The National Register. — London, England, 1820-04-17 00:00:00

G +. ko,'"/ 7x2 ..... CIIESHI3E SPRING ASSIZES. MONDAY. APRIL 10. SENTENCE 01 MAGINNIS AND BRUCE. At the sitting, (If the Court, Jacob Magiunis and J:t:nei , George Bruce were I.):4ltilit up to receive . . Judgment. OA the prisoners 116,1 , 4 asked what they had to say I why sentence of death should not be pronounced upon them, I\l3.;innis said, my Lord, this man (Bruce) is in toicent : 1 am rite mall who shot Birch : butt though I shot Breit, there is not a man who came against inu• not swore falsely. Birch hituseh swore falsely, and Pearson swore fithatiV. 1 repeat, that lam the man who shut Birch, and I can give your Lordship several reasons for it ; butt no man knew of toy shooting Birch except peaceable. At the time the cap of liberty was put on the flag, Sir Charles turned round, and said something he did not hear. There was a demur. The cap was then hoisted. Thomas Welsh, a clerk to Mr. Harrop, in Manches.. ter was O yards flout the hustings, and heard Harrison read a letter. He made a few notes in the evening en his return home: the paper he now held was not the same. lie had written loose notes, which he had embodied in this paper, and then destroyed. Mr. Pearson objected to this paper, as not purporting to be even a copy of the notes. His memory might as well he refreshed by any newspaper of the time. Mr. Park argued the same objection. Winless, in answer to the Court, said this paper had been written a month after the meeting. Mr. Benyon contended that the paper was admissible to refresh his memory, but declined to press it. The Chief Justice said, it was the same as if a. note had been made a month after the occasion. Mi. Sergeant Marshall thought it dangerous to allow this paper. Witness desired to trust entirely to his recollection; said that Mr. Harrison had read horn a letter that the Deity had intended man for happiness, and provided a sufficiency of all good Iloilo to make hint so; but as this majority of that meeliag was extremely unhappy and miserable, and rendered so by their rulers, the intetvions of the Deity had beets frustrated, and rebellion against government became alnima a duty. —Sir Charles arrived while Mr. Harrison was reading, who then ceased. Sir Charles was proposed to the chair, he thought by Mr. Harrison, He beliesen they shook hands. Sir Charles thanked them for the honour done him; he was no orator, bin a determined friend of the people, and a friend to annual parliaments and universal suffrage, and if any spies or informers were hearing him, let them tell their Castlereaghs and Sidinouffis, and the . others who e mployed them, that he abhorred and ex. aerated them and their proceedings. There was much apolanse. Sir Charles read the resolutions, and put them • to the meeting. All the resolutions were agreed to. Sir Charles after wards said, that he was a most determined friend of the people, and should remain so while there was a drop of blood in his heart; his political career had commenced in France, and he was one of the first who mounted the ramparts at the taking of the Bastile in that country, and he would not shrink from attacking the Basilic, in this country. Cross-examined by Mr. Park.—The meeting dispersed quietly at four o'clock. He was at the meeting quite undisturbed all the .He would have thought it troublesome to carry the sticks; they might have thought otherwise. He felt no alarm. He was sent to watch the meeting by Mr. Harrop, publisher of a newspaper in Manchester. Edward Shawcroft examined by Lloyd.—Was at Stockport on the ginh July, and at the meeting. As soon as he arrived on the ground, Collier, a police. officer, was knocked down. They said he was a spy, they would do all the rest so. Sir Charles Wolseley said he began his military career—(he was not sure of "mi litary,' but he said some career. lie took notes, but ave them up to a person in Manchester, who cot.ld net find them.) Sir Charless said, lie had been at the takiod of the Bastile in Fr amt.. and he hoped soon to be at taking the Bastiles it this country. Cross-ex.miined by Mr. Pearson.—lle was there as. ssting Ids father, who was clerk to the police. He thought military, warlike, or martial, was the word used, or to that effect. Several other witnessi s were examined, but their eve. (knee was purely confirmatory of the foregoing. 'l'hc case for the prosecution having closed, Mr. Pearson ad. dressed the Jury for more than two hours in Isehall of Sir Charles Wolseley, after which Mr. Harrison rose in his own defence ; he began by begging the patient hear ing oldie Jury during his address, which he stated would probably occupy many hours. This patience he drew largely upon, for he proceeded in a way that was on preccdented ;he read and commented 4111 t h e charge to the Grand Jury lie read Jeremy Bentham's "Remarks on the littliettnent against Sir Charles IVolseley• and Mr. Ilartison"—he alluded to an article in some Re% iew, which he said was written by Me. Brougham, and declared that lltuthant had 'noted that the Jury could not find them guilty without violating their oaths. lie decliated calling wi•eesse, Witnesses were tutu caned on the part of Sir Charles Wolseley. Jeremiah Garnett was reporter to " Wheeler's Man. Clio stet Chronicle " at the time of the Stockpot t meeting. This is called a ministerial paper. Attended to report the proceedings there. Has no doubt 5,000 persons %WC present, There was one circumstance which Malawi trim shout the meeting; a person in the empl o y of Mr. Nadirs was knocked down; that was before Sir Chalks W elsetey came. tie lett no other alarm. Did you hear the words from Sir Charles Wet" li•y, "Unite your strength, for in a few weeks the struggle \sal be made and cuded ? I did not. C r oss-examined—Now belongs to " The West Hiding Chronitie ;" that is a ministerial paper. Robert Thorns% liampson attended the Stockport muct ing us a reporter for IVardle's " Manchester Wiser %ei ;'' took notes of what passed from the beginnieg to the end; was on the hustings ; felt no alarm from what he tow there wits no alarm in Slackpiiit 41 Sir Charles d'ulvtley addre.s the ;seople to keep the peace ; he s poi.e lusher to-Levis He said he had known pollee taccrs break the peace instead of keeping it, amid desired thrill to keep the peace. Did out lit ar sir C. W olseleY that in 4 to NV weeks the struggle would Inc wade mud ended; though probably would hate heard it if it had been said. c r os4-examined.—The account its The Maischtster Oh scruff was given by withers; remembered Harrison 144. S nil:. it was as 10011111 to pention the Hotoe of 111111 l :IS 11 master weir to go dowo upon his knees to intreat his In , ' vial set saint to do that duty for which he wa s engaged awl paid. Think* Ilan non said something like--" to petition THE NATIONAL REGISTER• thyself. Bruce—Your Lordship has said that the innocent man has nothing to fear. I say now, as I have said before, I am not afraid of the semence which you are about to pronounce upon me. I can face my God, and with a clear conscience ; fur I ant innocent of the crime laid to my charge. lam ready to die , but if I die, I die innocent. I shall not be affected by your se oteliee, my Lord ; it is the law, and I will submit, I mast s ubunit, to it. But I shall appear with confidence and composure before any God; and any sentiments will be found the same at the hour of my death, if I am to die. The Chief Justice then addressed the prisoners at con siderable length, and concluded by saying—" the sen-• troce upon your crime is death ; and it is the firm deter mination of the Judges of this Court that your sentence 1113, , ,iimis, shall be carried into execution on Saturday next—a period more early than is ninal. Prisoners, volt have not long to live : the period of your days is fixed; and 1 would entreat of you to pass the small re mainder of your time in I ble prayer to the Great Disposer of all things, to whom alone you can now look for pardon. In this world the hopes of both are Closed. The sentence of the Court upon you both is, that you be taken from hence to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, where you he hanged by the neck until you are dead ; and the Lord have mercy on your souls! Maginnis.—Thank you, my . Lord. The prisoners appeared quite unmoved by the sen tence pronounced upon them. Bruce spoke and con ducted himself altogether with the most perfect compo sure. Ills language and manner were elegant. TRIAL OF SIR CHARLES WOLSELY. BART- AND OF JOSEPH HARRISON, FOR SEDITION. The Court was excessively crowded at an early hour, with the expectation of hearing this trial. Mr. Pear son, of the Oxford circuit, attended to conduct Sir Charles Wolsely's defence, Mr. Park of the northern circuit was with him. Mr. Dennison of Liverpool, was his attorney. Sir Charles, who had arrived here on Sa turday night, attended early in Court. After some fe lonies had been tried, the case was called about eleven o'clock, and eight gentlemen of the special jury an swered to their names. Mr. Attorney-General for Chester, prayed a tales; and four common jurors, were sworn, to com plete a jury. Mr. Lloyd stated the indictment to be against Sir Charles Woisely, Bart., and Joseph Harrison, school master, on two grounds. The first count charged that they had excited to tumult and insurrection, by holding a numerous meeting on the 28th of July, and addressing seditious words to them, calculated to bring the govern ment into hatred and contempt. The second count charged that they had agreed together to stir up the peo ple to tumult and insurrection, and to excite hatred and contempt against the government. Mr. Benyon then rose to address the Jury on the part of the prosecation, and had proceeded for some time, when-. Mr. Pearson (Connsel for Sir Charles Wolscley) re quested that all witnesses might be ordered to quit the Court. The Justice.—Let the witnesses on both sides leave the Court ; and let notice he given that no winless who lemains shall be permitted to give evidence. Proclamation to that effect was made. Mr Benyon continued, and in the course of a very long speech took a general review of all those occur retsces which it was meant to prove in evidence. The first witness called was John Kenyon Winterbottom, examined by Sergeant Cross, said he was a solicitor in Stockport. He saw a public meeting in the town of Stockport, between one and two o'clocsk on the QBth of July last. He attended in a building ( Sunday-school), near the meeting. The place is called Sandy draw. He should think there were 4,000 or 5,000 assembled. Ile was not so near as to observe whether they were strangers or inhabitants. They were quiet at first. Most of teem had sticks, which appeared to have been newly cut from Ite(l,4es. They were not walkinsticks. The population is upwards of 2,000. There were hustings or a scaflidd. Several per sons were on the scaffold. Sir Charles was pointed out to him as one: he knew Mr. Ilarrisoo, and saw him there. Mr. Harrison taught a school there. Sir Charles had no connexion that ate knew with Stockport. The first thing he observed was a hissing, by the whole mul titude. The next thing he übsersed was rassiog some resolutions. There Was a chairman, he believed Sir OWLS \Volseiey. He should think they had some persons of common sense in Stockport olio could act as chairmen; that there W•l3 nu oecessity our sending for Sir Charts: he heard all distinctly; be only heard Sir Charles say mass tug the ri!SO:1160111; Ire was in an upper-room, ahoat 1001 yards !iota, lhr hod I. ! , their 11313.13; he S•inf them held Up their sucks, affil eonjec!tuu dlt was on account of the e made by playmg on an organ. He was there to st e, not tali(' a pact; he saw no respectable in -s;:btk • at the tone lie and ic.l per:evil secure, and ctitertauLl mu a pprelicaision for p. ace or ploperty. Ile continued to feel that con- fill. nce throuelolut the day. Ile conceived that if they continued together till night, it would he d-ngerons. lie beard Harrison say," The House of Contea - 4 was the people's servants ; that it was as absord to petition them as it would be for a master to petition his groom for his horse. He said that there uas a harrier between the throne and toe people, which must he removed either by foice from heasen or lull, in order that they might see whether a man or a p i g %vas upon the throne." lie thought there was lanenicr. Y), expression of derision was general. Ilarriieilt said, " The united will of the people seas sure to pre% d. It Was an axiom that could not be confuted. It ineent be necessary in some cases to petition the House ut leeds, who were, by the eon %Litanies, placed in a different situation to the House of Commons; but in the present corrupt state of things it was useless, and he wen id nut recoinmend it." He did not remember any . thing else. The discourse was cer tainly received with applause. Sir Charles IVolseley was on the same stage, lan two yards from Harrison. Cioss-examined by Mr. Pearson.—He was perhaps less, perhaps more than WO yards distant. There were women, about WI) or 200. Perhaps there were children, he did not see any. Ile woeld nut say that there were not dimly children playing on the side on which he was. When he spoke ot stieka he meant that the whole meeting had sticks. The stash were held up only once He could not take upon himself to say, looking at a meeting of 6,000 persons, what proportion held up sticks. He lived with Isis father and lister. They had not been removed from the town on that day ; no old or feeble person had been removed ; no shop had been shut, no alarm was expressed. The organ was in the room in which he was. He did not know that a chair man had been sent fur. He had not a remarkable me mory; he was not accustomed to attend meetings. His atteotion was not particularly called to Mr. Harrison. — He heard him very distinctly. Here Mr. Pearson read a speech of Harrison's from a newspaper, and asked the witness to repeat it after him. Mr. Seegeaut Marshall said, that it was not proper to read that. M. Pearson said he would have taken any other piece of writing as soon. His object was to try the wit. tress's memory. WitlieSS said, he could not repeat it. He saw nothing in the laugh to distinguish it as derision. He heard all the speakers, but none of them distinctly, except Mr. Harrison. Cross-examined by Mr. Harrison—He took notes on that day ; he had not got them now. The expression indisdnetly' applied to others; he heard Mr. Harrison distanctly. .Mr. Harrison was one of the whole--a pro minent one, he had heard enough. He had thought Mr. liari .son write figuratively, but did not understand his figures. lie thought the word pig was mentioned to excite contempt of the throne and King. He had read in a quotation that Mr. Burke had called the people the swinish multitude. lie had heard that a teacher in that school had said to the poor boys, if they attempted to be rich, they would ride in their coaches like pigs. Re-examined—Willan, Lewis, Fitton, and Knight, were there, 14011 C of them inhabitants of gtock port. Thomas Bolion examined by Mr. Ashworth.—Lired in Stockport. He saw numbers of cou'itry people come into the town on the 28th of July. Ha was lately from London ; be had been I I months ia Stockport. He thought those that passed his house were country people. They had nothing more than usual. Some had walking sticks, and were walking with them. He was at the meeting. He had before seen Sir Charles Wolseley go up John-street directly towards Sandy Brow. A young gentleman named Less is walked arm in arm with him. He saw a flag at the meeting; on one side was " no corn bill," on the other" universal suffrage, and vote by ballot." He had seen it first furled, and when Sir Charles arrived it was lowered. lie was first 30 yards from the hustings, and he then got within ten yards. He knew the Rev. Mr. Harrison, IVilan, Fitton, Knight, and Johnson, whom he saw on the hustings with Sir Charles Wolscley ; Harrison at one time stood next to Sir Charles. Both appeared to bear part in a conversation that was going on. Sir Charles on his arrival was received with loud illiZZ3s. Great numbers of the people were townsmen: he saw unosid sticks: they were not more nuinelous allow the hust ings than he should have expected. He stood anionget the crowd, and gained high ground when he could. He saw no chair. The first attention be paid was to Sir Charles NVolseley ;he heard what he said. He made a minute about an hour after, and could stete that Sir Charles had said whet he had there noted, lie was allowed to read "He was happy in addressing the people of Stockport from Sandy Brow; it was a place con. secreted to liberty by the absence of friends he would be happy to meet there; and he trusted Sandy Brow won'u be more famed in history than the field of Waterloo. Was there c peace-officer present, he trusted tii!y came to keep the peace, and not to break it. But was there any of your spies, your note-eikine or black-hook gentry, tell your employers, the tools of a Castlereagh and Sid- I mouth, that I hate them, that 1 detest them—that 1 I eternally execrate them. Ile was proud to say, that he was at the taking or the Bistde in France—he should be happy to be at the taking of a liastile in England." (Ile saw nothing but the action of speaking with force and energy) " And were all hearts but as firm in the cau s e a s hits own, they would seem put an end to the resent tyrallOy and cotruption." He beard Mr. Har rison, but took no tare of it, and now recollected no thing of it. Before be nail gone to the meeting he saw a man taken to a druggist's slug) with his head very cote eilerably lin:en—Mood flowing dowii li:s cheeks. Cross-examined by Mr. Park.—The Matt had been wounded before Sir Ciarles ratite to the meeting. He Was a cotton-brok.e. Ile felt not the least alarm. Ile armaimal at the ilicvliog wo mute. The meetieg dis persed quietly. Ile had put down only a small pert of Iris specter. it was not all uttered ia the saute commu ous part. His address wa, generally to the people to be