The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-11 00:00:00

REFLEC77O.VB of ids LID oirits PRESS.

The, Brentionmess of the press is so doubt a very
great mil ; but abuses are the consequences of human
trailty, which blends with the best austitutions, and to
annihilate the liberties of a whole people for the purpose
ci.zitlrig a few jonrsalists or pamphleteers, could be
era y less abated than the idea of burning the good
town of Kingston with the slew of getting rid of the
ettimptittoes that habit it. Wherever a rigorous ten-
•orship is imposed on the press, liberty, genius, in-
.lastre, every thing, in fact, that aggrandises nations
.dignifies and adorns human nature, must innate-
,;tately decline. What mon of any talent would consent
• m pen volumes or pamphlets which be may never be al-
lotted to publish,aud which, in plare of saucing to him
the applause and esteem of his countrymen, way only
✓erve to place him nnder the hann of some Acton*
censor, who is probably too indolent to read, or too ig-
norant to understand. what he orestunptuonily pro-
scribes. By sack a regulation, the whole literature of a
lorry may Le left at the mercy of a set of men not
ittlt cheated above the rank of officers of police—men
!.n, haling an evident interest in flattering the preju-
fliers of their employers, will probably enter upon the
censorial office with feelings, very much a-kin to those
i•i* the superficial critic, who imagines that, not to find
work full of faults and blemishes, would look like a
re.iection on his own sagacity. We may be told, indeed,
that a censorship might be limited to the Inciihrations
of political incendiaries, and not apply to works written
on the innucent topics of arts or science; but few that
hre arrainted with the natural progress of Itnuain
.faint will believe that the evil would stop here. There
is in fact no other medium betwixt an enslaved and a
lirantions press, than that of making an anther reepon-
• 'lle fur whatever he publishes. This, undoubtedly, is
tie Irne secret of managing the productions of the
-ess, in the same way that toleration is the true secret
of managing religious sects; and yet the potentates of
Ilirope were for centuries extremely averse to art upon
h which has for ever put an end to religions
iwrsecutiOu. There are, no doubt, many thistles pub-
lished *kith should tarter meet the puhlie eye; hut the
c .nom of truth is z•arill, upon the whole, to I.e powerfully
rraal by the collision of sentiment. and it must be re-
rtemberal, that the press possesses a self-correcting
trinciple, and, in fact, furnishes the only antidote for
Ouunds it indicts. In our courts of law, the testi-
loony of contradictory witnesses, and the iugenuity of
e;:posing advocates, must often be exceedingly perplex-
i!.g to the Judge and Jury; and vet no one supposes
Catt the ends of justice are defeated by allowing. the
...st unreasonable litigant the benefit. of all these
A great English Dittmar, to whom a reveiend
I -other had hero plaining of tie power and pro-
;. eras of the dissenters, is said to have replied in these
ninted terms, `, Out-live them—out-pray them—ont•
preach them ;" and. while we adtuh that no quarter
a :maid be given to blasphemy and sedition, we would,
3 a similar principle, say to those journalists who
would rejoice to see restrictions imposed upon a ilif-
terest class of politicians :—Out-quibble—out-argue—
out-writs them.

LAW IYMLLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, 31,tecit 10.

The Doke of Richmond took the oaths, in order to
qualify him Se wee at the election of the Scotch Peers.
CURTIS V. CURTIS.
ewitirrepv.:.: have the bill is irks second fuse
- t • of that shouW not be ordered Iff the
'port, MIR r should be allowed to the Master
. to aseertais whether the deeme protionuced by the Court
in this cats % open the original bill, did not embrace
i ell the matters n dispute between the
The plaintiff, Miss Curtis, is the par
daughter and le-
stAtve of the late Sir ittorer Curtis, and the bill alluded
to was lied against her by her brother, Sir Lorin. Cur-
tis, in order to obtain adiscuyery of certain property,
which it was alleged she bad retained. Among other
articles were a deal box, containieg bank notes and
gold cob to the antonnt of about HOW.; some articles
of plate, prints, books, and paintings ; and she was also
carefully charged with retaining sooto deal planks, used
for supporting !lower-pots, to the value of 10s. Hrr
answer was, that the deal box and the other articles
mentioned were the personal property of her mother,
Lade Curtis, and that by her Ladyship's will they were
bequeathed to her.
Mr. 'IA2IIIII'OO9 appeared for the defendant, and con-
feuded that the consent of the parties, which was given
to the decree in the cause, was 'sough to show that the
proceeding of Rif Lades was sot originally unneces-
sary, and, therefore, that if the bill should be dismissed,
it ought not to be dismissed with costs.
The Lona Coaocau.on ordered .the bill to be dis-
missed Without eests.