On Saturday, Mr. Justice Pollock gave judgment on the points
of law in the case of "Martin et ITxor v. the Trustees of the British Museum." Though the jury had found that the books complained of were libels on the plaintiffs, the Judge gave judgment for the defendants on the ground that they were only carrying out the powers imposed upon them by statute. "The statute 26 Geo. II., c. 22, said the books were to be seen by all persons, and the student, the learned, and the curious were to have free access to them ; they were to be for the public use for all posterity. It was quibbling with language to say that these works did not come within these large powers, and the trustees were guardians of this repository, and had a duty east on them to receive and to -store these books." Mr. Justice Pollock further noted that 830 case had been cited even of a private individual "so dealing with a book innocently in his library, having been held liable as publishing a libel." We take it, then, that the result of the decision is to refute the notion that the man who does not ehut his library door, but lends his books, is responsible for all the libels they contain. An appeal is talked of, but we should hardly think it likely, as the judgment is not really inconsistent with the verdict of the jury.
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