The National Register. — London, England, 1817-06-23 00:00:00

ett 01400 nit No. 439.—V0L. X. 1 4 . i. 31. AND ACQUITTAL. OF MR. WATSON, AND THE OTHER PRISONERS. ON CHARGES OF HIGH TREASON. •-•rtsequence of the Copious Narrative of these Tm partant Proceedings, which we gave in our iast Fa:ier. and also in order to prevent the exclusion of otl..er Interesting articles of intelligance that have o: erred during the week, WATSON'S Tr.!AL EIS been canfl:lly revised, and impartially a'Jrldged, only expurglng useless reretions tending to render the fJllow:.ng ;'home a sat:sfac tlry I)ccuiner.t. The Attorney . fier eral rose ate ! sty-'teas f,M,v e % r t nn. ti!' men (dike Jury. ynit arc usstrabled in that her. to perform sale of the most impot taut functions that can dteras. to men in a state of society. You are assembled to &ride upon the wilt or innocence of one of your fellow subjects. who stands charged with the crime of high treason— the bight st et ;me tlatt eau be committed by man against the society of wloch he forms a pact ; for it strike• at the root or nil society —ef. feels a total di-organisation of its principles—and hicuks sip all the eomfurls oral 61 , ',sings that wait it pon man under the administration of the law. Upon the one haul, gentle /non, you insist be desirous to protect the constitution under which you live acutost tiny trensounble attempts. You will act upon tire pi itteivle inseparable front freedom by arltick this nation t, protected, unit stand forward to assert sea prove your tilk to tine character which it suppotts. And itothe other hand, you will consider. before you come to a eanclosiou, that gnilt his been established—you will take care that the charge is made out Upon Mro}l;,', pit bable, and convincing evidence. I think, gentlemen, flint when I have stated and proved the case which I have to otter to your con sideration, there can be no question asise as to thy verdict you will deliver; there will appear no doubt ac to the guilt of the prisoner, not only as regarila the first, second, third, and fourth counts in the indicnnent collectively, bat as re gards them separately and distinctly—[They were detailed in our last Palter.) —here the Learned Gentleman twitted lento a detailed history ut all the circumstances connected with the conspiracy. 'Lire principal parties concerned in it were, Watson,Prestosi, Ilitoper,Thistlewood.—From 15th Nov. to 2d slay of December, no means of industry were left unemployed ?a ...felting the passions and infiamingthe minds of the people. '1 he day of the second meeting, however, was approaching, Lad the inquiry was, what should be done? An ads ortisetnent, among other things. was agreed upon, and perhaps to read it was the but way at once to show its meaning. It was as follow s " Er.g!=a Ocpecti every man to do his duty.' A meeting . w2l tae:, place on the ed D•ewriner. to recelve the answer of the pe tickn eo tie l'rinee Regent. aetmmined :non at the last Meeting held at rr.e and tar ether imporn.nt considerations. The present srate. et 'heat timin :--Four nulßor.; is distrera t I !—Four m illi (e . ; en:bar:axed! I I-0n: Taillion and a half fear distress ! ! !—Our tue:.ers a 3/eland are in a worse state I—Tice climax of zniery is .rmplete :an go ro further. Death would now be a relief to mil -lens. Ar!ogar.w, fci!y. and erimer, have brought affairs to this tinvai erlrts. Fairness and integrity only can save the country.— After the :sit meeting. sane disorderly people were guilty of attack nig the inceerty of i:Aividuale. They were ill informed Of the tsbjec: cf the:taseling ; .it was net to plunder persons suffering in these cola. ma:tutus times, :n '.:Damon with ethers ; the day writ coal merive when their disttesets wal be re.ieved. The radar's wrongs must be tai.rcesed.—,iolatn Dyal, Chair:am. Thomas Perton. Secretary." When Mr. Watson, senior, was taken, nn the ed of Decem ber, tte paper foanil let his pocket was tins : tt ernitht (-ner.e.ingliz:ktntitts). Weentir.ster-road, to form three i.'nisione. and colent as great a member u pessi t =ethee, ge l d mee t toe I cnaolldivision at ta: LorelJn-road. and p to the Old Man, I'alle'.l.egton. to prcr:eix! to St. Oiles's—llarrioade each street to Rol torn Pars. and the approaches to T. B. (meaning Temple Bar). —Barricade Char.orry.boo and Carepstreet. St. Giles'a division to hammock as fax a: St. Andrew's Holborn. to include Chancery :sr.e ; 3d, :ray's lr.nlant ; 4th, St. dohn-strevt and Old -stmt; stli, Whitechapel ; rich, Rene; 7th, Pickett-street." The principal orators on that occasion were the prisoner Watson, and his son, James Watson, junior.—lLientienien I watt abort to state you the eircct of the addresses delivered by the prisoner at the bar, and his son, to the misguided mul titude assenight on the 2.1 of December. The langthige used by Mr. Watson, eerier, on that occasion was this:— " Friende and Cone:tr.:ote—We are canYcned this day, in mole. quence of er..! retttlution pasTrZ at our List rweting, to hew the answer to die r etition which we agreed to precast to the f'rirrre !leveed. I cannot retract from exprearng the pleasure which I feel at thus ow in addressing so respeetable a meeting. The petition which Mr. ILuict was deputed to present to the Prince regent, was prepared in tee hope that his Royal I fighness would give an answer to the cries set those starving thousands by whom he is surrentided. lam sorry to inform yaii. however, that he has resolved to givens no answer— that he will afilml us no consolation. It is useless then to take that raurim. This day we are called on av take other mealtime.; and Eng. J.a.d expect.; every man to do his duty ! (Applauses.) We &recalled on. because !mu millions of cur country men are in distress !—lx cause so many more are embarrassed ! because one million and a half fear distress. While theme miseries exist, how few enjoy splendid luxury ! roily half a million of the people of this country, as this plat iral ce nt *”(1, arc not at fear either of end:armaments or death. I ask you, riiemis and Countrymen, if Ministers have done their duty in ad vising the Prince Regentnot to licarour cries ? (No.) lira the Priror Regent himself dune his duty P (No, no!) Was there ever a mere ralamitone time in this country than the preoentenoment a t rt, no!) It is not only this country that is opprossed—ouv sistereneintry. Ire land. shares in our iiii.fortimet. There, the clines% of misery has teem brought to a close. There. their sidtbrinse.oannot he esti oiled fanner. Are we to gO frorn time to time, nuta month to month, from year to •iear, crying to the fisther of his people, as he it; cashed, in vans Met nucsa kNo, so) "i'he emeent is the time to do some- Our ilitts, tt MONDAY, JUN: I trr+ an it atIO. 25, 1817. , thing. (Ilurn.) What I will men, yids minds and hearts of Eng lisluzet, natal-re this for months and gears to be starved ? (No.) How are we to be restored to our rights? Not by talking I—Not by long speeches—not by petition; for fur petitions are not heard. (Brays.) It appears we &replaced in a state of bondage; the rights of ' civil soeiety are Lot attendid in. The calls of the multitude from tune to nine have availed nothing. That Parlament that was des tined fbr the pro:at:on of the pen la, has been invited to assemble together, to take into colisiileration the distresses of these calamitous times ; to ennsiilte, in their ate loin, if they possess wisdom, the situa tion in which w e 4„:r ow, el. In thirdiatressed -tate sf things th:y should have obeyettour call; they should have assembled hig , thi.r , I sr ti have taken into esnsideration the s' edema of a dying multitude, 404 not be deaf to our prarzs. (G fn s and lions.) It mar! r ... *A ourselves. then ,to consider how w eto ?ell( se ourselves in tit. -, calienitious timer. We have ken to truly, that trade and iiori tr.er^i: have been annihilated; but still we have the earth which 'eat ure deth.toed fir the support of mankind.—The ray:li is solicit/irk/ piaci: every nun in distress in a comfortable situation. If be has hut a spade and a hoe to turn up his mother earth, that will prevent linii fiiont. starring. Inane situation in winch we are ;dared, lit.w is this to he done ? I will tell you ; I bad said that the bowl.; of society have been neglected; what. then, is i.Kir situation ? They have placed us in a state of nature. They have neglected the tries of the hungry and starving ptople. Not • day passel in the streets of this ; great metropolis, in which people are not seen starving to death- Are they ignotaht of this ? (No.) If they are, they ought not to le ; hut they are not. They know well that th.i.peg:e are starving in every- part of the kingless', and yet will atitnit of no meauttes to relieve them I (Groats.) Will they now heat o'ir cries? cNcy Have they not been supplicated in the la.-.guage of' men. initbelanptage of forbearance. and of patient suffering? (Yes.) The Israelite,' were in a state of bondage for a lunge time, but- we donble that time. Ever since the Norman (:onquest. kings tand Lords) have been deluding you.— They have, in many instances, converted the peop le to their own wicktiputposes ;but this must not last any longer. (Shouts.) _. . - - Genttenon, such was the longunge of the prisoner on that ' occasion. It was impossilde to misunderstand his allusion. to the Norman Conquest. It io ohs:turn that his object was to bring into scandal and contempt the kingly authority. We thin come to the address of the prisoner's eon to the multi to de then assembled. It was to this effect:— •• The last time wetnet in this place, I had the honour of saying akw words. I was the person who parted the zeo4ution for our meeting again this day.—lt was said thew that we should hold our nseotong on the first day of the trice of Pieliamier. It was rat in out power, however, to toll when Pa&ament would meet—it might never men at all ! (Applause.) At that time we agreed to present a petition to the Prince Regent. This petition, we have been told, was presented. but answer there was none, except that ti:e Prince Regent said. • that his family never intended to the prayers of tlse or they never answered any petition which did not comic from pro; of Oxford and Cantbrld„;e, or from the Correlation of London; in other words, • I sill not attend to the prayers of the people* (—... lap.) This man calls himself the father of the people t— him.) Is it tot Of duty of a &her m protect his children ? (Yes.) Does he do so? (No.) No, leaves you but too me.- ground for complaint ; while he on your rights. Them is no 11,00.117 which he sparse: he M a o * mpg:lces will be paid out of your pockets (Osoono). J'at we to this any longer? (Na.) is Will Englishmen any longer ming selves to be trampled upon like the Boor African slaves in , est Indict. or like clods and L ,, p stones (No, we must have relief). 1 r4Ttexped nothing (Yes). I beg your pardon,—since our meeting, from the resoiotions which were passed by the people, call' ing leron each other to come ft.rward, stone persons did distribtue ox-cheek broth and ox-bone soup. (Laughter.) Many came towed with their 2001. andr-Cvd• who should have come forward with their one hundred Andrea hun dred thousands ! De you believe that these contributors have 3 sincere wish ter the people ? (No.) They osme forward to rob you of all you possess, and then give you w - peony to pay the turnpike (Laughter ard cheers). The Prince Regent, is Isis great generoato, in conse qoince of our miseries. has given you 500C1. out of fads which do cot touch his own poiket (Stouts). Ile plunders yet of millions, and then gives you part of the spoil. My friend hem (Mr. Preston, as was supposed) has been described to the Treasury Jon - trials as a second %Vat Tyler. No bad title; he be it recollected that Wat Tyler stepped boldly forward for the purpose of resisting an oppressito tax--and would have succeeded had he not been basely murdered by William Walworth, then Lord Mayo? of London. Hut we have no bull-rush Load Mayor now ; and if he had been surrounded by thenismois of his fellow countrymen m l am now, heneed notdouht his success. (Burro!) It seems the determined resolution cf mi nisters to carry things with what they call a high hand—or as t'acy say, Our Sovereign Lord the King will carry, every thing with firm ness. In short, they will carry the bU.' ineas in defiance of the voice of thepeopie. (Cheers.) If they will not give its what we want, then shall we not take k ? (Yes, vest) Are you willing to take it ? (Yes, yes'.) Will you go and take it? (Yes.) If 1 lamp down among you, will you follow me i (Yes ! yet ! front a thousand voids.' Upon which he jumped down, and the prisoner and his son. heading the mob, proceeded towards the city, accompanied by 'll6th:wood and others of the conspirators. In their pro gress they were assailed by some of the police-officers (who will be called to you) and by whose cicerones some of the banners ant{ flags were taken . friin them. Oa one of those banners was inscribed, •• The sphliers are our friends—treat them kindly." Can any man dotibt that the object of this inscription was to seduce the aoidicry, iu ease it should be found necessary to call them oust for the purpose o f putting down and repressing the itisitrri•ction.--Why were the gun smiths' shops attacked, and the pawnbrokers, except it was to furnish arms which were to answer the purposes they bail in view? All doubt will now be removed, by which I shall have made out a case from these transactions in support of the indictment, namely, conspiring sail imagining the death of the King, intending to depose the King, and also levying war for the prirpose of deposing his Majesty. ~. Mr. V. G. Dowling, exumined by the Solicitor general. W as present at the Spa Fields nierting on the loth Novem ber, and produced from his short bawl notes the speeches of the two Watson!, for whist see the Attorney-General's speech. C ^.e vmu itied by 11l r. Wetherall. Wittier:dm , riot asked any reward from Government. Fie bas hero promised !woe. Ile dues slot expect ouy. tie never said he was yittinici.4l any,omployrnent uncle. rioverriment iu eousequeuce of the share be had in tbi, t.lioilleba. lit LX ., 1 . . PRICE 94. peeled payment merely for his labour as short hand writer; he never said he expected any reward or employment front Government, nothing beyond the payment of his service as a short-hand writer, he lead dose more than mare writing for Government, and therefore he expected something more than. the mere remuneration per folio; he, perhaps, said geueraity, that he expected to he reironerated for his truthle. Witot ss irenscriht d the short-hand owe:: ist root. of the proceedittra in sp a I I.h on that day, mud it to a pPrt4l.; W - 11 !U• MI. Beckett, the Under Seceerar:. f); etr qooteDep.irt•let:t. 11, ihu s roml, he certainly inl VIVe the tr4itters.nt of a short-hand note to Me Beckett the ftlhiveing;teas not so a, eor,;re copy of hi. short-haud eTS Itt.ut Wilk') lie 17:t•I rean to the Cutlet i„ the t . ..wiger W.ll ll:Vre nag:4- platy writt,:ii ... _ 14icitard P:att, examined by Mr. Oterney. • While I some in Mr. Beekwitlis sha l t. a young than r,: •!...sif in, stamped his foot twice, and e ieil, " Arms ! Arms ! ti 7 e want arena." He threw his pistol up, cocked it, and was in. thee net of bringing it down, when I struck at him with my/ lett hand, rend caught the muzzle of the pistol. He drew .t from me to prevent we-, and brought it round and shot roe :re the belly. The bail entered about four inches from the nave 1.. He ran at me again: I supposed it was a double byre/ st pistol, and I elide avoeired to retch it ; 'closed with hien, alio rt Mealtime{ a blow with the butt end of it; and I do not knew what became of it. I said, ta hat did you shoot me for: I art one ofy on t lie then leaked up to the ceiling, said, "My God! ::end for a surgeon: I ant a snrgeon myself, I am set,. led young man ; I have been ut Spa-fields." lle endeacoens• ed to pass, but I ;tail him stopped. A constable Came tint searched his pockets, in which wore found a pair of lancet.. We were a considerable time in Mr. Beckwittes countire ing house. together ; and the atirgeon and myself escaped over a wall the back way in safety. F.vidence of Castles, the .Necompliee. John Castlee was then called. Ire said lie knew Watson. the elder perfectly; he knew yonng Watson, Thistiewood, Hooper, and Preston ; be knew Hooper two rug ago, and becanie acquainted with Watson about t h e Ist of October last: be had seen him before, he hacame acquainted a ith him at the Cock, in Grafton-street, where 3.seciety of Spec. mins meet. Watson f.rst introducer! himself to•inin by say ing it would be an easy thine to upset Government cond aim ally, if properly handled. 11:is was at Oral - ton-street, and they appointed the next n'sglit to meet at the Mnlllierry Tree, Moot-fields, where another society of Speu:eana meet. Ile saw Preston that inure night, and hail 3(1.11 Lire 1,041. tr ;, Pro*. ton that night bad called him down stairs, and wished hint in meet him at another house near Fleet. nart.et, %sheer: a soci ety of tradesmen met. Ile ask , d for what pnrpese they met. Preston said, it was to petition Parliament to do away the trise of machinery. kfe also asked the soma fp:ration as Wat- • son had, to meet the next night. Fie told tin: he bad ' , toady promised Watson. Accordingly di the next night be met them at the Mulberry Tree. The two Wutsume, Pie:vile, Hooper, Thistleweeod, and the two *:varies, were the re, and John Harriser.; the *there he did not know. He was led away that night with the prisoner Watson, who again repeat ed, it would be an cazy trattet to npset I,*.ervernment, it' thin thing was handled as it ought to be. The witness asked what Way? Watson said, it could easily be dune, if a few goes! fellows were got toeether. tie said he had kirosrlf de awn tip a plan to prevent the cavalry front attacking the people. He then :aid, they had already got several people, a n d 4 Committee was formed, and sitting, to devise the best mode and the best plan. He then asked where he lived, and the witness told hint, No. a, New.street-road. Watson said, he would call the next morning and skew him his plat'. He did call the next day, at one ow Saturday morning, and *hewed him several pepers ; one was a plan of the Tower ; a plan of the new line to keep off the cavalry front annoying the mob; it was about the size of a common comas wheel, with spikes and a sort of scythe at the end. Ile wished the witness to exert himself to get men to join them. There were other drawings of the bridges and ildherent avenues to the Toweg, lie asked how many men the witness thought he could bring; he r eplied, he knew a great many, but did lot /scow whether they could he depended upon if they were put to the beet. Watson said he must crert himself ; the witness replied, he had nothing but his business to live on; he said, never retied that, they had plenty of money, and wends' find something , better for him. He believed they met again that night, but certainly next morning, and during a walk down Drnryslane, Watson said, they had got a Committee of five—Thistlewood, Harrison, Preston, himself, and son; that he should be made one of the generals, and have a party of pikemen and others, and might consider himself as nun of the committee from ttaat time, and they would take no more. They then made ano ther appointment to meet at a Spetteean meeting, at the Nag's Head, in ('arnaby Market; they ACCOldinkly met that esea ing at the Naga Head—both the Watson*, Preston, Hooper, Thistlewood, and the two Evanses; out the Tuesday tellowing be set the eider Watson by appointeneut ; they wove to go and inspect the Purtmarentreet Barracks and the king..street Barracks; front thence they went to the Powder Magaame in Hyde Park—one Skinner was with them; their object ass to see how the barracks could be best set foe to. When they were alone, Watson said, Skinner was not so clever as .te thought; he had no idea of him at all-. he intended to Lace • made him an officer, but It would nut do. The Weduesslag following. as he believed, he met Watson at Newton's,. cud was introduced to Thistlewood, by Hairrisou ; ha ontataidahe strangers who were present, and he had a Conversation with 'fhistlewood as to how length would take lii.o to make a quad. tity of pike heads has he was by trade a smith); Newton's is ' a public house, near liroad•rourt, Drury-lone; he told This. &wood he had no place to make any ; Harrison said, tie thought he knew a person who would lead the use of llip. ! I forge; be the canine they met epaiti, and in the mean time hit' bad got a ill!,.: head, veltich yetis, wade by one 'lento y, in t 4 little gimp in it cellar in Hart street; lie asked Bmiticy pa • lend Lim tits. WI, of his forge to wake a slat, but Be-limey , • • dip i , • ,„ 4e . •• , It 4