[lxxxiv. 177]

1822 Feb. 14

?.5

V

2

For the obtainment and reciprocal communication of this knowledge and of the judgments grounded on it the people have two distinguishable but intimately connected means or instruments written and visible discovery circulated by means of the press, and oral or /and/ audible discourse uttered and communicated at public meetings.

On either occasion and in /through/ either way /channel/ if on the subject of matter of fact falshood be uttered with the intention to produce deception, or through rashness ie for want of that examination and caution which ought to have been exercised /bestowed/ whether the intention be /were/ or be /were/ not in existence the tendency of the falshood /assertion/ is to produce deception, and in respect of the mischief /diminution/ that may thus be produced in the greatest happiness of the greatest number presents a right and proper demand for punishment: for if such falshood be /were/ permitted they might be as effectually debarred from all salutary exercise of their constitutive power as they could be by being debarred from the faculty of receiving correct and appropriate information as above. True it is that the means /channels/ of counter[?] information would remain as open to the contradiction and refutation of the falshood as to the dissemination of it. But in many cases /it will often/ happen that the refutation will not be able to reach every ear or every eye that the falshood has reached: or if it /and when it/ does that it will not have reached it time enough to prevent /exclude/ the pernicious consequences.