A LIBEL ON THE COLONNA TROUPE.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 610, 30 January 1872, Page 2

A LIBEL ON THE COLONNA TROUPE.

Me. John Collinson, the publisher of the Liverpool Leader, a weekly paper, appeared on Oct. 14, at the Liverpool Police Court to answer a criminal information charging him with having published a malicious libel on the Colonna troupe of female dancers, who are now giving performances at the Theatre Itoyal in that town. The proceedings arose out of an article with reference to the troupe whieh had been published in the previous week's issue of the Leader, and in which appeared the following paragraph, forming the chief ground of complaint:—" There have been a great many disreputable personages in the noble Eoman family of Colonna, but none of them, we suspect, were so thoroughly without a shred of reputation as the contemptible and scandalously indecent troupe of dancers who have appropriated that once honoured name. We have been told, on what seems unquestionable authority, that while the doors of the theatre—in which ' no drinking is allowed'—are closed by midnight, the green-room remains open till four in the morning, and the Colonna girls stay there to drink and flirt with such gay young sparks as have unemptied purses." In support of the information evidence wasadducedtoshow thatthisscatementwas untirely untrue, and that, so far from going into the green-room, the members of the troupe did not have any communication with either the public or even the professionals, but that directly after their performances they left the theatre. The magistrate having intimated his intention of sending the case for trial, the defence was not entered upon, though it was stated on behalf of the defendant that he merely passed the article for publication, and was not aware of its libellous nature. Before the defendant was formally committed, a consultation took place between

the parties, and it was agreed to compromise the case, on the defendant promising to insert a full apology both in his paper and in the Era, to give up the name of the actual writer of the article, and to pay the costs of the proceedings. A summons was afterwards granted against the writer of the alleged libel.