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Show PUBLICATION OF COURT PROCEEDINGS. PROCEED-INGS. Fur tho first timo iu the history ol jurisprudence, a dt-cieiou bus been givt'U bearing upon the right of newspapers news-papers to publish reports of proceedings proceed-ings that uko placo beiore magistrates in preliminary and ex parte hearings. The case arose in England. A civij engineer applied to a London magis trate tor a summons against a railroad rail-road company for alleged breach of conduct. The writ was refused, on tho ground that tho magistrals hal not jurisdiction in tho case. The defendants thereupon published a report of the proceedings in newspapers, news-papers, and the plaictifl', claiming that tho account contained defamatory defama-tory matter, brought suit for damages, alleging that the court bafing no jurisdiction of the case the proceed ings beiore it were, not legal and could form no part of the record. Oo tho trial of the cause the court refused to entertain this viev;, and the jury; having found that the publication was a fair report of what had occurred before be-fore the magistrate the judse directed that judgment be entered for the defendants de-fendants and held the plaintiff for costs. An appeal was taken, when Chief Justice Cockburn held to the same interpretation given in the lower court. He asserted that there was no decision on the point, but long practice had made a rule wbioh amounted to law. In bis opinion he said: "I( we go upon the rules previously pre-viously settled, it seems perfectly clear that we cannot, bteaie the matter was c: p.:te uud the ui.ig s'.r-.le had no jurisdiction, t.tko awy the privilege privi-lege of puolishing f.-tir reports of proceedings pro-ceedings in local courts of justice. Tbo public have ttccers to them, so that every jns can hear what Ukes place in them, and the publication of reports in newspapers on'y enUrg"-the enUrg"-the area of publicity given to matters which justice requires should be done in open court, and to which it U to tho public advantage that puhlii-iiy should be given." The right of newspapers news-papers to publish cartain pre!i;i::r"7 court proceedings has always b en more or lets a dispuled point, but this decision from the English bench will doubtless settle the matter and protect journals in giving lair reports of court doingp, whether or not the account contains defamatory statements, state-ments, or whether or uot the proceedings proceed-ings aro ex parte aud tho court has no jurisJiciion of the case. |