By Isle of Wight Observer
This story from the Isle of Wight Observer published on 14th March, 1857 show that some things never change – although these days it tends to be council officers that keep the council’s secrets rather than councillors!
GAGGING THE PRESS.
Messrs. Thurlow and Littlefield, both professing Liberal principles, made an attempt last Tuesday evening at the meeting of Commissioners to gag the Press, by not permitting its representatives to have access to the town documents, only at the time of their meetings. The reason of this attempt seems to be a feeling of deep mortification that the local Press has for a long time treated with “dignified silence” the puerile nonsense chattered by them, and merely confine their reports to results accomplished. We are aware that wounded vanity will prompt all sorts of frantic tricks, but we did not think anything but the spirit of despotism would desire to close public archives against all persons interested in seeing them. It is a pity this brace of pseudo-liberals could not be invested with absolute power, if only for a year; we should then see, the Press gagged, elections nullified, mad schemes hurried forward, and consequence defied.
We should sincerely desire to see these two liberal gentlemen upon their re-election now, and we vouch for it that the ratepayers would not endorse this doctrine of secrecy attempted to be foisted upon the policy of the Commissioners.