satisfaction of feeling that, that all-important question, the liberty of the press and freedom of discussion had been fully ventilated by him. It should never be said that, that great constitutional question had been frittered away on that bench. Not a single withdrawal had been made by Mr. Long. It was fitting for him to have disavowed his belief in the statements regarding the wives of Indigo planters before his defence had closed. The Jury had a great question to decide, and he begged them, for the sake of the great interests that were at stake, to consider well and anxiously their verdict. They had read the history of England, and could not be ignorant of the priceless value of the liberty of the press. Should they come to the conclusion that there was no criminal intention on the part of Mr. Long to degrade or bring into contempt and hatred the Indigo planters; if they thought, moreover, that he asked honestly and and conscientiously and that he published the book solely for the benefit of society and religion, and for no other purpose, or that in the warmth of feeling he had incautiously adopted expressions without a criminal intention, they would give a verdict of 'not guilty.' If, on the other hand, they should find that with a disregard of the feelings of others, Mr. Long had become the willing instrument to express the feelings of the Native community, or was actuated by other than pure motives they would give a verdict of 'guilty.' His Lordship would now leave the case in the hands of the Jury, confident they would give such a verdict as truth and justice demanded.
His Lordship concluded, summing up the evidence at a little before 2 O'clock, and the Jury retired to consider their verdict. After an absence of about an hour and a half they returned to Court to enquire of the presiding Judge whether assuming that the defendant did not believe all the statements in the pamphlet to be true, it would be necessary to be shewn that he was actuated by malice in the publication before he could be found guilty.
His Lordship said that even supposing Mr. Long did not credit all the statements in the book, still if they believed that the defendant had published and circulated the book in question for the interest of society and that he conscientiously believed that the publication of such a book would tend to bring about a reform of the indigo system and was acting in a bona fide manner, he would be entitled to a verdict of acquittal. If, on the other hand, they were
157
