The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-27
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PRIVILEGES OF THE PREss.-The Eng
lish House of Commons adopted some
years ago rnle forbidding the publica-
ton of any of its proceedings, whether
in committee or in general session. No
person, under n strict construction Of
the rules, except member or officer, has
q right to be present at sitting of the
House, and, on motion of member,
the Speaker must clear the galleries of all
strangers. This rule. ms every one
knows, became long ago ancient and
obsolete, but by curious fiction OF
usage the House was not supposed to
know TINT there were spectators in the
galleries, and even reporters preparing
to publish to the whole world all that
occurred within its sacred privacy In
practice the technical prohibition of the
presence of strangers amounts to no.
thing. In the month of April last, how
ever, the London Times md the London
Ac,cS published some facts that had been
brought out in IN inquiry conducted by
the select committee on foreign loans
Both papers, before the publication OF
this particular report, had given full
accounts of the hearing of this commit
tee, as they are accustomed to do of all
committees Of the House. But it hap
pcncd that one member of the House
considered himself hit by the report,
and though there was no greater breach
of privilege in its publication thnn had
been daily committod for years past, de-
termined to visit the journals with public
censure. Though the members seemed
to realize the absurdity Of the proceed
ing, the niaj ajority of them appeared to
hold themselves bound to stand by the
technical privilege, and hence the pub
fishers of the Times and NeorS were sum
moned before the bar Of the House, two
days being given them to appear. Be-
fore TINT time arrived the House had
taken "sobcr, second thought" and,
on motion of Mr.. DTsrncli, the order
summoning these printers was rescindcd,
and the Committee ON Foreign Loans in
structed to investigate the affair and re-
port how the papers obtained the docu-
mcnts in question. AS is justly re-
marked, this was sensible disposition
of the cnse, for if the press is to blame
for printing the proceedings of a COM
mittec, which are open to the public,
the committee is still more to blame for
allowing the reporters to have full access
to all the documents The Government
has promised to introduce bill recog-
nizing and regulating the position Of re-
AeS1.' 40 sAS AAouoCS hllN GIllS, IL httODt-
ed, will put m end to such follies as the
House has lately committed. Thus, nei-
ther in England nor the United States
has the press been worstcd by the efforts
of public representatives to impair its
efficiency and bring it into discredit.
At the same time the application of the
antiquated privilege rule to the press
has been followed by other applications
of it not anticipated by those who used
it to the disadvantage Of the newspapers,
and one of which resulted the other day
in dreadful scandal from which the
shaken nerves of English society have
hardly recovered. The Prince of Wales,
the monarch-to-bc of Great Britain, wns
actually turned out of the House of Com
mons, along with Prince Christian, the
German ambassador, and number OF
other distinguished people. He was
elected, with the others, simply Ms Al
stranger, and in conformity with the
old md obnoxious rule