case no particular innuendo was implied and it was a case in some respects similar to the present. His friends on the other side relied upon the construction or meaning to be implied from that one sentence; but the broad question was, would the sentence bear the meaning or construction which the prosecution contended, if read by a disinterested individual in the ordinary sense? Would it, if read in the ordinary way of everyday life, amount in Law to a libel? He contended that it would not. It would be necessary for him to dissect the passage, in order to shew to the Court that the sentence could not be construed in the sense implied by the prosecution. At most it only implied that Mr. Brett had written up the cause of the Indigo planters for money; and he contended that could not be construed into bribery and corruption, and would not tend to turn him into contempt or ridicule among his fellowmen. And he thought that if he could shew to their Lordships that the passage in question was not susceptible of the construction put upon it by the prosecution, he would be entitled to have the first count on the indictment set aside as not borne out by the evidence. He would further contend that if the Court should be of opinion that the passage in the question was susceptible of double meaning or construction then the defendant was clearly entitled to any doubt. He would divide the passage into two portions; the first commencing:—
"The editors of two daily newspapers are filling their columns with your praises; and whatever other people may think, you never enjoy pleasure from it, since you know fully the reason of their so doing. What surprising power of attraction silver has!"
Now, if this passage were taken in its ordinary meaning, what does it prove? What does it amount to? Why, to this—that the editors of those two daily papers, of which Mr. Brett is allowed to be one, wrote up the cause of the Indigo planters for the purpose of reward. It says that the planters enjoy no pleasure from the praises sung by these papers; this being meant to imply that a sort of reciprocal feeling existed, and that they were playing for the support afforded to them. He submitted that the meaning could not be stretched further. It must be read in the ordinary way—in the way that a stranger, having no previous knowledge of the circumstance, would
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