Acquittal of the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung*

* Cologne, February 8. As we already reported in some copies of our yesterday’s issue, the charge against editor-in-chief Marx, editor Engels and the manager of the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung* concerning the article ** Cologne, July 4 (in the issue of July 5, 1848) was heard in yesterday’s assizes session. The article dealt with the arrest of Herr Anneke and had given rise to a charge of slander against the gendarmes who carried out the arrest (Art. 367 of the Code pénal) and of insult against chief prosecutor Zweiffel (Art. 222 of the Code pénal). The accused were acquitted by the jury after a short deliberation.

Of the many press trials pending against the *N. Rh. Z.*, this one, the oldest, is important in that this time, in the jury’s decision, the above-mentioned Articles 222 and 367 (in conjunction with Art. 370) were interpreted and applied quite differently from the way the Rhenish correctional police courts used to do formerly. Yet apart from those concerning direct incitement to civil war and rebellion, Arts. 222 and 367 are the only ones the ingenuity of the Rhenish prosecuting authorities has so far succeeded in applying to the press. The jury’s verdict of acquittal is therefore a new guarantee for freedom of the press in Rhenish Prussia.

We shall report the proceedings in abridged form as soon as possible.

Today Marx again stands before the jury, together with Schneider, the deputy for Cologne, and Schapper, on account of a call for refusal of taxes which they issued as members of the Democratic District Committee.