bank: and upon the ap-
proach of • man to the right Eaak, the Austrian scary sta-
tioned upon the edge of the left bank Bret upon him. The
Mall was not hit, but a young girl paters near wee mars
tally wounded."
LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OP COMRERCE.--utt the
meeting of tee Liverpool maned held yesterday (Monday) h
nee mated that the first sanest compote of the repel sena.
times of the various cheaters of commerce would be held
London doting the firm wombat the next oration of parliament.
The climate-to are shortly about to meet the Liverpool Law
society to confer with them on the question of Chancery Law
Reform, and to eddrvas a memorial to the Tressary rapids(
th•lr meta minute, Marin to the proposed alto for a new
Poet-oast in Liverpool. A committee was appotated to
take into cossileratioe the qoestion of the new seals et dock
due., end Mr. William Brown wee Mooted a director in plea
of Mr. Albin.

A Win KILLED BY HERHUBBAND.—A lamentable
event occurred daring tbe night of Saturday lest, at Bleeds-
ingly, a village near Reigate. It appaers Mr. Brown, lase-
lord of the Red Lion Inn, and his war h.d frequent quarrels,
the latter btine much addicted to drink. On Saturday MS.
tag she touch =ailed some company in one of the parker%
by going in wbenundm theist:mow of liquor. The nom
lat the houso retiree's II and 12 o'clock, and the
went to bed between 12 and I o'clock, leaving the littebend
and wife alone in the parlour. It would mem probable a
quarrel sprang up between them, the husband kicking his
wife so violet:Hy In the abdomen that she shortly bled ID
death. Mr. tiairgabt, surgeon, Bletchinelri wee sentkr, bat
his aid wee, of coarse, of no avail. Mr. Boagard, suceris-
tendent of police, God•tone, proceeded to Blechlugly, and
apprehended the priaiiiter between 2 and 3 o'clock la the
morning, and wavered him to one of the cells in the pollee.
elation, °Astons. beceaeed was about 31 years of age; pri-
soner it about 40. The unfortunate aroma Yaws Ave
children.

DELIBERATE ATTEMPT AT SUlClDE.—YeednEdly
morning, between six and seven, considerable sensation wen
created to Caroliesestreet, Princeseried, Lambeth is comb
quince of a dreadful attempt at suicide made by Mr. Osage
Gamy, aged 68 yam., who resided ai No. 5 in tilt" 'treats
It appears that the unfortunate man got op shortly after six
o'clock, and went downeteirs into his garden, whoa he deli-
berately drew a brie aerate hie throat, billeting • moat
frightful pal, by witch he nearly severed the windpipe and
carotid eatery. He thee walked into the beck kitchen and
sat down in • chair. On his eon coming downstairs he was
horrified at discovering his &thighs a pool of blood. He was in-
stonily conveyed to St. Thomas's Hospital, where Mr. Thos.
Monroe, the house legman, rendered every seekeence, bat
no hopes are entertaisel of his recovery. No MOM ie
sa fee sakidal
ad
leOtsINO 1110 CiMmS.—A carious blot in the
criminal law, to whkh we pointed awn, ion genie menthe
since, has again keen hit by • country otaihnian. Thiamin.
Thomas Spowago, ham, far some reason not ex plaioed. indulged
Is the snitible eventrici yof wilfully adminietreing large sad
Walton@ dome of casthersdee, a vegetable irritant 1.4.i50n,
a number of the Inmates of Btaffirnwood Hall, war Chaser.
field. Symptoms of irritant poisoning followed : 'amide('
pserodynie, dyrentery, and so forth. Surely these are
palpable inconveniences, not to say injuries. The
legislative body may here their own notions on the sub
jek, but most persons would as limes be struck or cut,
ea beguiled into taking piece, altboulh lis area should
atop *Lott of death. Inl the cow of Hvppossiali, on shich
we lately commented, a large dose of moms oil wee ad-
ministered, tram nsoutrea of revenge, and a long and severe
Mama resulted, inflicting peemenent Wary. Nevertheless,
the law presided no peaalty in either coos. If • man be
tapped es rho shoulder, ha has hie moody by action for
assault ; it be be stabbed, by trW for culling and wound-
ing, with or without deadly Intent; but his stomach
may be ruined for ever; he way be emplaned t / the plea
penal pains of dyspepsia or gsstrodynia; his mucous mom.
beans may be flayed, and all his internal organ+ chemi-
cally end physiologically outraged, and the law will not slip
to to image or to relieve his ',rouge. In the present Mike at
criminal juetite, the most creel and subtle injuries may be
tuff cted with impunity. The cowardly minds who throws
vatiol Into the face of his enemy is justly open to severe pae-
tebesent ; but the very same substance may be administered
internally, sod iodise horribly scathing torture, hut, so that
it doe" not kill, the crime le sot oats of atich the judges can
take asubance. It is an itickni eivable and dengeron•
anomaly ; no time obittld be lost in introducing en net In
remedy Ltdb defect in the minimal law.—The Lofted.
THE LATE FIRE AT CERRAIIIIIIORE.—The Mgrs
qui. of Waterford make that, hoeing devoted much atter
ties ahem kis return home to the ineeetigation of cireum.
stance, antikedesit to, and 'weeding tee burning ,if, his corn
rkka, he is compelled to mole to the piiintul conclusion that
it meat have been the tact of an isoredivry, and offers a
reward of 3001. to anyone who shall, within six calendar
to"orns, ;mos...cute to iwevittion the person or persons cope
were guilty of the crime; and further prondeicg that. for the
person who shall first give such private intirbaiii,u as will
bad to tits discovery of tas perestratens, surt to .Inch evi-
dence as may convict them, he will provide tieet amp's WO`
tartlet, either in thhi country or aoywherc sloe that he or
AN My choose to reside In,