New-York tribune., 1876-12-18
BRITISH TOPICS.
PHASES OF LONDON JOURNALISM.

LYLEg DAILY LUE-ArR. GLADsToNES RECENT
XPLANATIONs-LITERARY NOTES.
iFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIRUNE.l
LONDON, Nov. 21.-The British press breathes
freely to-day than it did yesterday. It's rights
have been more clearly defined than ever before. Up
to yesterday il was not certainly known what
paper might say and what it might not say The
Court of Queens Bench had on so many occasions
taken up an attitude so hostile to the press. its
rulings in matters of contempt and in actions for
libel had been strict, that might almost say
the freedom of the press existed in theory rather.
than III fact Nor do | mean to say that complete
liberty has been granted now. The relaxation
of judicial austerty is limited, but il is relaxation.
We should not think" said the Lord ChiefJustice
yesterday, of granting a criminal information be-
cause a man was quizzed about hiswbite wastcOat."
The liberty of England is enlarged, and the law of
England defined, to that extent. You will perceive,
however, that caution is still required. journalist
is safe within the letter of this decision. but what
he may say in what seems the spirit of it must be
doubtful, aud because doubtful dangerous question.
/ would not take the risk of advising anybody for
instance to quiz a man who wore a colored waist
coat. Still less until further notice. would it be
prudent TO print joke about mans trousers coat,
no matter " hat their colormght he. When dotum
is uttered from the Bench il be treated with at
least as much solemnity as a legal document. You
must not 90 beyond the four corners Of il.
The case was rule nisi, obtained by Mr. G. T..
Lewis, NJ p for Londonderry, for a criminal infor-
nation against that very viyaciOus weekly, The
World. a paper which has probably had more suits
and proceedings against il in given time than any
other journal now published in England Mr. Lewis
is the man who earned place in history by causing
the printers of The Times and Dolly NeSs to be
brought last session to the bar of the House for re-
porting the proceedings of a committee. You can
not have forgotten all that nor the extraordinary
figure MIR. Lewis cut. The Uord chaiied him good
deal about it, and finally published a statement
about his connection with doubtful company,
which seems to have been true though it contained
no such impniaton MIR. Lewis reading it in his
wrath, supposed. IIence this effort to put the
criminal law in motion, not indeed against
| the real oiieuders-the writer of the arti-
/ clcs or the editor of the paper-but against
the most innocent and unhappy printers and
publisher / fear there be no doubt that
| The Boyd did accuse Mr.. Lewis of wearing white
/ wa:stcOat, and gully of many other PERSONAL
itics quite indelcnsibe on the VI good taste.
But the more serious charges did not, in the opinion
of the court, bear examination; so they discharged
the rule. sld Mr. Lewis must try again. The We
tory however, va. not complete. The court, though
declaring itself legally unable to punish the de-
, Pendants, did in fact punish them by imposing
/ fine. They desired said the Lord Cmcf-Justice, TO
mark their sense OF the conduct of the paper IN
making Mr. Lewis the object OF 50 much ridcule by
dischargIng the rule without costs. So The World
willhayc a round sum 10 pay for being iudiciAly de-
cIarcd innocent Of criminllly libemg Mr. Charles
/ Lewis Il may be worth the money as an advertise
mcnt, and il may not. The general line of .he
courts toward the press has been despotic, their
cnrroachmcnts 80 great, that it is difficult not TO
take sides with almost any newspaper In almost any
disputc against almost any court. Such feeling Is
WRONG admit; al Il mean 10 say is that Il is nat
u-al But body woud seriously approve the style
of attack which this paper adopted and so long kept
/ M even though the victim was Mr. {. +. Lewis,
/ Mp. The World does not como out of it very well,
bul then neither c.n NJ. Lewis take pleasure IN be-
ing tho object Of such remark as TINS from the
] Lord ChIrf-Justcc:
Lord tgi.rlu,,,c.-Horp 4 pretty man 20 be q
director who comes bh"iod into concern WIN o., us
iO.icu b,cliif' and Wu'n lh'F a' I'P,t'att - -
cent s,g- luat ought o - b, called DISASTER lric5
pretty for director! Had he D,t!ef Ho' stay III
. tI' House ui Soihiuoh'i
A.oth,r report makes the Lord Chief-JustIcc give
Tim. a. bis own version Of ". at The HoTd meant
which seems likely enough. Soon after, however,
We find hi, Lor,hp, in reply u a suggestion ot Mr.
IrgiSs counsel that nobody, atttr reading TINS ar
ticlc would like to De taken for Mr.. Lewis observ-
| ing in his philosophical way "No one likes I" he
/ oac of the director, Of company VINO nave en-
/ b,azl"d the funds Of company
II need not be supposed that this iourai viii b'
dis couragcd by juuic,al ceusur" II thvr' on per-
soaal,rs of one kind and anot,a.. Indeed there is
a Growing tastc fo .cisooaur .Ia ,hcre isa grow
i'm effort Oh The paTt of certain En'ISh newspapers
/ IN crafty il. Heretofore this mcddng with the
dc,,,Is of priyatc lie has been sol mnly denounced
a. an Amcrico. vice Ii is a vice. but II IL quite ~
| much French rs American. Probably NJ no pefou
i'm the history of American journalism mas lhete p"
| ANYTHING 50 bad ~ some Of the Journalism WIZ
/ fourlshcd in PARIS under the Second Lnplr', ana
| still Gourlsics Two of the most widely circhiateu
Paris paprrs-B)ulevard journals, as they are c"'u
arr more abusive, more reckless more nileu WIN
scandal and beyond comparison more indecent tn'h
any Journals OF anything Ike the same postum oho
over .ov or heard of IN former days IN America
Th.re IA nothing Ike them IN England. IGH"y lG"
is prdish and iAc gord dcccrous by the side OF the
t:, ,d tb, ,;a,Iois-iudecG it is an injustice to
hoi journals 10 mention thcn in the same sentence
with those of Paris But ;hcy both prosper more OF
lc.s bv helm of personalities. The Hord series OF
/ "1nlcbr,iics at U0mcp is a successful SERIES ITO
doubt Ii may not bo easy to say Why pc"Plo Sho"'u
care 10 know how many cigars PRESIDENT "r,'i' %
| smoked on "a given day; bat they 90 care. MS
week if is Mr. Cariylt- turn, aud 3iF Carry 'a''o
in yictnals and drink and tobacco Is chlOhlcou'
.'Hc is naturally abstemIous eating nut Two
.sparing' meals daily and drinking never more 'iAh
I a compile of glasses of wine." lie smokes but
Neither sleek cigar nor dainty cigarette mas cnatns
for ne phiosnph,r OF Cnpsca. lie SMOKES lpe-uo'o vi
nrersciauIn or of EJ1f,tTe tihgce, Di!sL - ou' % a. va
,i nv 10 ,,,i, on yHrd Ot clay, the llnoa u'
@,lan Of the pipes dIg up by the dozen on g I sie Vi
Don saltorus cifiec-hoUse, hard by N me , Se"ycJ
grIuine Puritan piphc place % te HnoI I,, C In me
by Roundheuds being sapped ny lo,k lo,k ,,rirn iS
IIgI,f Summer tIir whrn otfashloh'G EhI%Hcn % Is -
neat and trIl, Er. Carlyles hhor 10 s re i,ci
oynIng I'M rho sweet uOnIng air, aul discuss hy p!