...be found to relate to matters of detail. On the great question of principle, on the question whettrr the liberty of unlicensed printing be, on the whole,...exactions, the jobs, the commercial restrictions, the domiciliarr visits, wliich were incidental to it." Macaulay next details some of these " petty grievances,"...

...power they were calling into existence. They "pointed out concisely, clearly, forcibly, and some" times with a grave irony which is not unbecoming, " the..." restrictions, the domiciliary visits which were inci" dental to it. It is pronounced mischievous because "it enables the Company of Stationers to extort...

...recognised. The House of Commons condemned the Licensing Act, not on the great question of principle, , not as a thing essentially evil, " but on account...the commercial restrictions, the domiciliary visits ftiCJ-iA ic. {L .which Were incidental to it." Great causes have been won in England, solely on grounds...

...proves at the same time that they knew not what they were doing, what a revolution they were making, what a power they were calling into existence. They...restrictions, the domiciliary visits, which were incidental to t. . . . Such were the arguments which did what Milton's Areopagitica had failed to do." II. ORATORY....

...proves at the same time that they knew not what they were doing, what a revolution they were making, what a power they were calling into existence. They...thing essentially evil, but on account of the petty grievance-;, the exactions, the jobs, the commercial restrictions, the domiciliary visits, which were...

...of detail. On the great question of " principle, on the question whether the liberty of un" licensed printing be, on the whole, a blessing or a " curse...account of the petty grievances, the exactions, the ' ' j obs,the commercial restrictions, the domiciliary visits, " which were incidental to it. It is...

...art. 11, p. 234, ante. S Part ii. " question whether the liberty of unlicensed printing •' be, oil the whole, a blessing or a curse to society, "' not a word is said. The Licensing Act is con" demued, not as a thing essentially evil, but on •' account of the petty grievances, the exactions,...

...irony which is not un1 See Declaration of the Rights of Man, art. 11, p. 234, ante. S Partn. "becoming, the absurdities and iniquities of the " statute which...society, " not a word is said. The Licensing Act is con" demned, not as a thing essentially evil, but on " account of the petty grievances, the exactions,...

...convinced by the eighteen reasons drawn up by the Commons (249). This document condemned the Licensing Act, 'not as a thing essentially evil, but on account of...restrictions, the domiciliary visits, which were incidental to it'.1 Thus the ancient apparatus for controlling opinion was allowed to collapse, a step which Macaulay...

...about the importance of a free press, but Macaulay was more accurate when he regretted that in 1695: 'On the great question of principle, on the question...whole, a blessing or a curse to society, not a word is said'.2 In The Craftsman, Bolingbroke claimed that the licensers represented 'the arbitrary Power of...