Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-02-17
A LIBEL SUIT,

IN London, was pending IN court when
our latest London paper went TO press.
1t arose on criminal information & ed
by the atiorneyeeneral,a against the editor,
proprietor, publisher, and printer OF
the Sunday Times. The article for
| which the sun was brought, was pub
lisbed in February last, and by inuendo,
when speaking Of the kings health,
| charged his MAJESTY with being deranged
IN bis intellect. The editor after broad
ly insInuallng the fact, went on sneering-
! ~ to account for it by stating, that "the
kings disorder is, il IS feared, of an he
rldHary descripion.--that his majesty
has had too macy misIortunes bearing
upon his benevolent mlnt---,he loss Of a
! daughter and a consort equally dear to
him, and Of royal brother, whose poll
zeal principles he loved; besides the
excrulialing suFerings OF his agriculu-
raj subjects, So SIN erely deplored IN his
late most gracious speech; and the dan
gers in which he liberty Of the Spsnlards
,te placed BY Bourbon pride and Gothic
| lerocity; hat these and other weighty
concerns have oppressed bis paternal
feelings, and borne hard upon his supe-
rlor f.cul les, we have too much reason
to fear. But >the writer conunues) il
Di1 me Providence has ordained that
mental Affections should be 40 less trans.
| Inissaple than The virtues oil the heart,
aad the best Of princes should by their
| long prplract!on, or the reiterated re.
larns oil MS present unfortunate morb1si-
| Is, furnish another example OF the la
mcnlable fact, which Heaven IN It's
| GOODNESS avert) sull one recourse Will
remain 70 his MAJESTY, the prayers OF
loti'ul, loving, AID ioy al people; and sell
! dom, very tltlom has Heaven been
| deaf to the prisons OF nations, when Of
| tered 10 behalf of wise and gracious
kiaRs." Inc case on the side OF the
ro',n, was managed by the attorney ge-
| neral, and The defendants were defended
by Mesers. Bro CHAM and Denman. The
defence was rested entirely upon the
iaci 81 such rumUr having been in cir
culation at he tine, and of the right of
the edlfor to publish j, as an article oil
intelligence, deeply interesting 10 the
British pubic. They also endeavored
o exonerale the printer
Lord chief mslire Abbot, in charging
the jury, detailed the nature of the case,
Accordlngto the law ofthe land, (he sad)
he printers and publishers, as well as
the proprletors, were liable for he con-
IeDts OF their paocrs. AS TO the matter
hat was charged to be libel, he had no
hesitation, whatever, in distinctly assert
ing, that il ii were falsely stated of the
KING ---nr o aDyssublect in the realm
that he was afflicted with mental insanity,
the parry publishing such statement
would be acting crlmiDally. On this
point he had 10 doubt. The question
then was, had the paper in question pro.
nnlgated such statement regarding bis
majesty; and that was the question of
lact which the law very properly lett TO
the Jury. But he would observe, il il
were libel to make any such statement
falsely against . private individual, thai
it WAS still greater libe 10 publish such
statement against the highes, executive
authority in the country. In case of
libel, in particular, il was the custom oil
thejudge TO express to The jury, his Opt
oion of the publication He had cper
done 80 since he Toas a iudge--he zpoutd
do so non and he therefore had no he
sfa"on M declaring ms ohinion 10 be-
that the publication zvas Il criminal libel
The Courier Of the 3O!h of Oct. SAYS,
they would stop the press the moment,
the verdict should be rec ived.
". Y Com. .ddu.
The jury lave since eisn in YER
dict against the printer.