ontroversy took place in the daily and weekly press.
Professor W. A. Hunter contributed a timely letter to the _Daily News_,
in which he described the Blasphemy Laws as "a weapon always ready to
the hand of mischievous fools or designing knaves." Mr. G. J. Holyoake
wrote in his usual vein of covert attack on Freethinkers in danger. Mrs.
Besant joined in the fray anonymously, and a letter appeared also
from my own pen. There were articles on the subject in the provincial
newspapers, and amongst the London journals I must especially commend
the _Weekly Dispatch_, which never wavered in faithfulness to its
Liberal traditions, and stood firm in its censure of our prosecution
from first to last, even when other journals turned from the path of
religious liberty, proved traitors to their principles, and joined the
bigots in their cry of "To prison, to prison!" against the obnoxious
heretics.

For some time after this we pursued the even tenor of our way. Many of
the wholesale newsagents, who had been frightened when our prosecution
was initiated, regained confidence and resumed their orders. Early in
October we removed from Harp Alley to 28 Stonecutter Street, which had
just been vacated by the Freethought Publishing Company, and which has
ever since been the publishing office of the _Freethinker_. About the
same time I issued a pamphlet entitled "Blasphemy no Crime," a copy of
which was sent to every newspaper in the United Kingdom. It traversed
the whole field of discussion, and gave a brief history of past
prosecutions for Blasphemy, as well as the principal facts of our own
case. In November I announced the preparation of the second Christmas
Number of the _Freethinker_, the publication for which I paid the
penalty of twelve months' imprisonment. Before, however, I deal fully
with that awful subject I will redeem my promise to inform my readers of
the nature of our indictment, and what were the actual charges preferred
against us by Sir Henry Tyler on behalf of the insulted universe.

CHAPTER IV. OUR INDICTMENT.

Our Indictment covered twenty-eight large folios, and contained sixteen
Counts. Of course we had to pay for a copy of it; for although a
criminal is supposed to enjoy the utmost fair play, and according to
legal theory is entitled to every advantage in his defence, as a matter
of fact, unless he is able to afford the cost of a copy, he has no right
to know the contents of his Indictment until he stand