The Law of Libel.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 323, 11 July 1889, Page 2

The Law of Libel.

THE DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT, [ITBOM OUB OWN COBBXSBOMD XNT. ] Wkllikoton-, last night. The adjourned debate on the motion for the second reading of tho Libel Bill was resumed by the Hon. Mr Buckley, who remarked that he had moved the debate be adjourned, in order that he might compare the clauses of the Bill with those of the English Act. He said that having found the Statute referred to and the Bill wore nearly on all fours he withdrew his opposition to the proposed measure. As a whole he supported the Bill The Hou. Sir George Whi'more expressed his concurrence with the amendment* as proposed by the Attorney General. He considered it only fair that plaintiff* in a libel action against a newspaper proprietary should find sureties for the defendants' neats should tha former lose such action. The Hon, Mr Wilson considered the Bi'l a far more important measure than was supposed by hon. members. He thought that the privilege of exempting a report of a public meeting requiiod grave consideration because a person having malice against a candidate might take advantage of the privilege and publish vary damaging and untruthful reports against the candidate. He certainly thought newspapers should be placed on a belter footing than they had been. He failed to see, however, that because a person might be of small means he should on that aooount have his case relegated from the Supreme Court to an inferior Court, When, however, the Bill was in Committee ho should take occasion to move an amendment in clause 3. The Hon. Mr Sheppard supported the Bill. He thought it was time that a plaintiff should be prevented from being enabled to set the law in motion for merely revengeful purposes. He firmly believed that conductors of newspapers were at present placed in an exceedingly ontsl position on account of ths manner in which they wore held liable for publishing reports which were in no degree actuated t>y malice, The Hon. Mr Phsrszyn urged the passing of the Bill, njoro particularly considering the new clauses proposed to be inserted by tha Attorney-General. As the law at present stood it prevented many respectable persons of means from embarking in newspaper enterprise,

The Attorney General having replied, the motion for the second reading was agreed to on the vol oes, and the Bill was ordered to be ommitted on Thursday next, a