Mr. Speaker,--The license of the present times makes it very difficult
for us to talk upon certain subjects in which Parliamentary order is
involved. It is difficult to speak of them with regularity, or to be
silent with dignity and wisdom. All our proceedings have been constantly
published, according to the discretion and ability of individuals out of
doors, with impunity, almost ever since I came into Parliament. By
usage, the people have obtained something like a prescriptive right to
this abuse. I do not justify it; but the abuse is now grown so
inveterate that to punish it without previous notice would have an
appearance of hardship, if not injustice. The publications I allude to
are frequently erroneous as well as irregular, but they are not always
so; what they give as the reports and resolutions of this House have
sometimes been given correctly. And it has not been uncommon to attack
the proceedings of the House itself under color of attacking these
irregular publications. Notwithstanding, however, this colorable plea,
this House has in some instances proceeded to punish the persons who
have thus insulted it. You will here, too, remark, Sir, that, when a
complaint is made of a piratical edition of a work, the authenticity of
the original work is admitted, and whoever attacks the matter of the
work itself in these unauthorized publications does not attack it less
than if he had attacked it in an edition authorized by the writer.
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