A pamphlet written early in the present century by Charles Knowlton, M.D., entitled "The Fruits of Philosophy", which had been sold unchallenged in England for nearly forty years, was suddenly seized at Bristol as an obscene publication.

Charles Watts, as most of our readers will have already learned, has been committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court for February 5th, for misdemeanor, for publication of a work on the population question, entitled "Fruits of Philosophy", by Charles Knowlton, M.D.

The Knowlton pamphlet is either decent or indecent.

In this the National Reformer has followed the course pursued by Mr. George Jacob Holyoake, who in 1853 published a 'Freethought Directory', giving a list of the various books supplied from the 'Fleet Street House', and which list contained amongst others: "'Anti-Marcus on the Population Question.' "Fowler's Tracts on Physiology, etc. "Dr. C. Knowlton's 'Fruits of Philosophy'.

It was originally written by Charles Knowlton, M.D., an American physician, whose degree entitles him to be heard with respect on a medical question.

"Old Radicals will remember that Richard Carlile published a work entitled 'Every Woman's Book', which deals with the same subject, and advocates the same object, as Dr. Knowlton's pamphlet.

By CHARLES KNOWLTON, M.D. PRICE SIXPENCE.

The buyer that most raised my curiosity was one of Mr. Watts' sons, who came in and bought seven copies, putting down only trade-price on the counter; no one is supplied at trade-price unless he buys to sell again, and we have all been wondering why Mr. Watts should intend to sell the Knowlton pamphlet, after he has proclaimed it to be obscene and indecent.

At six o'clock the shutters were put up, and we gave up our amateur shop-keeping; our general time for closing on Saturday is 2 p.m., but we kept the shop open on Saturday for the special purpose of selling the Knowlton pamphlet.

Mr. Bradlaugh proved that there was no physiological statement in Knowlton, which was not given in far fuller detail in standard works on physiology, quoting Carpenter, Dalton, Acton, and others; he showed that Malthus, Professor Fawcett, Mrs. Fawcett, and others, advocated voluntary limitation of the family, establishing his positions by innumerable quotations.

He compared Knowlton with the work of Dr. Acton's submitted to him, and said despondingly that one was just the same as the other.

Some, who have never read the Knowlton pamphlet, glibly denounce it as a filthy and obscene publication.

When Knowlton says that he wishes that marriage should take place as early as possiblemarriage being the most sacred and holy of all human relationshe means nothing of the kind, but means and suggests, in the sacred name of marriage, illicit intercourse between the sexes, or a kind of prostitution.

Knowlton goes into physiological details connected with the functions of the generation and procreation of children.

But there is another view of this subject, that Knowlton intended to reconcile with marriage the prevention of over-population.

The rest of the story of the Knowlton pamphlet is soon told.

With the decision of the Court of Appeal our pledge not to sell the Knowlton pamphlet came to an end, and we at once recommenced the sale.

There is no convictionof oursregistered against the Knowlton Pamphlet, the whole of the proceedings having been swept away; and the prosecutors are left with a large sum out of pocket, and no one any the worse for all their efforts.

At our trial the Lord Chief Justice said, that it was the advocacy of the preventive checks which was the assailable part of Knowlton; that advocacy is strongly and clearly to be found in the new pamphlet, together with facts useful to mothers, as to the physical injury caused by over-rapid child-bearing, which Knowlton did not give.

'The Law of Population', price 6d., post free 8d., has been specially written by Mrs. Besant to supersede the Knowlton pamphlet.

The circulation of literature advocating prudential checks to population was not stopped during the temporary suspension of the sale of the Knowlton pamphlet between June, 1877, and February, 1878.

The amount of money subscribed by the public during the Knowlton and succeeding prosecutions gives some idea of the interest felt in the struggle.

4d. passed on to a new Fund for the defence of Mr. Truelove, the carrying on of the appeal against the destruction of the Knowlton pamphlet, and the bearing of the costs incident on the petition lodged against myself.

" As to the publication of the Knowlton pamphlet, Sir George Jessel decided that that also was a good ground for separating mother and child.

Kingsmill, Prior King's Somborne Kingston Kingston, Lacy Kingston, Russell King's Worthy Kintbury Knapp Hill Knights' Enham Knightwood Oak Knook Knowle Hill Knowlton Konigsmark, Count Ladle Hill Lake Lamb, Chas.