Hansard

Hansard, a well-known name in connection with the printing of the British parliamentary records. Luke Hansard, born in 1752 at Norwich, came to London in 1770, and worked for some years as compositor in the office of Hughes, printer to the House of Commons, whom in 1798 he succeeded as sole proprietor of the business. He died in 1828; but his descendants continued to print the parliamentary reports down to the beginning of 1889. In 1837 a bookseller named Stockdale brought an action for libel against the Messrs Hansard, the libel consisting of statements in the parliamentary reports which the latter had printed, and after more than one trial the judges decided in favour of Stockdale. To obviate any similar case an act of parliament was passed, directing that proceedings against persons for publication of papers printed by order of either House of Parliament are to be stayed by the courts of law, upon delivery of a certificate and affidavit that such publication is by order of either House. Cobbett's Parliamentary History of England from 1066 to 1800 was continued from 1806 by the son and successors of Luke Hansard; and the name Hansard has been since then given to the printed reports of the debates in parliament. But the speeches there printed are not taken down by a special staff of shorthand writers; they are extracted in the gross from the London morning newspapers. They are usually sent to the peers or members by whom they were spoken for revision and correction. See Biographical Memoir of Luke Hansard (1829) and Report of Select Committee of House of Commons (1828).