Untitled

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5046, 6 April 1878, Page 2

With reference to the preposterous and oppressive libel action against the New Zealand Herald taken by a litigious person of the name of Calcutta owing to his having been described, by a blunder of the telegraphist, as being "indigent" instead of " indignant," that journal (the Herald) remarks : — " It ought to be generally known that newspapers are responsible for all mistakes or errors that may occur in the transmission of telegraphic messages. Some time ago a Mr T. Calcutt, of Dunedin, was represented, through a telegraphic blunder, as being in ' indigent ' circumstances, instead of (indignant' at certain action of the Court in compelling his attendance as a witness. This statement was said to have seriously injured his credit. The result was an action for libel against the proprietors of this journal. The matter was placed in the hands of our solicitors, who advised a settlement of the case, on the ground that the Government were not responsible for any ' errors ' in telegrams, and very reluctantly an apology for the blunder of others was given to Mr Calcutt, and a donation to a charity. At the bottom of each telegraph form appears a printed notice to the effect that the Government c will not be responsible for errors, omissions, or delays in the transmission of telegrams.' The law is one which certainly requires amendment, because it is manifestly unjust. Mr Calcutt is apparently so well pleased with having caught some one, that he has advertised the admission of error at his own cost." We must say that we think our contemporary played a pusillanimous part in tamely apologising, and handing over £50 to the hospital, as demanded. It would probably not have cost it £50 to fight the case, and if it had cost something more, we might surely have fairly expected of a wealthy proprietory like that of our contemporary that it would have risked something in defence of the common privileges of the Press, which are also the privileges of the public. Every oppressive, and at the same time successful, action against the Press, no matter on what grounds, tends to hinder that plainness of speech ■which forms so invaluable a safeguard to public right and public purity.