The Liberty of the Press, Speech, and Public Worship: Being Commentaries on the Liberty of the Subject and the Laws of England

Front Cover
Macmillan and Company, 1880 - 568 pages

From inside the book

Contents

DIVISION OF THE LAW RELATING TO
61
21
62
DIVISION OF THE LAW AS TO THE SECURITY
63
Remedy against blasphemies
67
ABUSE OF FREE SPEECH BY SEDITIOUS WORDS AND WRITINGS
73
22
78
How far a seditious libel can be defined
80
Libels on the Sovereign
86
Libels on Ministers of State
92
23
100
Procedure in the ex officio information
101
Jurisdiction of Parliament and courts of law contrasted
107
Other modes of punishing a breach of privilege
114
Fair comments on the judgments and conduct of judges
124
What is a court of justice
130
Contempt of inferior judges and courts
136
Difficulties in defining personal libel and slander
142
Threat to publish a libel
148
Libels on the dead
154
Liability of bookseller and shopkeeper for libel
159
If the offence imputed is past and punished
165
24
167
Slander imputing immorality or unchastity
172
Rival tradesmen libelling each other
178
Excusable libels on privileged occasions
184
Excuse of libel in protecting pecuniary interests
191
Excuse of slander and libel in judicial proceedings
197
Conflict of courts of law and Parliament ended by statute
203
Remedies for libel
207
Form of trial of indictment or information for libel
213
Unsatisfactory state of law before Foxs Act
219
Mitigation of punishment for libel
226
Remedy for slander or libel by action of damages
232
Functions of the judge in trials of actions for libel
238
Practical effect of the Copyright Acts on authors
245
Reasons why copyright does not differ from other rights
248
Chief causes of the differences between early judges as
254
Copyright in MS assignable
260
Right of property in unpublished letters
266
First publication in United Kingdom
272
Copyright in paintings drawings and photographs
316
Definition of subjectmatter of patent
323
Defence that patentee not first inventor
329
Distinction between assignment and license to use
335
Trade mark distinguished from patent
341
CHAP PAGE
349
General work and selling of goods on Sunday
356
Places of public meeting how far restricted
361
Opening of public houses on Sunday
363
CHAPTER II
370
Meaning of words Church and Protestant Episcopai
376
Power of convocation as to canons
382
PARISHES BENEFICES ADVOWSONS AND SIMONY
389
Advowsons of Corporations the Crown and Papists
395
Practice of resignation bonds
401
TUTION INTO BENEFICES
406
Bishops and their original mode of appointment
407
Deans and chapters prebendaries c
414
Qualifications of priests
420
THE PROPERTY OF THE PARISH CHURCH AND INCUMBENTS
427
Sacrilege
434
License for new residence
440
MAINTENANCE OF THE CLERGY AND THEIR TITHES
447
Common law relating to tithe
453
Difficulties as to tithe of milk
460
Pensions Easter dues and fees as maintenance
466
THE DUTIES DISABILITIES EXEMPTIONS AND PRIVI
470
Leading ceremonies in public worship
476
Celibacy of the clergy
482
Offence of disturbing divine service
489
OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS OF THE CLERGY
491
Excesses of Ecclesiastical jurisdictions
495
TOLERATION AND DISSENTERS
515
The Toleration Act of 1688
521
Progress of public opinion after Toleration Act
527
Civil and religious freedom of dissenters and Churchmen
534
Oaths required from Roman Catholics
540
Early expulsion of Jews from England
546
200
560

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 184 - ... the law considers such publication as malicious unless it is fairly made by a person in the discharge of some public or private duty, whether legal or moral, or in the conduct of his own affairs, in matters where his interest is concerned.
Page 348 - ... no tradesman, artificer, workman, labourer, or other person whatsoever shall do or exercise any worldly labour, business or work of their ordinary callings, upon the Lord's Day, or any part thereof (works of necessity and charity only excepted...
Page 314 - ... of the sole working or making of any manner of new manufactures within this Realm, to the true and first inventor and inventors of such manufactures, which others at the time of making such letters patents and grants shall not use, so as also they be not contrary to the law nor mischievous to the State, by raising prices of commodities at home, or hurt of trade, or generally inconvenient...
Page 239 - Whereas printers, booksellers, and other persons have of late frequently taken the liberty of printing, reprinting, and publishing, or causing to be printed, reprinted, and published, books and other writings, without the consent of the authors or proprietors of such books and writings, to their very great detriment, and too often to the ruin of them and their families...
Page 219 - ENACTED, that, On every Such trial, the jury sworn to try the issue may give a general verdict of guilty or not guilty upon the whole matter put in issue...
Page 345 - I am always very well pleased with a country Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for the polishing and civilizing of mankind. It is certain the country people would soon degenerate into a kind of savages and barbarians, were there not such frequent returns of a stated time, in which the whole village meet together with their best faces, and in their cleanliest habits, to converse with one another...
Page 84 - Yet who can doubt that the public are gainers by the change, and that, though injustice may often be done, and though public men may often have to smart under the keen sense of wrong inflicted by hostile criticism, the nation profits by public opinion being thus freely brought to bear on the discharge of public duties?
Page 40 - ... against their ruinous consequences, and exert his whole faculties in pointing out the most advantageous changes in establishments which he considers to be radically defective, or sliding from their object by abuse. All this every subject of this country has a right to do, if he contemplates only what he thinks would be for its advantage, and but seeks to change the public mind by the conviction which flows from reasonings dictated by conscience.
Page 139 - Every man who publishes a book commits himself to the judgment of the public, and any one may comment upon his performance. If the commentator does not step aside from the work, or introduce fiction for the purpose of condemnation, he exercises a fair and legitimate right.
Page 360 - ... every person pretending or professing to tell fortunes, or using any subtle craft, means or device, by palmistry or otherwise, to deceive and impose on any of His Majesty's

Bibliographic information