JB/035/274/001

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7 June 1808

2. The law of libel presents another case in which
the preservation of the constitution depends upon the readiness
of the Jurors Jury to show favour to give impunity to
delinquents.

This law portion of law – of law that sort of conception may be
termed which has not any determinate set of words has not so much as a word belonging to it for
the expression of it – this whole portion of supposed law from beginning
to end – if such terms such as those can be
applied to an object which has neither beginning, end
nor middle – is throughout as far as a non-entity
can be the wish of everybody, the wish of a partly series of Judges
partly continuous series of of Judges, making law
with a constant falshood in their mouths, viz. the pretence
of declaring it.

Of law made by such hands, behold one consequence.
Under the law of libels as it has stood for ages, stands
now, and so long as so convenient a law can be kept
standing, is likely to stand – every man every human being in the country who is old enough one alone excepted is a delinquent,
every man in some way or other: every man that has
either a pen occasionally occupied in writing, a hand in printing,
a pair of lips in reading newspapers.

Consequently if the law were but impartially and fully
executed – all delinquents libellers with their accessories punished, none spared – Attorney
Generals and Judges of the Kings Bench and Juries under
them all doing their duty – a Just would be the only
in which any inhabitant of England would be to be
seen at any time.

Identifier: | JB/035/274/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 35.
Date_1	1808-06-07	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	035	Main Headings	constitutional code; evidence; procedure code
Folio number	274	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e4
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	10867
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