New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-10
THE Loap mAyo1,s CASE.

In the year HI, during the administration Of
Lord North, while the quarrel with the British
| Colonies which ended in the American Reyolu-
ton was fart riirneeni::s WINE ,pe oiiriss1y was
engaged in violent struggle with the popular
party in England on the subject Of the rights of
Juries in prosecutions for libel, and while they
were buy in sustaining Mr.. Lutterel in the seat
for Middlesex to which Wilkes ha1 been elected
- Kansas case on small c0se-Occucred the
case Of the Lord Mayor Of London, reported in
3 Bi'son and relied upon by Chief-Justice Lewis
Of Pennsylvania as his authority for refusing t.
release Psssmore Williamson from the false AMI
nlegal mpri. Comment in which he is now held
under the order Of Judee Kane.
That case was this: The newspapers were at
that moment beginning TO assume tina prom-
nent position in political discussion to which
they have since attained. Wilkes's North
BrRoa and The letters of Junius were singing
the Tory majority to the quick; nor were they
hardly less disturbed az seeing the s'pListry
and nonsense of the Ministerial speeches, which
went down well enough st midnight IN the
House Of Commons, exposed, BY being reported
in tbs newspapers, to the DAY light criticisms Of
the public. To put stop t. this Interference,
as hey regarded it, he Ministerial party re-
yived the baIbsrOus, liberal, obsolete preteuie
that it was against tue privileges of the House for
any body TO presume 20 publish their debates. On
this pIeeRse, On the comp laint of one fthe men,
bors they summoned be fore them the publishers
of several of the London newspapers. OF eight
publishers thus summoned, five oJeyed the call
and were dismissed with a reprimand. Miller
of The EreaiHg Post, Thompson of The Ga;eitecr,
and WhIple OF TIE NildleSe1 Journal, disregard
Jig the notice, were ordered to be tsken into
custody. A messenger of the House of Com
mons having attempted 10 arrest Miller within
the chartered limits of the City Of Londo1, and
he resisting tie arrest and calling in city con-
stable, both parties were taken before the Lord
Mayor Cosby and Aldermen Oliver ami Wilkes,
at Guildhall, who, On the complaint of Miller,
not only discharged him from arrest, but held
tie messenger TO bail on a charge of assault and
battery, it being one of the privileges of the
citizens Of London, secured 10 them by the
City Charter, not 10 &c arrested, except on var
rants granted OF backed by city magistrate.
The Ministerial majority in the House Of Com
mons no sooner heard Of this proceeding than,
in great rage. they ordered Cosby, who was
men Der of the House, 10 attend in his place.
lie did so, and pleaded in justid ,ation Of his
proceedings the City Charter and his OATH OF
office, by which he was Obliged to preserTe the
franchises Of 'he city inyiolate, and requested
20 be hesrd by counsel This, however, was re-
fused, except on condition, which was indig
nsntl, rejected, that the counsel should not
question the privileges Of the House. The Lord
Mayors Clerk was ordered to attend with the
book Of recognizances Of BAIL aud was con-
PEELED, in the presence Of the House, to erase
from the beck the recognizance given by the
messenger; after which the House passed an
order that there should be no further proceed
irss at law in that case
Not satisfied with this, they went on to de-
clare that the dischargipg Miller from the cas-