The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-12-12 00:00:00

. . . ~: . . p . r. ,-, v • - ei • 0 NI; U kivw- i - T ....---- . 1 ). I .. . A I :•. 4: - t 4 4 4 4 .! 4) _ . • Ori : 1.114) 1 1 0. . 1 CS .. ~.,„,1 3 tyt,.., 101 _ e rot .atre snt ki t. Hi LONDON, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 12, 1820. viditT—.F....-L—e_ .* _ . _ ___ ___L....., . . • , 5....i.....---..2-..". No. 4'91. .ne COON M. whir* HAMPDEN ha at-de Field, .ud SYDNEY died OM the Seafold !" Plum 'mii PFNeF 1 LAW INTELLIGENCE. 11\ 11 1 1,1:.S.—Now open, at 11. A. 11Aftli Elt and ill J. Pt lIFORD's Pt:S(IIIAM 1. Strand, a 'splendid, View e‘hihiting, uith the Cit!, of Navies. Poisilino. the ('i:laja. ,aile of the Ipeattinea, Nlosait Voshvios. the Site of llereale.o stn. 141tIthl of Cart, and numerous other. later e.ting points, pith a pleturesidedisplay of beautiful Vessels )11thC %%Met% COURT OF KING'S BENCH.—MONDAT. Befure the LORD Cunt Jurrece, and a Special Jury. in notley. Between the years 1,415 and Iti 1 1 the account!, as wonld.commonly he funnel the case where accommodation paper was employed, hecame extremely characters, and the intent of the accusation was there fore antlficiently.evident. Mr. Colibeit had excused his charge of forgery ifiainst the plaintiff, by al leging that the whole of Hs letter of IMPS had rot been read in ISIS, and that mutilation amounted to forgery. That, however, was not the sen , e in which' the word forzer y had been used ; because he went on to accuse Mr. Wright of having committed other forgeries, and•sonie of them with a view to pecuniary advantage. Mr. Cobhett had called the reading that letter a breach of 1-initiator's but even take it to have been so, was thaz a ground or charging a man with being a films and a spy? In contests between the bktterrst enemie', a certain degree of honour and de cornet should always be p d, and the man wii coats entirely forget those feelings was a savage no• worthy to dwell is d society; and if the conduct of any mac could show him to be devoid of every feeling belonging to a ieentlenutu or to a man of honour. such must he the effect of Mr. Cobbetris conduct on intricate between Mr. Wright and Mr. l'ohbett) and. in short. they were in such a state that. to use the very forcible language employed loy"the defendant himself, when a partner in the business was proposed, " they were in such a state that the drill himself could not unravel theist." Things were in this situation when Sir. l'obbett was called upon to defend himself against Admittance ore Miffing. 111ZIGIIT r. connarr. This RH an action for libel. The rause being reled on. Mr. Cubbett rJse and in:imated to the Court socIETY SUIRIOLMASTERS. • ANNIVERsARY SIF:ETING of the SO -11 CIETV of St . llooll.'ll ASTI-711$ will he held nt•the frown and Anchor Thera in the strand. un Friday. the rid inst. that he intended to withdraw his plea of juoificatian. Mr. CHITTY opened the pleadings. 1 he libels charg ed weri three in number, and consisted of certain pa i acraphs pnhlished in l'..e 1)(,!itieol Registrr of the lth of January, 1317, klarch 6, 1319, and Jan.'6, 1%20. These paragraph. ...vei ally charged the plain tiff, Mr. Wright, with forgery and with fraud, and de scribing hint as an individual to be held sp to the agrror of mankind. The pleas of jistideagkra(aseatt-1 la/ that the *barges c anted is theitbeis awe trail being withdrawn, the t stood arta the gen rid issue. • 1. t • P‘TROV. the ()large of libel, and upon that thane was con victed. Viton that conviction the question arose as to what steps should be taken to avert the impentlistir calamity of juilgtnent. and those measures conducted Mr. Searlett to the first a the libels which he had to We Bolsi Highness Prince .I.lolphus Frederick, Duke of imbridge. Pur‘inumts. • The Right Res, Cr.'e , lc Issas. llorinsford, D. D. & F.R.B. Lord Rishop of Hvrrford. The Right Rev. Si... tioofileso R.C.L. r. 411.4. • tem, aeltsle, state to the Jury. Mr. Cohhett proposed to a tlentle nuka Op would presently be called as a witness, to maim a bargain for hint with novernment that he Abould not be called up for judgment, and upon that knadition he would give ap his Regiticr. The nego elation did not succend. Mr. Cobbett appeared to re ceive jodgment, and W 314 thrown into prison. Tlw plaintiff then applied for a settlement of his as-- connts, when, to his utter astonishment, Mr. Cobbett answered that he (.Jr. ('obbett) had no ac counts nor any letters, and pot Mr. Wright to the proof of every sixpence which in the course of his long agency he had distributed or received. An account ant was employed to collect' the various documents, and they were sf:lossitted to Mr. Cob:sett for his in-' spection. Mr. eublo..t. admitted nothing : disputed every thing ; caned upon him to produce vouchers even for sums of money paid to himself; and finally refused to allow hint any thing for agency. The plis pitted accounts were arranged by the award of Mr. William took. Mr. Fob's) tt claimed about 12,0110/., and received about ti,t.iPti.; an.i the c►Teet of this cur tailment aids claim was an inveterate hostility von. Vo•mt %our Passtiourrs. - • rte Right lion. andltiglit Res. William flowley, D. D. and F.A.S. Lord Bishop of London. The night Rey. Thomas Burgess. D.D. and F.R.S. Lord 'Bishop of St. David's. VICE-PIISSIDEVIrd. The Rey. Sam. Parr. LL.D. Prebendary of St. Paul's. The Rev. Joseph Goodall. D. D. Provost of Eton, and Canon of Windsor. The Rev. William Barrow. I.L. D. and F..t.S. Prebendary of tionthwell. The Very Rey. Gerard Andrewes. D.D. bean of Canterbury. STIWARDt. Rev ('. P. Burney, A.M. and Rev. Bolt Ater. Fit s. Re,. Dr. Pearson, F.R.S Res. Thomas Chapman, A.M. James Rieharasor.. Ec4. Rel. A. Plitaley Kelly. A.B. James Ross, LL.D. Rey. irdliam Lloyd..A.M. W.B. Whittaker. Eq. Re►. John Morris, A.M. Dinner at Five o'clock—Tickets 4th.—Pie collection. SCAULtT 1, in opening the esisp b . atatell that Ate plaintiff, Mr. Wright, of whom, excepting profenion ally, he knew nothing, bad been introduced and re run ttttttttttt to hint by persons of the highest rank and of the most illustrious honour. lie was therefore jus- this occasion. He had aggravated bis libel by just:- lying it upon the record ; and he had comujtsed a second aggravatiqu by shrinking from it e justification which be had pleaded. The plaintiff was ready; lie bad evidence to meet every one of Mr, Cohhett's charges against hint--char: , es which were as fith.f es hell, and which would have been en shown bad the de fend:tut dared to meet the question. The Lrarticil Counsel, alter apologising for the length into wl.ich his opening had led him, upon the plea thst h r Id probably Nave ito opportunity of reply, brictty :A verted to the stiliyet of ehonages. :flits verdict of a i jury w:ts the constitutional res , rsiat ups: - the lib. r'y of the press; it was, Mr. Seurlees hoped, the mily it strititit to which the peeks would eyir be an:•;ected ; but if that time should ever rotor win n juries should fail to rife ample covipens.illon in thuia ? ,es for libel, then all the world wonhl aL rev that the press hal &title too far. and that softie other curb was rocessari to ril lstrain its 'killer. Fur the sake of the press th.ni, no leas than for the sake of tliP hunt ideal he repres,nteti, Mr. Scarlett entreated the jotry to give slosh damages, not as would compentv'e the plaintiff, but as would read a lesson to the defrtulant. titled in saying that he was a man respected and en• ttusted by tlso,e persons whose confidence and respect gave weight to a man's character, and that neither fraud nur falsehood had ever been imputed to him, except by the defendant, upon the record before the Court. 31r. Wright was known to the world as the editor of the ParliamtAtar‘ Hirtorp, the l'arlittmett isr.v !kende,, and of other works of great learnine and utility ; -those works whicli had been originally in troduced to the public under the shelter of Mr. CAW bett's name, has ing been conducted, in fact, entirely by the plaintiff. To introduce the defendant to the jury L The principal object of skis floeletv Is to establish Fund for the benefit of decayed Schoolieasters. their Wl i!os v. and Orphans: and far the relief of deserving I:4 l lers. Mho may become necesailoas thrones age: • ur mis fortune. Subscriptions a:e thanktblly received by Messrs.ltam teersley and Co. Pall Mall: Messrs. Ladbroke it Co. Bank tdildiags : and by Dr. Kelly. the Treasurer of the Society, Finsbury-square. Tickets for lite Dinner unty be bad at the Bar of the Ta vern ; and also Books oMae Institution. LOOKING °LANUS. SEVERAL large SECOND-HAND PLATES, suitable for Chimneys. Piers. sad Cher*ls. are nom on Pale. Cu rauesable Terms, at COOPIII. ELLIoTT and Coorra's. 91. =wale -street Somr of the Witte tikes are 'ably adapted for large diming-moons bbd elegaatafifirlag-ropets. - Plate Glass for wlaslovh fitted la at a greater relative ad vantage than Crown Glass. Excelled Savoured (*1 Crated Port, East India Madera, Rbarry mad Claret, clusucery Lane. TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, BY Mr. HINDLE, At his TOMAS, QS, Chancery-laae, on WIDNISSOAT. Dee. 40th. at Ele‘en, In Lots of two and three dozen cacti. THP: Cellar of CHOICE WINES, eonsi*titie of upward.; of VW Dozen of One-flavonred Port. part of which has been six and four years in bottle. 5.1 dozen of East India Madeira, lOUdoses of Sherry, aad • few . dozen of Claret. To be tasted the Morning of Rale, and sealed vsmples wHi he delivered to purehaverv. which will be warranted to ;Record with Wines sold ; and Catalogues may be had at Mr. !Sine's ofillee, No. IS, Chaecery-lase. TO THE PUBLIC. AOREE.tRLY to my n•nal custom, when I fir:t an nounee a 'NEW LOTTERY, I stale the Scheme at lenath; and I hare great !satisfaction in reeommending it to your notire.--1 am your devoted Servant, T. 131811, Broca-Stemma. 4. Corn Mel, and 9. Ciaring-croas, I ith, Dec. Dilo. NOT TWO BLANKS TO A PRIZE ! In the united Scheme of the First end Second Latterly' for IFraII, in which the aggregate of Prises amounts to leS4,43ollouey and Consols, arranged so as to produce sine Prises of 21.0001! The First Lotte►y contains 0,900 Tiekets,—No. I to 9,1190, in Three Classes,—and will be all drawn 211.1 JAM; A RY, The dny when Parliament meets. The Fierorol Lottery• consists of 13.0118 'Mk's', an .1 will ha drawn in Three days, viz. 14th Febreary, Ist March, and 17th March. I Prises of 41.0001. each, Net be drawn in the First Five Minutes, 43.1 January. -- - SCIIENIF:. 6 Prises of 1.21,000 0 0 Consols .... 166,000 0 0 3 3 3 6 3 U 30 490 0 0 Consols .. 6.000 0 0 111 '4l 4: 0.,541 I Tickets In the Total Money 18.161!) i Two Lotteries sod Consols. /1184,436 18 6 DisTr.iminAits Esc - Ty Prize above 1001. drawn !3d of Jannary, to have a New Ticket. by which means a Person buying one Ticket might get Two Prizes of 31,000/. Fifth-drawn Prize in each class. to have 91,011 W. more. Firpt 00 Blanks to hate Mt each. Twenty-fourth-drat. n Prize. above 9W. In each Clue. to hate 20,01/01. Consols, and I.ooof. Money more, making Three Prises of 91,01.1111. ►tasT DAT OF THE. AKCOND LOTTFRT Fifth-drawn Prise to have 2,0001. more. First 100 Blanks to have It/. each. SECOND DAY. Fifth-drawls Prise, in each Class, to have 40.500/. Consols and 300/. Money more, making Three more Prizes of 21,0001. The First 410 Blanks to have 191. mit+. All the Prises and Blanks are pat into the Wheel, but only 0,1010 Tickets • and whatever Blanks and Prises remain un drawn after Iti4 January, will tone the ficbeme of the Served Lottery. would s.arcely, he necessary. Perin , : many years no person had been more the object of public notice than Wm. Cobbett. By his writings that individual had made himself known in etery part of the glae where the English la.iguage was k .n or spoken : and far was be (Mr. Scarlett) from wishing to insinuate against a man of undoubted talent none than his slaty to the plaintiff absolutely detnlntleil. This he tumid say, that he possessed such. talents for writing as durin, a long term of years had been ntsparalleled in the his tory of the literature of the conistry—powers which, whether employed for a pull or bail purpose (and fre quently they were enipl•iyeil tor purposes apparently quite inconsistent with each other), always enabled him to handle hit subject with tome of argumeut and with dexterity of expression, perhaps in a more eminent degree - lima any writer r:er known. Mr. Cobbett possessed power neer the winds of the lower orders, mill he was indebted principally for that power to the knack %hid' he had of mixing tip in his cora positione, everyone's, ncossitnissity -wlttr feeling bd tenth, sismetimes wisteriae peinliar expressiem sfebteil the occasion tnialit demand. Need the Leaned lien tieman remind the jury in how Perilous a situation that individual was placed who became the subject of attack by such a writer ;—need lie say that it requir ed no mean degree of courage to call even at the bar of an English jury for such justice sin such an op ponent'? lie connexion briar -11 Mr. Wright and Mr. Cobbett commenced when no man needed to be asitanied of Mr. Cobbetes ariptaintance. It arose out of a change of books, Mr. Wright being a bookseller ; and the tint transaction to which he should advert was a loan of DI/. by the plaintiff to the defendant, when the latter arrived fr America. This was at the time (it might probably be ;titbit' the recollection of some of the jury) when Mr. Coishett, setting up for himself as a bookseller in Pall-mall, took for his sign the Crown, the Bible and the Mitre ; and fur his motto. " Pear Hod and honour the King." Indeed, at that time nothing could be more praiseworthy than the general principles which pervaded Mr. Cobbett's writings. The people of England having been im hued with the dangerous doctrines, the infidel posi tions laid down by Thomas Paine ; Mr. Cubbett actu ally published a life of Paine for the express purpose of holding up that individual to the execration of mankind. The Learned Counsel, merely as an in stance of the nervous and impressive style of Mr. Cob belt, would cite a passage from that very work !low Tom lives, or what brothel he inhabits, I know not nor does it much signify. He has done all the mischief he can in the world; and whether his carcase is at last la be suffered to tot on the earth, or to be dried in the air, it of very little consequence. Whenever or wherever he breathes his last, he will ex cite neither sorrow nor compassion : no friendly hand will close his eyes; not a groan will 1w uttered ; not a tear will be shed. Like Judas he will be retneen hered by posterity; men will learn to express all that is base, malignant, treacherous, unnatural, and blasphemous, by the single monosyllable—" Paine." It was subsequent to the publication of that work' for the benefit of the people of England, that the self designaleal enlightener of she people (for so Mr. Cob belt thought fit to term himself) had commenced his Political Register; and about that time a eonnexiott was formed between the plaintiff, the defendant, mid's'. ' gentleman of this name of Howell, for the publication. of the Parliaassaiery Debates, the State Trills, ;end 1 1 the Parliameatary History. This went on until Mr. Cobbett, on taking a trip to Southampton, was seised with the desire to become a land specu lator; anal, during his absence front town, Mr. Wright inspected amid corrected the Regish r. By aid of, the paper system, which he was then writing down, Ilk. Cubbett got aceonnatedation to the amount attngetber 'of from 110,011 W. to 70,110111., and these discouts were principally effected—one bill being given another became due—through the medium of Mr. Wright in London. Due transaction begot another, end as hr. masse deal of ttse try passed through Mr. Wright's hands. WHO t, is fact, became the publisher of the Register, for be received the proceeds and ield the loutrings, and remitted cash at tints to Mr. Vellbett, (-rived against Mr. Wri;:lot. More 3ir. Co! , bett went to prison, Mr. Searlett continued, a po odt ra ti,a took place in nt Ti:.1 , 1 newspaper, hinting that Mr. Cu',ben had I. en di-pored to sl.andon his Registre. .lr. (Adorn wrote a paper to refute this imputation, and called his article A -Ve•e• noses ai . ll to oh! bow. In that work Mr. Colohett, after his Pt-olio:try manner, mixed up a va riety of subjects f•ie the a gement of the public, and, after alluding to the libel for whicia he lead suffered punishment, he went vin—"Walter says I made a pro position to government to this effect—that if proceed ings were dropped against sue, I would never publish another Regi.:fer nor spy one thiug. If I 'lid so, no one could condemn me, anti therefore I might allow the charge of Walter to be true ; lent the charge is absolutely false, for ne such proposition was ever made from etc, or by my authority." And Mr. Cobbett maw* oft to tell a story of his Imlay( certainly u to Motley with stub an idea, worked top*, • *tweed's of his family ; but that he 3114rithdraw his proposition. Ilifbrtulatitly, how ever, Mr. Cobbett load transmitted to Mr. Wright the farewell number of lois !tr.:Fir/re, which would have been the concluding number, if his proposition to lio vernment had been carried into effect. Now the first of the libels in ques•ion arose out of a suspicion that it was by Mr. Wright that the fact had been commu nicated to The Tiaras and in expressing his opinion that such had been the course of communication, the defendant spoke of Slr. Wrialet as " a wretch note pulled in the annals of infamy, and whom he would bold up to the horror of mankind." Mr. Srarlett then proceeded to advert to the second libel upon the re cord, which originated out of the conduct of Mr. Cleary in reading at the Westminner election of Its I ts Mr. Cobhett's letter of 180$, in which he spoke of Mr. Mont with feelings very different front those which be subsequently expressed towards that gent lemon.— That letter, Mr. Cobbett who did not disdain occa sionally to emp!oy a falsehood when be found it impos sible by argument to overcome his adversary, treated as forged, and as the work of a man who hail forged his (Mr. Colobett's) name upon several °evasions. — Mr. Cobbett, its his plea upon the present record, had eedged himself to prove those assertions to be true. The paragraph in which lee described the big drops of sweat—Mr. Scarleit would read the paragraph Von, my dear Sir, know the history of this Wright; yon know all his tricks, all his attempts. The public do not, and I will not now trouble the public with a detail which, if put in a snit:ebb. form, would make a romance In the words of truth far snr passing any thing that ever was imagine , ' of moral turpitude. I will execute this task one day or other. If the 'caitiff should 'put forth any thing by way of palliation in the mean time, there is Mr. Walker, there h is fir. Hargrave, there is my attorney, there Is Mr. Hwano, there is Sir F. Burdett Kasen . ; there is my son Jobs, who, thong's, he was then a child, will never forget that litiotusd drops of sweat that in a cold winter's day r 44w0 the caitiff a forehead when be was detected in fabricating accounts: and when 1, t &tit Johnny by the band (wl•o 4 ltad begun whimpe.ing br poor Wright) and said, " Look at that man, my dm; _These drops of strmit.are the effect of detected dishtmesty: Think of that, my dear child, and you min always be an honest roan." Mr. Peter Walker 'lad Mr. Swaim were present althis scene, which took place in my room in Pirnato to In I." The'coutentn of this y.atagrepts Mr. Gibbon under took to prove the truth of. H. bad witoessos—Mr. Margrave, the Attorney, Mr. Swain, Sir F. Burdett, and hie (Cohbett's) son John. When were they now They were in Court, but the justification was with drawn. Mr. Cobbett had not stopped there. • He bad 'gone on to accuse the plaintiff of having forged I.is name, and of having been a spy since the year 1011. Mr. Scarlettatust be allowed to say, this was a heavy charge. A spy or an informer was, to his opiates, the basest of mankind; a creature that no behest Um Termite weld mee, mg that no wise Hoveremean would me ; lint at the dune when the article appeared. the ? AU bmligustion had been raised against sash Mr. Henry Hay. a printer, proved the printing of the libels in question. Mr. Thos. Dolby proved the nohlirittion of 'he Re gixte r of the tith March, 1.519, an action haring been brituJit against hint by Mr. Wtielt for the lib I con tained in that ultich nes also one of the subjects of ibe present action. Witness appiiil to Mr. l'obbett fur motel Nis for his defente, 3 , Ma. Cob hot then said that all that !sail been alleged in that iihel against Wright he could prove so-he tree. Wit ness spoke to Mr. Col he!, of the libel, as being of WI (Mr. Cobbritt's) own comp:shim' and no doubt Mr. Cobbett co nnderstood it. Mr. William Atchison proved tbat bg published the Politiret Rvieter at the time when Mr. W. Cohhetts jun.., arrived from America in January, Dili/. He then resigned the publication to William the son. in consequence of a letter rectified from the father. That letter was slated December DOS, and contalned the followin7 passage :—My toot William goes to take chap.-, of all my affairs in England, relative to pub lications and the press. Mr. John Reeves proved that he knew Mr. Cohlsett in the year l!sit) and I s!I 1, and that he bad been con victed of a libel. At the time of that conviction he had a communication with Mr. Cobbett before he left town with his family ; in consequence of which he made a proposal to Mr. Yorke, and through that re:Wein:in to Mr. Perceral, that Mr. Cobbett truuld abandon his Regi.ter, on condition of not being called r up firjn.lgincnt. Mr. John Paul, an arcountant, spoke to the award • made by Mr. Cooke, between Mr. Wright and Mr. • Colohett. In his ctoss-exantination he denied that he • had ever written letters fur Mr. Jackson, for the pur -1 pose of obtaining money. I Mr. W. Adams depsi.ed to the effect of Mr. Cithbett's • letter of the year np-n toe character of Mr. I Hunt. Mr. SCARLETT forbore, of entire, to offer UK evi dence with respect to the justification, as Mr.Colihett had abandoned that plea. On the part of the pla.n tiff the learned gentleman had nothing farther to sub mit to the. Court. The libels in qnestion were now put in and read. as were also a number of letter, which our prreat limits will not allow as to notice further. The case for the plaintiff being closed, Cobhett entered upon his defence. He began by observing that the proverb forbidding the cobbler to go beyond his last, might be extremely applicable. as well as nsefal,-10 lawyers. If Mr. !eared had not gone beyond his brief, a great deal of time would have been saved to the jury. The plea of 'notification being abandoned. {be plaintiff's counsel might have some at once to the question of general issue ; but be had not thought fit to do so. Mr. Cobbett then pro ceeded at considerable length to complain of the intro diction of his private letters into the present came, and entered into detail of his various transactions with Mr. Wright, and into an clposition of the cam of his original- acquaintance with that gentleman. lie denied that he had •-in rived the loan of twenty pounds from Mr. Wright, on account of any wait of money on his own tart; spoke of the plaintiff as hav ing lived is a state of absolute dependence, even for , food and raiment, npon him (Mr. C.) and of his having afterwards *ring the time when lie conducted the sale of the , lived in a style of splendour and ea travagamm eisybich he (Cobbett) biziotelf hid no pre t naiods. Cobbett pelt proceeded to date his muttons for having removed the hones of Thos. Pains from America to this country. Ne had not taken that roans firm any admiradon of the Irreligious principles Of Pains. or from any fellow-feeling with him in his ideas of the advantage of a repsliNean go. veranient. Indeed be (Cribber) had ever held a re. publican govorament to he unsuited to the genius of