On Monday Mr. John Long, publisher, was summoned at Marlborough
Street Police Court for selling an indeeent book entitled "The Yoke." A second summons required him to show cause why the copies of the book on his premises should not be destroyed. Counsel for the prosecution stated that since the issue of the search-warrant and the summons Mr. Long had given an undertaking to discontinue the sale or publica- tion of the book in the United Kingdom, and he accordingly asked permission to withdraw the first summons. Mr. Denman consented, and made an order on the second summons for the destruction of the book. As readers of the Spectator know, we have never supported the establishment of a literary censor- ship, and we have no desire to set up an extreme puritanical standard in fiction, but we congratulate the National Vigilance Association on their success in carrying through a much- needed prosecution, the lesson of which will, we hope, not be thrown away on other publishers.
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