MRS. JAMESON'S LIFE.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Will you allow me to publish the following brief explana- tion in your pages P—I am asked by Mr. Thomas Martineau, of Birmingham, to say that the letter from his aunt, Miss Harriet Martineau (of whose will he is executor), which appears in the "Memoir" of Mrs. Jameson, lately published, was inserted there without his permission. The author of the book in question, Mrs. Macpherson, died while it was still in the press, and there is no one to answer for her but myself. She inserted Miss Martineau's letters, I am sure, in ignorance that she had • not a perfect right to do so. I have also to say that Messrs. Longmans, in consideration of Mr. Martineau's objection, have -consented to omit the letter from all further editions of the book. I do not know what is the exact state of the law on this subject. It would be doing a service to the literary portion of the public, if some of your correspondents would make it known.—I am,
[We believe the law of the case to be this :—The receiver of private letters is entitled to their custody, but is not entitled to publish them without the consent of the writer, or his legal re- presentatives. Mr. Martineau could, no doubt, have obtained an injunction from the -Court of Chancery restraining the issue of such letters without his consent.—En. Spectator.]
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