The National Register. — London, England, 1820-03-20 00:00:00

iPositdettpt. LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 20. Ti, er (ICU*, p. YORK ASSIZES. TRIAL OF MR. lIUNT AND OTHERS. (FIRST *N.) THURSDAY, MANCH appointment of this day for the trial of Nlr. Hunt, and seized along with Imo at Manchester, 'Noised a peas crowd to collect at an early hour before the Castle gate.. A little before nine Mr. Hunt made his ie.pearnitee, ac companied by Mr. Pearson, his actor. e ; and 8114 by JOllslas, %Vylde, Healey, and Swift. Saxton and the re maining defendants came into Court shortly atierwarils; they seated themselves at the acinicircular table placed in the centre of it, and occupied More titan half the apace usually occupied by the leading Barristers. At 9 o'clock exactly Mr. Jiistice Bayley entered, and the ether - diately calk./ uu the cads attic King v. Henry Hind and n.ue others. The names oe the persons summoned to art as special jurors fu 11141 cause w ere then called over, when tell gen tlemen ministered to their names. The box was then cleared ; a tales was prayed, and Mr. Septiamis Bromley, of Sculetiates, Hull, and Mr. George Addey, of Wakefield, were added ti Tile Jury having been aeon. Mr. Littledale proceeded to open the indictment, whirl; charged the defendants, Henry Hunt, John Knight, Joseph Julinsuip, J.'l'. Safittii, Samuel ItainterieJosepli Hrely, JAillett eloorlionse, Ruht. Jones, George swift, and Robert Wilde, with having on the Ist day of July, 1819, and at divers Muer Cones, rou se:ln d together to cad great public teleran's& of the people, and then el.y to excite ulcer in the mind* of his Majesty's peaceable subjects; and that, in futile:ranee of their de signs, they had, on the !nth ut Aneust last, at Manchester, illegally, 'mouldy, and tumultuously, assembled a lerge body of people, to the her of 60,000 and upwards, with flags, Winters, &c. There were other counts, charging tile defendants with a riot. The defeudants pleaded not guilty, and issue was joined upou it. Mr. Strailial, Mr. Sergeant Hollock, Mr. Sergeant Crosse and Mr Littleslate, conduct the prosecistion. Mr. Holt is employed ter John Thacker Maxims, and Mr. T. Barrow for James Mouilionse. The other defendants plead their own Ce 11164.. A 5 Mr, icariett WIN rising to open the ease, some con veisation took place betsteeit him, Mr. Peal son. and Mr. Haut, reeea'ffsig the great number of individuals seated at canister's table. Mr. Justice Bayley however de. cided, that every individual coniluctiog Ms own defence ought to be allowed to sit there; the rest usust be accom stiodeted with seats behind their counsel. air. II iiiii said, that he was a Ming to agree to any arrangemeut whieh his Lordship might think proper to snake. Room would easily be found for them behind the bar, as he intended to move, before the opening of the Case, that all the oituesses on both aides (and he knew that a great many were in Court) should be otdered out of it. Mr. Justice Bayley then ordered the several witnesses, both those on the part of the prosecution and those on the part of the defence, to withdraw from Court. Mr. T. Barrow —a And out of bearing too." This order was immediately complied sri,h I and among Use other witnesses who withdrew were the Rev. Hay, the Bev. Ethelstone, Mr. Halton, Mr. Sylvester, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. R. Wright, and several oilier Mayistrates, who had been actively employed on the 16th August. The Judge then mitered psuclaniat:oti to be made, that the evidence of those wititeases who should remain in Conit after this notice shoeld not be received ou either side. From this rule, however, were excepted those who acted us solicitors on either side, and who were to be examined. Silence having been obtained, Mr. Scarlet), in a speech of nearly two hours in length, stated the case fur the prosecution. He avowed himself in the most liberal manner the friend of large public meetings, when legally and properly convened; but he denied that tumultuous me clings, called by a non. resident, from distant parts of the country, and consisting of men moving In martial array. with sticks, and inflammatory devices on banners and flags, could at any time he con strued a legal meeting. 'llse only object of such assem blies was to obtain their object by physicist force, and to dissolve the constituted authorities of the state. He de- Died that in any Republic of ancient times had the people this right of dissolving the delegated entliority they had conferred. Even iu Athens, where 30,000 Citizens de bated upon public affairs, while they secured. their Awn freedom, they kept all immense portion of their: fellow people in a state of abject slavery. The learned CQOllSti then described the particular charge against these defen dants; and said, lie would prove the conspiracy they had catered into by their personal aorta at various meetings previous to the 16th of Animal, to inflame the !people's minds against the authorities of the state. He then oar. rated the whole particulant of the Miutchester meeting of the 16th, with which our (ceders are straitly tou-comver unt, and alluded to that intended to have been bald on the 9th of August, but which was prohibited by the Ma gistrates. The , witnesses called were, Mr. Thomas Fiddler, the keeper of the Red Lion, at Stockport, who proved Mr. Hunt's arrival there on the Bth of ikamt i ond his meeting with Ur. Moorholase. Mr. Henry . a victualler, also saw Mr. Haat in the mine neighbourhood. Several other witnesses proved his movements to the.umentry, prior and at the meeting of the 16th of lingua, but their evidetieetnereis related to Mr. Hunt's speeches in piddle, which we gym at the time. .leisses Stands* who deposed to the- training,at White wall", was also examined.--Murray gad Shewry, two cometahleti, proved the night drilling. M six o'clopk Mr. a luaticepnyley atijostrned the Court till 10-morrow ntoridng,as„ussie, oMieleing that it would not he of service to proceed further with the case this evening. „ Before parting s with the Jury, he enjoined rhem mot to speak upon this subject except it should he vie or their own number. It is expected that this trial will not be closed this week. (112 CON DAV.) ntIDAY. MAaew 17.—At ball past nine Vele& Mr. Justice Bayley toot ids scat, Mr. Itiunt and the ether de fendants toying previously entered. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. The first evidence Liven w .3 that of Wm. Morris; he was a weaver. near the Winteniuss, and saw the people collecting near that (lace, with the defendant, S- •I Ilemfor it, at Weis brad, on the 11311, August. There were many hundred.. of them under his direction, mat chine and 1*- outer marching at Middleton. They were regularly I. limed iu seetiuns, and they were 2 or 3,000 at least , umber. They formed at one time into a hollow square, And were addressed by Bamford, who stood on a chair iu the middle of them; lie recommended them to be quiet en tile march, am.' 10 take an insult raises than give He said also, he aid out expect any distiiruance until the e% ruin. He wore laurel ass his oiXll hat, said distributed iu among these who led the seri ms the march. 'l' hey has IWu 164 , and raps of tipsily, and switches in theta 11411.15. lie had often seen the people marching and runnier marching in the fields, sod ml lha high reads benne the 161 h of Ass 0..1. 'the men used sometimes to be drilled It : JOIIII Hayward, who had been A 'Haynie ifs the 161 h Di Agoolll, and John Whitworth, who had uet la in the Wit Foot. Cams-examined by defendant Bamford, who appears a shsead seesible man, and is the Author tar some light Poems, which are talked of in this part Of ilie country. He swore to his steins Beintord loot m and hal soigne the @sweater adjoining the high swirl, 011 their nary to Maiseliesies, usi the loth August. He did out re collect hearing ham say lin nll4l ails the lisgs ; nor II ne they were to take care and return twine in peace and tiiii• etuess atter the meeting user. He del nut onset Sc lieurfuid's woe and child in lie crowd ; there were litany moot a cud °tiddler, among them, suit they enaght Mai e been there n h,mt his serum them. He had seen mile) processions uf Ormige-anu al and Out al.teilows ash 11:111111.I aud music, in that past of the c try. Tito e was 11:lig et all extraordinary n them Ile knew a good deal about marching, tidying ranee wren A soldier. Cross exatiotied by Mr. Hitet.—lie hail been a middies to the 10 till grout iit ot Isom, but had quitted the set vier; he ads Indeed a as. n-cossssss issmaseal officer, a sort ot mush rower sea Jesuit, a. it was called He never 5505 thAlgtll with violating his oath of allegiance. and for a very good IrAtioll, they neglected seeming him 111 when he emered the al lily, and he took Flinch leave ot them one minutiae , : when he got tired of the service. He was not 'thirteen as processions, even at "Hoot's Set." lie saw lao body cot eeeee tiling depredations of any kiod in tlie crowd they all appealed to ti to be very peaceable. They might have played loyal tutors, though lit did not hear them ; they were playing some music, it might be the Hogue'. '.larch, or the, ft settees Mahn, for any thing he knew. They had switches, but whether they were strung euteigh 10 •slaip an nadllloll,l case IntAt4 Cifitil lie dill nos k u,.w. John Elton, A plumber and glazier at Middle ye, hi 1111 . neighbourhood 01 lilancliestrr, saw people aesemble in large members in his neighbor's hood to guts the meeting of the Mir of August, and Samuel Bamford leading thesis, and marching them like soWiers. They moved to Man chester by the new road. Bamford and Mr. Hunt cross-examined him at great length. He knew Bashful ars wife, but did cat see her at this collecting of the people to go to Manchester. There were women and children enough in the crowd, and they were going on quietly like soldiers. The Orange-int II and Odd-fellows moved with bannerol, and Medea Wiest with them. He disliked the Reformers, they made "such a to do" about the country, and iu what he said could hot of course be considered as wishing to favour them- Joseph Favier, grocer, at Oldham, saw the men going in marching order from bin part of the country to the Manchester meeting. He was a special constable, and was emplaiyed by the magistrates of his district to crania the numbers of the populace. The division that formed near Oldham consisted of 864 in regular array, but many I dredi loosely accompanying thew Dr. Healy, one of the.defendaots, who is said to be a quack doctor, was their leader. _ _ _ A variety of witnesses gave similar evidence to this forming and matching on in military array, between Manekestsr and the adjoining townships on the 16th of August. . John Ashworth. an engineer, working at a cotton fac tory near Manchester, deposed, that as the crowd passed he heard one or two of them say, they would make Man chester a muscow before night. In his cross-examination by Mr. Hunt, he admitted, that though his wile and children were in Manchester, and the distance between hint and them only lime or live miles, he never sent over a messenger to get them into a place of safely, after bearing this threet, early in the day le . his cress.examinntion 1?) , Mr. Hunt, he,ndmitted, that he sent his cart with goods to Maechester, ,on the ddy of the meeting without the least alarm. Roger Lntwistk, an Attorney, ant! clerk of the Manches ter race-course, was crammed at great length. He related the whole particulars or the Manchester meeting—its assembly froin uirferent ppinrs--its al 11 1111 l g appearance, and its dispeisiuti —just as„it has been ishundred tithes told to the public.—He thottelit the meeting decidedly illegal. Several witnessesvvere examined as to the state of Maa chester on the 16 1 h/t orbit, and their evidence in Evicts', described it as exposed to much Intensities:: owing to this meeting. Jainespuneofte, a cotton niamtfacterer in the neighbour hood of Maneliesterobo heard threatening expressions from some of the crowd iii they paned. mod was alarmed, as a place of his bad been burnt down by the Luddites in 1812. — He was on the same day, is Manchester, and certainly thought such a ineeeleggreatly calculated to inspire terror into the inhabitants of ~t,v large a, town. Thinking from a notice be saw from the.Boroughreve, desiring all people to keep their families within deers. that the meeting would be dispersed, he merely went to see Mr. Hunt moult the Ma tiap ; he. then, canoe easy, and returned only when the soldiers bad dispersed the meeting. Several other witnesses were examined for the prose cation, and eress•ezamioed by the defendants without eliciting any sew fact—the following is the cross-eland tiest of .one of them, (a Mr. Matthew Carper ), by Mr. Hunt. How do yen do Mr. Cooper ? I bops yen are well ; I have bad die pleasure of teeing you before. Mr. Hunt 'hem wont on to examine bun. Witness is an accountant and also a law-stationer t be we; also employed as a se cretary to a committee In aid of the civil power at Man, theater. He was not in the employ of the police, except that situation entail bc so Coluidez ed. He lied occasion.' commuisica • ioas with the Courier and Morning Post. He wrote an acestout of the emeting from his memory, aided by his cotes, which he scat to the Gorier. He dues not know whether it was inserted. lie believes the act-oast in the Courier was from the morning papers. He did not then repent for the Mos. g Posts Ile was once a clerk to a proirssionsl M4nelle•ler. He was af terwaiti- instructed tor the eseitie, but he got no situation in it. His failed was a sups a visor of excise, and sin reyed lice brewery of fiesors and Fogg AI 114,114,11 Witness was a clerk to them when he WAS only 13 "eats age. He was nest asked why lee l e is is, and, appealing to the When I was 13 yen'-Ill' aa• I was clack to those gentlemen, tiled put some eat Itech 141.44tey to my own use, tor which I was discharged, nue I tease s i nce paid it back with rums d entesrat lu 011. • .4 Abe MIL." He then added, I would,ney Lord, lease paid is sooner, Wet at my father's death 1 had three ...... 4 , osselerrs de pending upon nee fur suppure, and I thesseelsi they had strong claims Neon Inc." The inutie was paid A few tastetasuntlit ago. It was the first money he lead ' , neve the cir cumstance occurred. It was about tialet this happened, and lie was now Heal ly 3ii yeast tot age. It was since he gave evidence against bine (Hunt) that he lead got this motley. 'flee whole sum, wrinkling the interest for 11 years, Has about 251., or less. lie is,til tn.t 'old Mr. Scariest, or Mr. Aldose, 01 Mt. Mastics Ile •t he had COM` mil led this act. He had often thought of it before, lout he had nut been able to pa) ie 'moue' t he was 11111 y allUl4l two "ears in tenseness fur lietuself. The y wheels he had taken was marked: he could nue sell All 3, lie lead clot hero 14110 , 44•ci11ed ; he did steel know obit h. (Iloue) had heard of this transits. I it lee had, he Coin 114•1' !mot better pieporeol, chid hart' gut a must sarl.l,. Cten y letter fr.dii one ol tier partners, in whom he load store rriiatsi it. Tee lea.ene of hi- not being prosecuted n ttttt tar at lee tire:m..e ha tatelicr was a slept.' s soi 4 , 1 excise, and had it in his power to Pols , r the bre we.. bi. master. Mr. heist next asked whether the won r %%hide lee had given, instead of that of w holt tar bail ruhtu il, master, WAS , nut paid not of the s --eases at 314114'1,4.0 , e. At this mode of vkaiteinatioo, and pat Itelliarly the. 1.!.• 11at scion, emitoileralde ni.appsub4tsoh wan us4nif sod i.s tic Court. Wailes. at Iles 411.1.1111 e dill not take 'loon the vilioie of wheat aa, said M s 4 14 4 , 14 , 1 m) o railed iptdr ter fin a time by the art oval of She eat ~.:%. He look 110 14101 r flutes thee). The whole Of Wll4l hr I4' 41 , 1 1 , 0 lice Court W.IN Out taken dowse at 1111. ;Iliac. He kick autos from which lie now read. 116 elutes weir only the heath of what was "aid, as lie we- not a ,hurt-lian.l writer He was r..rtitin the winds be had U144:11, or exactly to the snare e tlee I, were used. After some other 'lOlll MI. Hunt nitiarom left the lent and ascotticl was rabid, but Mr. Justice Haylry said to the that, they were then fatigned,luo %maid mugs) any fat the.. tot Imo evenin g . The Court WWI then adjourned, at bevels u'. loch, till to uw at blue. THIRD DAY. This tiny was occupied by examinations of little interest, exceptiditit4 ut IV. Hutton, Esq. one of site lintist rates of Manchester, and a ho, it :sups ass, if he eau be betivved, took the lead in the afford of •the fatal pith ui Au 6 ust. The sohjoiurd is an utsrulgem , iit of Isis ev:deLee : W. I lultlin, Esq., ea: tttt i t led Mr. Scurtett.-1 am n magistrate of the county of Lunen,' er, and was at .%lauches tfr on the 1611.uf Augw.t. The magistrates licst assembled at the Star-ims, and alien adjourned to \I r. put ton's house, which oveilooked at. a W.,. We :I.Nr,etillett beta een ten and eleven o'clock, and received informai ... on oath, relative to the approach of large b.nlies of people. As Chaim:tot of the bench of Ilagist sates, fur the e..outies of Lancaster and Chester, much of my shoe was Liken up in writing; but I frequently looked out of the nindow, and saw lari,e bodies of Me elyreA Ch. I observed th .t a number of men had rushed in, locked their as msto.ctieer , aud surrounded the hustings. 1 could perceive float the wools' A silifereet people coming forts ant to address the meetsug ; front the sign:mon iu a hit+ .1 was placed. I had e VW% liter almost she n hole of St. Peter's ar..a ; the masher of peretils assetii. bied was estioutta dad :a1,00,t ; the 'fleeting did undoubtedly ielyire terror into the minds of the inhain tams. I recrit ed d.•position on oath to that elfect, and I in it l.cil h.! extraordinary way in which the people approach. d. Ninny gentlemen stated to me, that they wt re greatly alas ;: sa l lookifleAts all the circumstances, my opinion was t h at the town was in great danger. The polialathin of Mane herder and Salford, according to the census of lao3, ate 100.ed0 Mids. Manchester was a tinge place, and contained massy shops awl wareltou,..s. The ma e ,istrates in constqliens e of these ;am eed tugs deeinesl is iseee.sasy to issue a %vol t am f or the appielicinion of their supposed leaders, whit h was given to Nadirs, either in the presence Of One of the chief cousta. Isles of the titan, or else it was handed him by the constabks. I cannot say whether the warrant was brought bark after it had been made out or not. lit giving the warrant to Nadia, he said he could nut execu.e it %Wolin utilasty aid. 1 then wrote two letters, the one to the commander of the Yeomanry, the other to Col. L'Estsunge, requiriog 4hem to c o m e t o th e house where the inaoistrates acre, which they accordingly did. A troop of t he hiauch..ter Yeomanry soon sifter arrived from the Mosley Stied rod. They then advanced. I believe the borough.seeve was with them wire they formed for that purpose. From tbeappesrance of the crowd, and from their general conduct. I coureive it was totally impossible for the coustables to serve the Nu. mut without the assistance of the military. The crowd closed the nutmeat the Yeoniamy had entered; and when Col. L'Estrange arrived, mid asked what Ise was to do, be convinced was I of their periluos Mtuation, that I esclainted " Good God, Sir, deal you see bow they are attacking the Yeomanry I disperse aloe crowd I" he advanced and the disperslots of the Cluwet took gager. Cross-examined by Mr. litint.—l declare that I have related every tlsissg exactly as I saw it. I could not see distinctly, so as to know you on the hustings. I mean that I could not distinguish your person from that of ano ther. The hustings were, I believe, about MAIO or 400 yards from the wissalow whet. I stood t but though I saw a map of the place, with .be odaseassiteastrat, I cannot speak exactly to the fart. I could not distinguish you from another; bat I could poetise the persons locked together mood the hustings. became they funned a com plete cordon, and were bore-headed. l be:wire solemnly that those people pear the hustings were lucked mown arm. I saw hires basked, I believe, by the dins.. They were as close together as ever they roield be, and were die ingosslied from the rest of the Cri.W4i. Though the distance was sor great as to preveis. oar distingssishang an baiii.iiiisal on the eletatril busboy, still 1 , and mhos, could see the persons In ueath locked ttLether. 1 swear this 110141 my own knualedge cud oho." V 'dill*, and not from what I was told. After this o ,eiltleman's exdousuation closed Air. Justice Bayley observed to the Jury that as th y or est now folioed. he would ii..tre the court &jam bed as Monday ?glaid and publ i shed by JOHN TWIGG, 76, Fleet Wed.