CURIOUS LIBEL CASE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 287, 6 December 1893, Page 1

CURIOUS LIBEL CASE.

A surprising decit-ion of the French Courts in a curious case, which is of some importance, says the Paris correßpondeuce of the Times, has just been given. A New York paper leeyeral months ago contained an article on tbo ex-Minister of France to flay bi, which the gentleman in question considered libellous. Learn, ing that copies of this paper wore to be had at Breiitauo's, the Anglo-American publisher iv the Avenuo do I'Opera, ho Bued his house for having put on sale the number iv question, aud he demanded

50 f OOUf damages. It must be remembered that this house, as well as the other Tans houses of the sort, imports the cur. !£ Uti TT ° ' ma S aziu es, and papers from me United States in the natural course of business. The counsel for the defence pointed out the obvious absurdity of holding the vendors ot newspapers and magazines responsible for this or that article to which eomo ono may take ob. jeotion; that, indeed, in the present case ■Brentuuo was only tue intermediary for the sale of a very limited number of copies of a newspaper, the contents of which did not concern him; that, moreover, if tnere was any ground for libel, the .proprietors of the newspaper could easily enough be cited before the French | Court. The Court, however, decided k nLc Breutauo should pay 100 f fine, O.UIMH damages, the costs of the case, and of the insertion of the judgment in eight journals.