REMEDY FOR LIBEL.
ONE of our contemporaries (the Courier) has entered on an exposition of the law of libel, with an industry that might have been better directed to a less beaten topic. With the technicalities with which law- yers mystify it, many even of the reading public are but imperfectly conversant. They may be ignorant, too, of the scope and variety of punishments sought to be inflicted by the processes of an of/few and criminal informations, indictment, or action: but there is one fact of which no writer or observer can be ignorant—namely, that that is libelous which a jury, whether bothered by the bar, bullied by the bench, or persuaded by their own simplicity of understanding, are con- tent to call so, whether it be true or false, fair or foul, cool or wrathful, innocuous or injurious, candid or vindictive. In whatever words a man's thoughts are clothed, from whatever motive they spring, against whomsoever they are directed„if a jury say they are libellous, libellous they are, and there is an end of it. It is quite evident that no alteration in the law can very much diminish the hazard of those who instruct the public through the press, so long as the jury have the power which at present they have of interpreting the law as well as determining the truth of the fact. We may repeal that excellent statute of Lord CASTLEREAGH'S which punishes a second ()fence in tlw libel way with transportation beyond seas ; we may limit the power of the judge in a first offence within something like moderate bounds, instead of sporting between the extremes of a fine of one shilling and imprisonment for two or three years in a distant dungeon; but labour as we may, we shall by such amendments lessen time stake, not alter the chances. O'e should like to amend the system, by lessening the hazard of cons don ; for the grand evil is not so much the severity of the punishment the singularly capricious views which
different juries take of the ;sae, and the absolute impossibility
of predict ing in any case lie• :hat a jure %%ill lake. We do not nwan to say I hat llieLiw is of anitlioranou. We dnuli iikie
behind which to crouch in ease of attack.
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