The Sun.
London, England, 1833-10-11 00:00:00

LAW OF LIBEL.

THE EFFECT OF THE LAW OF LIBEL IN THIS
LAND OF LIBERTY UNDER A LIBERAL GO.
VERNMENT, AND THE FIRST REFORMED

PARLIAMENT.

A meeting was called of the newstraders resident in
London on Friday, October 4, at the Lyceum Tavern,
Strand, to t'ke into consideration the case of a news.
vender named Warne, now incarcerated in Whitecross-
street prison, at the suit of an attorney, for selling a
Sunday newspaper, which newspaper was said to contai❑
a libel on the said Dicas party.
The meeting, having been hastily called and not suffi-
cient publicity given, was but thinly attended, and no pre-
vious arrangement having been made, some difficulty in
getting a chairman was found. At last Mr. Maggs took
the chair and opened the business by reading the hand-
bill for calling the meeting, and also a letter from Warne,
published in the Dispatch, of Sunday, Sept. 27. The
Chairman was asked if council had been employed to
defend Warne, and if the proprietors of the Sunday Paper
had done any thing to prevent so unfortunate a transaction.
A Gentleman present, who said he was a professional
man, stated that he was in Court, watching the proceed-
ings, but not engaged in the defence, as his name was not
on the record. He begged to inform the meeting that
the defence had cost the proprietors of the Sunday
paper up xards of 401. ; that the counsel for the de-
fendant agreed to a verdict for the plaintiff, with 101. da-
mages. lie was asked if the proprietors of the Sunday
paper bad paid the 10/. ; he said they bad not ;
that the action was brought by Dicas's son for
the sake of costs, and that lie had immediately
sent in an execution for the 10/. damages, and
85/. costs, for which two men were in posses-
sion fourteen days. Finding that the defendant's
goods would not pay the landlord's rent and King's taxes,
he withdrew the execution from the effects, an I took the
defendant's body in execution. This was an illegal pro-
ceeding ; and, as such, the proprietors of the Sunday
Newspaper were going to proceed against the plaintiff
for perjury, he having sworn that no levy had been
made. A gentleman stated he was one of the jury
when the case was tried, and he, as well as bis
fellow jurymen were surprised that the counsel for
defendant should have agreed to a verdict for plaintiff with-
out consulting the jury, as, from what they had heard of
the case, they would not find the defendant guilty. As the
meeting was so small, and as further proceedings were still
pending, the meeting was adjourned till the 22d October,
that a general meeting of the trade might be convened, as
it affected the whole body of the trade, and that a petition
might be presented to Parliament for the alteration of the
law of libel, or whatever a more numerous meeting might
think best to proceed in.

Sir,—l have, since the above meeting, called on
Warne, in Whitecross -street prison, and he has confirmed
the above statement. It must be evident to every one,
that newsvenders can have no interest in, or control over,
the contents of any newspaper; the proprietor, editor,
printer, and publisher are the only persons who ought to
be responsible for the matter therein contained, their
names, with the exception of the editor's (unless he be
also the proprietor, printer, or publisher) being registered,
together with those of sureties at the stamp•offtce, in
case they should offend against the laws. The nature of a
newsvender's business is such that it is impossible
he can kno v the contents of every newspaper that passes
through his hand from the publisher to his customers.
He attends the various offices at an early hour in the
morning, in order to supply what is an almost indispensa-
ble article to the breakfast table. To furnish this luxury
he must quit his bed (in winter before tiny-light) long
before his neighbours are stirring, endure all weathers
for hours, and perform his accustomed round of miles,
before he can sit down to take a hasty mouthfull,
without a chance of reading a single paper ; and wher,
he has supplied his morning customers, he must be
employed in collecting in his bills for his next
day's wants, and when evening comes be must be on
foot to supply his evening customers. Thus six days are
spent; but the seventh, which should be a day of rest, is
to him a day of greater toil than the other six. Can
such be the law i❑ a land of freedom, that men shall be
punished for that in which they have no concern, and of
which they have no knowledge? As this is evidently the case,
the sooner the law is altered the better; and as a meeting
of the trade is about to be called, it is hoped that the
proprietors of the respectable journals, and the public in
general, will come forward to aid the newsvenders in their
endeavour to get rid of such an unjust and oppressive
liability.--I am, Sir, your bumble servant,
Pentunville, Oct. 10, 1833. A NEWS-AGENT.

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS-(THIS DAY•)

Ellen Kay, the wife of William Kay, a shoemaker,
was indicted for great cruelty towards her child, aged four
years.

Mr. BODKIN stated the case.
Peter Lovegrove was a shoemaker, and lived in Nate.
Head-yard, Blenheim-street. The defendant was the
wife of a shoemaker, and lived in the next room to him.
All the rooms opened into a common gallery. On the
24th of September he saw the defendant in that gallery
about two or three o'clock. She had three children, one
of whom, named William, was under four years' el.`"
(The child was here produced.) That child was then it"
Ling under witness's window, and was very quiet. The
t,
defendant kicked it five or six times in the face, and s'e
told him if he dared to cry, and let his father know, 'be
wou!d tear him limb from limb. There were bru'se'l
his face, but whether from tho•.e kicks or not witness
not know. The child's face was never free from bruise?
indeed he was an outcast from the family, was ill-treateot
and kept without food.
To a question by one of the Magistrates, the wito
said that notwithstanding all the ill-usage the child Dever
cried.

The defendant was fuund Guilty.—Judgment deferred'

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY')

FROM LLOYD'S.
DEAL, OCT. 10.—Wind N.E., fresh.—Arrived so
sailed for the river the Dunvegan Cade, Duff, from
Bengal.
PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 10.—Wind E.
FALMOUTH, OCT. 9.—Wind E., moderate.—Arrived
the Royal Willi im, Bully, from Rio Janeiro.
PLYMOUTH, OCT. 9.—Wind E N.E. Arrived the
Rirmelia, Gilbert, from London, to take male convicts t°
New South Wales; his Majesty's ship Athol, from Cork'
Carrib, Watson, from Quebec ; and St. Anne, TbOUD
from Bona Vesta.
STANGATE CREEK, OCT. 10. Arrived the Pri°4
Donna, Buchanan, from Denia ; and Mary Ann, Wake'
from Leghorn.
SCILLY, OCT. 9.—Arrived the Jemima, Seel; from
Palermo. Off port the Henry, Allen, from Montreal.
GREENOCK, OCT. B.—Arrived the Mariner, M‘Dototl'A
'
from Mirantichi.
DUBLIN, OCT. 9.—Attived the Agenora, Smith, fre°
Quebec; and R ,ver, Moddrell, from St. Petersburgh•
CoRK, OCT. B.—Arrived off port the Sceptre, 11°..
chinson, from St. Petersburgh.
BELFAST, OCT. S.—Arrived the Argus, Bowick, fret'
Quebec; Elizibeth, Rees, from St. John's, New 13roor
wick ; Nelly, Wilds, from St. Petersburgh ; Expreler
Sexton, and Ardent, Gowan, from London.
LIMERICK, OCT. B.—Arrived the Quevedo, Collier;
from Miratnichi ; Jean, Gorman, Garyowen, Pound, tt°
Enterprise, Scott, from London.
SWANSEA, OCT. 9.—Arrived off port the Elixibetk,
Patterson, from Quebec.

DUNDEE, OC;B.—Arrived the Ada., Scott, front
HULL, OCT. 9.—Arrived the Cumbrian, Dring, a°
Alfred, Brass, from Davis Straits.
from
SLIGO, OCT. B.—Arrived the Martha, Fitchett,
St, Petersburgh ; and Henry and Jane, Wright, fr°'
London.

' LIVERPOOL, OCT. 9.—Arrived the Battensby,
r".
from Pat alba. &tiled the Su'quehanna, Dixey, for
ladelphi t; and Spring, Brock, for Hamburg.
The Elphinstone, from Bombay to the coast of 5..„6,
matra, was wrecked on 19th May off the coast of MAP
crew saved.
The Manly, late Dobson, from Laguira and Long 19131'j
has arrived iu the channel.

EAST INDIA SHIPS SPOKEN WITII.-The Solway, fiVra.
London to Bengal, Aug. 26. lat. 5. 30. N. loug. 23. "it:
the Achilles, from London to Ceylon, Sept. 4. lat. 13.43.
long. 27. W.; the Fabius (whaler), Sept. 17, Ist. 31.
N. long. 34. 30. W.