Strange Libel Case

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 140, 6 May 1886, Page 4

Strange Libel Case

A short time ago Melbourne ' Punch* published a paragraph in which, referring to the case of a postal clerk named Browne, of whom it ha^ been said in Parliament that he did nothing but sit on his^ffiee stool and dr,aw his salary, it suggested that as "every man has his use," he should stahd outside the General Post office in Melbourne and hold out his tongue for tRe people te wet stamps on. -Over the, lejterpress Jros a cartoon representing Brewne in that capacity. He brought an action against the paper for libeli and the trial Wot place before County Court Judge Casey, the jury finding for the paper The Supreme Court, however, ordered a new trial before a Judge of i hat Court, without, a j nry, on the ground of Judge Casey's misdiric- * tipa; The second trial took place .before "Mr Justice Holyroyd, who; in the couri* ' of: his judgment, said :—* Possibly, «s has now been proved,- the plaintiff dt*served no blame for this self-im'putediib* - capacity, which was really failing eyesight. The author of the libel no£ oiilj' r failed to inquire TrKethet the plaintiff - " deserved: blimeat all, but held hiui ffp to' dermdn as a creature unfitted for* any employment whatever. -\ The comment -n-^i not merely aipiecerofcoawe pleasantry ;4t - is a contemptuous and insulting caricature, ?'W*T*^.' b y a ? ar ?astic-ei;planatjpni and\c!in; bear no meaning but. that the Plaintiff ;is a- degr/ide^ 4olt-' , Tnat man must have fallen very low of whom it is not an outrage to publish thai 'He is fit only to dangle lout ;i his tongue for other people to w*t .stamps, ori'V- The.Judfo^ awarded theplaintiff ,v£2Qo damage*. A