Litchfield enquirer., 1878-07-04
"Contempt." "

POoOOooASAA AA S~~O Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries, was very royal sensitiveness not only to any depre- citation of their powers and privileges, but to any kind of publication of what they chose to call an evil tendency with regard to religion, morals or politics. Early in the 17th Century Steele was expelled the House for political li- bels; and another member, for publishing an absurd book on s'The Possibility of Avoiding Death" Defoe was prosecuted by the Con- mons for his Shortest Way with Dissenters. :" Tutchin was whipped by the hangman, by order of the House. The publishers of the meager parliamentary reports in the newspa- pers of those days were compelled to express on their knees their contrition to the House. A bishops sermons were ordered burnt by the hangman. In 17O1, perfectly temperate and respectful petition to a Tory House of Con- mons, signed by the Grand Jury and other freehelders of Kent was voted scandalous, in- solent, and seditious, and the gentlemen who presented it were imprisoned till Parliament was prorogued. The Commons claimed for itself collectively and for each of it's members in his parliamentary capacity complete free dom from hostile criticism. They even went so far as to punish private injuries to members, such as shooting their rabbits, poaching their fshponds, injuring their trees.
 All reports of parliamentary proceedings were sharply punished. Cave, and other pub- fishers, were frequently imprisoned although their reports of speeches gave only the first and last letters of the speakers names, and though they were careful not to publish them till after Parliament had adjourned. This subject came up in the Commons in 1739, and a remarkable discussion occurred, report of which has been preserved. One of the speakers, who seemed to represent the prevalent feeling, remarked, '1f we do not put speedy stop to this prac- tice. it will be looked upon without doors that we have no right to do it. You will have every word that is spoken here misrepresented by fellows who thrust themselves into our gall lery. You will have the speeches of this House every day printed, even during your session, and we shall be looked upon as the
 
 earth" The notion that to make a parliament ary body ''contemptible" it is only necessary to publish it's proceedings, is, perhaps, not quite so unreasonable as modern opinion might consider it. After full discussion the Con- mons voted unanimously "that it is high in- dignity to, and notorious breach of the prlvi- leges of this House, to print it's debates or other proceedings, and that this House will proceed with the utmost severity against such offenders" To avoid prosecution publishers would publish "Debates in the Senate of Great Lilliput" with fictitious names; or the 'Dis- cussions of the Political Club" using names that occur in Roman History. "During al- most the whole of the Eighteenth Century" says MT. Leckey, 'the publication of division lists was rare and exceptional thing, due to the exertions of individual members and it was not until 1886 that it was undertaken by the House itself"
 Once, however, by a blunder that American congresses and legislatures might make profit able note of, the British House of Commons found itself in a predicament in which it was simply impossibly to give vent to the wrath that ordinarily found such ready expression. Mir. Leckey tells the story as follows in his History of England in the Eighteenth centu- ry:
 In 1772 Dean Nowel was appointed to preach the customary sermon before the House on the anniversary of the Restoration. Only three or four members were present, and they are said to have been asleep during the ser mon but the House, as usual passed, unani- mously, a vote of thanks to the preacher and in terms of high eulogy ordered the sermon to be printed. When it appeared it was found that the preacher, being an extreme Tory, had availed himself of the occasion to denounce in the strongest language the Puritans and their principles, to extol the royal martyr in terms of which it can be only said that they were a faithful echo of the Church service of %he day, and to urge that the qualities of Charles I were very accurately reproduced in the reigning sovereign. The House of Commons, which was at this time strongly Whig, was both ex- | asperated acd perplexed. It was felt that it would be scarcely becoming to condemn to | the flames a sermon which had been printed by its express order, and dhonored by its thanks, and it accordingly contented itself with order | ing, without division, that it's vote of thanks should be expunged. Vol I, pdge 475.
 We are very sorry to see the report of the death of Editor Pease of the Conn. Wes. @tern News, sent us by our Falls Village correspondent, confirmed in Tuesdays papers. l His loss will be much regretted, his genial temper and pleasant manners making him g universal favorite, while he showed much tact in the management of the paperhe started five years ago at Salisbury, and afterward remov- ed to Canaan. Viewed in. the light of valedic tory, there is something very touching in thu last editorial he wrote, headed sSICK," an( from which we make the following extract:
 Last Saturday, we took, it seems to us, th' most violent cold we have ever had come upol us, and which was accompanied with consid erable fever. It seemed as if every bone il our body was chock full of business all Satur
 day night and ached, harder than which w | do not believe bones ever before ached. Blu
 we are getting better. Dr. Camp calls on u
 regularly and is lifting us right out of ou troubles. Our correspondents are helping u
 nobly on this weeks paper, and on such an oc easion such efficient help is most excellent t. have. We told the Dr. we would like to trl to write an item or two for this week, as VI had one or two we wanted toget off our mind perhaps nothing that anybody would care t, read, but like some speech-makers who ge loaded and feel as if they must fire at a crowd
 The Doctor objected, but the editorial i'm pulse was too strong, and to poor fellow fur nished several articles for his last issue of tn
 News.
 The Potter committee have made little res
 progress, as it seems to us, during the pas
 week. Their case against Sherman in Louis jana. and against Moves in Florida has broke down-at least neither branch of the attac has met with any substantial success More
 over Mrs. Jenks has been dismissed, and ther
 is danger that the whole proceeding will bt
 come hopelessly uninteresting.
 | Horace B. Scott, of Naugatucl1, son of Re J. l.. Scott, formerly of Marketable in tn county. received the chemical prize of $50 Trinity college on the 24th ult.. for the be