A formal discourse in public. 2. The liberty of speech is guarantied to members of the legislature, to counsel in court in debate. 3. The reduction of a speech to writing and its publication is a libel, if the matter contained in it is libelous; and the repetition of it upon occasions not warranted by law, when the matter is slanderous, will be slander and the character of the speaker will be no protection to him from an action.