“I believe that our readers will be glad to have this statement of our action, and this assurance that we feel as certain of winning the battle of a Free Press as when we began it a year ago, and that our determination is as unwavering as when Serjeant Outram arrested us in the spring of last year.—­ANNIE BESANT.”

Several purchases were made from us by detectives, and we were more than once threatened with prosecution.  At last evidence for a new prosecution was laid before the Home Office, and the Government declined to institute fresh proceedings or to have anything more to do with the matter.  The battle was won.  As soon as we were informed of this decision, we decided to sell only the copies we had in stock, and not to further reprint the pamphlet.  Out-of-date as was much of its physiology, it was defended as a symbol, not for its intrinsic worth.  We issued a circular stating that—­

“The Knowlton pamphlet is now entirely out of print, and, 185,000 having been printed, the Freethought Publishing Company do not intend to continue the publication, which has never at any time been advertised by them except on the original issue to test the question.  ’The Law of Population’, price 6d., post free 8d., has been specially written by Mrs. Besant to supersede the Knowlton pamphlet.”

Thus ended a prolonged resistance to an unfair attempt to stifle discussion, and, much as I have suffered in consequence of the part I took in that fight, I have never once regretted that battle for the saving of the poor.

In July, 1877, a side-quarrel on the pamphlet begun which lasted until December 3rd, 1878, and was fought through court after court right out to a successful issue.  We had avoided a seizure warrant by removing all our stock from 28, Stonecutter Street, but 657 of the pamphlets had been seized at Mr. Truelove’s, in Holborn, and that gentleman was also proceeded against for selling the work.  The summons for selling was withdrawn, and Mr. Bradlaugh succeeded in having his name and mine inserted as owners of the books in the summons for their destruction.  The books remained in the custody of the magistrate until after the decision of the Court of Queen’s Bench, and on February 12th, 1878, Mr. Bradlaugh appeared before Mr. Vaughan at Bow Street, and claimed that the books should be restored to him.  Mr. Collette, of the Vice Society, argued on the other hand that the books were obscene, and ought therefore to be destroyed.  Mr. Vaughan reserved his decision, and asked for the Lord Chief Justice’s summing-up in the Queen v. Bradlaugh and Besant.  On February 19th he made an order for the destruction of the pamphlets, against which Mr. Bradlaugh appealed to the General Sessions on the following grounds: