1818 May 15

Parl. Reform Bill

VIII Penal Securities

Electioneering lying

8

2

The subject of this principal branch of libel law of so important a branch of

institutional law – can it be thus discussed as it were in a parenthesis?

Well but As to Electioneering lies of the laudatory cast shall these too be put upon

the list of offences? shall these be put thus as it were on the same level with

defamation? No surely: if the purpose and tendency of them were out of the question,

assuredly not: under the familiar name of white lies, or any other they might be left

to the comparatively light rod of the moral censor. But the mischief here in question

is the choice of a representative less apt, instead of a representative more apt, the

choice of a wrong person instead of the right one /a wrong choice made/. Now this

effect the undesirableness of which is not exposed to denial may it not be produced

by a groundlessly favourable opinion of one of two rival candidates, as by a

groundlessly unfavourable opinion entertained of the other? Unquestionably.