The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-06-05 00:00:00, page 1

TRIAL of LORD GEORGE GORDON.
(concluded from our last.).
Kenyon opened the prisoner's case, by observing,
that it was very much to his disadvantage/ that, as the
Attorney-General had said, he was going to enter on his
defence at a time when the court and jury ?,re sassed,
and theit patience exhaled with the ,iorfn<f the
coil of the day. The noble prifonet also laboured under
another very material disadvantage, which was, in having
a counsel very little accustomed to a criminal process ; and
Who felt his mind very much agitated under the p r e^re
and weight ofthe bufmefs. He trailed bowser, that the
noble Lord, who was the prisoner, would find in the good
sense, candor and discretion of the jury that assistance and
Support which he wantedin his ^,^l. The indi&m^n,he
Aid, Rated, chat the noble Lord had levied war by am
bling great multitudes together, and driving
outrage co compel parliament co repeal an obnoxious law.
The Korney-General, in dating the case, had endeavour
ed co rdufe cne pdfons of cue jury, by defcnpcions exagge
rated and unfr. It was not proper, he said, to make such
an attempt; he mult fay it was not wel d , n , He
called the multitude an army, and he had dealt in exprefr
©ns which implied much more than ^y avowed o •
vary nature, and in terms in which he was not founded by
the'evidence adduced, such as 66 marching in array, n „.
Shelled in columns, disciplined, carry enfi^s and flags, &c
Thefc expreffmus were calculated to %efs on ^f^ndsof
Che jury an idea ' that the whole was condu&d an^ u er
takel by a military body. whereas, by the p aineft evidence,
it would be proved that those With ,omfhe p^
Connected, who went up to toe houc wi „nh£niikred'
went up in a Sober, quiet manner, unarmed, unaccounted^
and ;uccrcainine no hostile intentions ~
H&^ed che evidence ^^d been brought xn
fupporr of the pfofeeution, beginning with chac of,Willem
The evidence ofchis witness was exceedingly fufpi
cioCs. He had acknowledged himfelf in
to be in the,wrong, particularly with refpe g
seen Lord George at Greenwood's Rooms. Alter wearing
positively that he had seen him there, he con c e eva
in the wrong, and that he had not Seen im. • ,
^frequented public places; he ^ not tell for what
reafo'n, but he' constantly went from place P f
inquisitorial intentions of a
what wasdone. He too, like the Afty-General, was
fond of using military terms. He had 4r ,y them
dreffi:g the people in ^eir best elohths, and had placed then,,
in colons inßead of divifrs. . He had said that Lord
George had declared, that the k^, by %"" £'°
Quebec and co the late a&, was bro%, into ass
foliar to that of James IT. after his abdication. This was
a truly curious affection. Could thejuiy e lev
Brent chat a man of fenCe could utter lt? J.,r
affection, unsupported, and which he truftedfold I be drf
believed f for the jury would consider, that ; : n ~
singly co points ^h'importance,, ft% ^ ob ^
fc The afferooh ^defo,^^^ ^j^
in 2'public room where hundreds ver p w'lrnefs was'
f, wq .mt.ti,# ^^^
brought to confirm the evidence. ,r ; ~
proved no material charge againftjhe ttfe
heard himfay ch,t he Would go cc, the g^fo for the a s.
the ' meeting, but e fo "° , of opinion about
fernom,'which was owing to a contrari y. and
Che legality of more Ammons ; this 'doubt
presenting a petition to the house ofcom ' number #
arose fawn the ftacuce of Ch^,TC,nff
and the question was, whether it was ftil wa s exceed-
Anftruther, in the evidence which ^,,d giv recom
ingly fair and candid. He had heard Loru con
mend temperanceto the people, as the best groi
dn& to infare success; Mr. Anftn,, as ford the
wicneffes, had been in the lobby of the hou e, '
conversation of Lord George, yet not one but Mr. Bowen
had heard him fay any thing about the mafs-houles. The
jury would take notice, that all their accufattons ver a
danced bv the report of a angle witness. Mt- dr
not menuori it. In short it was unconfirmed and im
ported. Witnesses had said, that.there were other perfo^s
the place beside the pro testant allocation. There be
others, andthofe meh were the instigators of the smalts.
Lord George Gordon was to be found guilty of crimes v hkh
beloved' to another. A^o all the hearty ftortes winch
Rainfo WHyde had told about the rrots they were co
'% :^:^b ^^ p frf >
show th^t Lord George had an intcreft with the multitude
the story ofthat circumstance would astonish the jury. Lord
George'alarmed and filled with horror and consternation at
the fcenc of dOT^Ution which Succeeded through the &
:'^^L^— J^M^^
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCERS
HERTFORD : Printed BY HUDSON AND GOO DWI N, near the Great Bridge.
TUESDAY, June 5,1781.
trigues of villain's, desired to have access to his Sovereign for
the purpose of alluring his Majesty that the people with
whom he had been connected were not the authors of the
evils, and that they porfeffed the purest sentiments of loyalty
and refpe^ for the government and the laws. The Secretary
of skate would be called to prove that this was the ground of
the application ; He Was not admitted, but of this he did not
Complain, He was given to understand, “ That in order to
defervfe well of his sovereign, he,hoffl< lexert himfelf on the
occasion ; and he was desired tb ,go intti the c i% an ' "°
what he could to put a ftsp to the horrors as a test of his
duty." In confequrnce of this he went with a civil magis
trate, endeavouring bv every conciliating effort to flop the
current of diabolical rage. In the course of his piffage he
was applied to while in the carriage, and desired to sign a
paper, which was presented to him, and the person said " ic
would contribute to put an end to the outrages. It would
have been construed into a bad design if he had refufed ; he
signed it therefore with the best of motives, and yet this pa
perfo obtained, and so intended, was now produced against
him. He thought there was something exceedingly indire&
and uncandid in this part of the evidence.
The learned gentleman concluded with appealing to the
jury, trusting that they came there with no prejudices ; and
that they would hear and decide on the evidence, wifely and
deliberately, without partiality or haste ; and that whatever
faults the noble Lord might have of warmth of temper, cn
thufiafm, or youthful ardour, they would yet free him from
every imputation of hostility to the government of this
country.
Mr. Erskine begged t 6 be permitted to reserve what he
had to fay till after the evidence on their part should he exa
mined, which \vas granted. ~
Gentlemen were then called t< the fopport of every aiTer
tion in Mi. Kenyon's Ipcech, and in contradiction to every
fad averted for the prosecution. The names of thefc wit
nefles were, the Rev. Erasmus Middleton, Mr. T. Evans,
Lord Viscount Stormont, Sir Philip Jennings Clerke, Bart.
Sir James Lowther, Bart. William Smith, &lis. Wittingham,
Alexander Johnston, Alex. Frazer, John Humphries, Samp
ion Hodgkinfon, John Hodgkinfon, John Robinlou, Mrs.
Yaud, and Mr. Alderman Pugh;,
Mr. Erskine then spoke, and made a most eloquent
speech.
The Solicitor-Genial replied. L ,
Lord Mansfield then summed up the evidence but declined
making any comments, and as foen tis he had delivered hi#
charge left the court. ,
The jury withdrew, and in about twenty minutest turned.
Just as they were taking their feats, Mr. Erskine fainted
away,. Sometime was loft by this accident. Trie % erdux
was then pronounced—-NOT GUILTY.•
The burst of applause that toek place on this was very
gre^an^ attended by circm^an,, that made it highly a- :
feting, Lord William Gordon failed away, and the old
faitiful servant of Lord George fell ihto .
After the tumult had subsided, Lord George Gordon being
refeued from the numbers that : preffcd upon him With th%
congratulations, came forward and addressed the jury in t^e
following, words : ,
(Which -were inserted of our paper, No. T.)
Judge Willesthen iufoimed Lord George, that he was
difeharged, and of course at liberty to depart, and hrs Lord
ship, AT NEAR SIX O'CLOCK THIS MORNING went from
the half, attended by his brothers, the Duke of Gordon and
Lord William Gordon. The Duke of Richmond, Lord
Derbf, Mr. Fox, Mr. Sheridan, and many other public
gentlemen, were also. pre.RUW- • - -\
H A G U E, January 3.
TH E States General being affembledthe 26th of
month, his Serene Highness, the T^ce Sudchohfer
recalled to them, that in the course of the last year, he had
communed his opiniont^to^pre^ce^^
was; thatthey should, as ipeemly as P^,,, put or 60
ships offered, in a condition toporf(if necc.faiy)
commerce in general, aotfthe effeutif i^erlfts
publit that tity should augment ^ the fa me ^h^ ch '
cto fifty or 6*ty thousand ; that they
-heir frontier places irt,thd most refpedablf
stare af^efence • and that they should not pegle&' to provide
defence ; a abundance, with every
W d's ^murfitidh and positions,' which might be need-
f ° d : ^xieency particular!, in a situation when irmight
i“ I have seen with fatisfafhop, Jon,
“Regard has been had th
foiled nsS th e marine, to a certain degree, t,p
my opinio q moment whin the probable
:" :x^:t^M#
approaches 0 F guard, too ninch provide for
^"^faXi^ef^ 'hope that
WESTMINSTER COMMITTEE of ASSOCI
ATION,
King's Arms Tavern, Palace- Yard, Nov. 16, 1780.
RESOLVED,
THAT the thanks of this committee be given to the Hot#
Charles James Fox, for his conduct in the house ofcom
mons on Monday last, on which d'ay, with a ffrmnefs becom
ing the representative of a free people, he exposed the per^
nicious principles and deftruaive measures of an abandoned
adminiffiation, and afforded the fulleft evidence to his con
ftkuents, that neither the temptations of men in power, nor
apprehensions of their resentment, Could cause him to devi
ate from that line of parliamentary condu& which he hath
hitherto pursued with so much honor, or induce him to do
sere the cause ofthe people : ! ,
Kefolved, As iE is reasonable and just that public appro
bation and Support should be afforded to those men who de
fend the public cause, that Mr. Fox, by his condu& on that
day hath further endeared himfelf to his conftitunts, and in
the Hrong&t manner interested the inhabitants of this aq,
"Revived, That this committee, being sensible that the frm,
conffant, and intrepid performance of his duty will probably
render him in common with other distinguished friends of
liberty the object of Such attacks, as he has already experi
enced and to which every unprincipled partizan of power
is invited; by the certainty of reward, most earnestly exhort:
the inhabitants' Westminster, to do their utmost, by ever,
legal measure, to prefer, to the great body of citizens, b,
whom he has been clewed, and to his count,, the benefit of
his Services, and the inviolable security of his person
Resolved That this committee dp adjourn to this da,
fevennight,' M eleven o'clock in the forenoon.,
JOHN CHURCHILL, aßKawu
the States of all the Provinces will perceive, with me, that
what has heen done is infufficient, and that they will double
their amduty and warmth, in adding to the service of 1781,
canfiderable reinforcements to what actually constitutes the
navalforce ofthe Republic ; in attending to this obje&, the
Provinces will undoubtedly not negled what relates to the
state of defence, which circumstances may render indifren,
fible upon land, and I flatter myfelf that my firft advice
becoming more pressing, will be followed with regard to
the fortifications and magazines ; if it was neglected, I de
clare that! would not answer for the conlequences, and that
I should have nothing to reproach myfelf ,ith, ,ecauie 1
have already laid, and do now lay with yet more force, be
fore the eyes of the Confederates, their true Situation, Which
admits of no delay, and which negle& would render dan
gerous. I, therefore, now flatter myfelf, that my advice
and exhortations will have over them more weight and in
fluence than they have had at any time, in which, perhaps,,
if they had been followed, they would have rendered 'thele
last Superfluous, for it cannot be dissembled that, if at the
epocha which I recall co this assembly, the measures had
been taken which prudence would suggest, very probably,
the belligerent powers would have witnessed more refpe&
for the Republic."
Their High Mightinerfes thanked his Serene Highness for
the zeal which he deigned to witness for Che essential inters
efe ofthe republic, and the car^ he had, taken to pr&ferve
it in the enjoyment of its liberty and independence. It was,
Resolved, That there should be communicated to the re
fpedive province, what his Serene Highness had juftpropo^
fed and peffingly represented that it should be added to thh
communication, that anunprovoked war appearing inevit^
ablest was equally the interest and duty, of said provinces/
to unite their efforts, to avert the form, which menaced th^
confederation, - and to open, On Chis occa &zn,-aH the rc—
fources of prudence and courage ; that it should be if cono
Sequence itrongly represented, to the confederates, that thd
marine, in its present situation, is not near fuffiejent for the
prote&ion ofthe commerce ofthe republic, considered in the
multitude of its branches, still less for that,for the po^effioh#
of the republic in the two Indies. That to these reprefente-#
tions, their High Mightinefles would join their n^oft amic b
able and pressing prayers, to engage the confederates, to
give the most Serious attention to die obje&s referred to thei^
consideration, inviting them to employ -theinicives there-*
with, without the least delay, and not lose fight, that the
storm which rises on the sea fide, may extend rapidly overt
the continent : A reflexion which yifibly shews the neceflio,
of also making an immediate augmentation in the land
forces of the republic., > , , . .
Their High Mightinesses finish by faying, that since ft is
no longer in the power of the republic to choose between
peace and war, theyfiatter themselves that the confederates
will find, in the intimacy of their union, in harmony and pa*
triotifm, what circumstances claim from their zeal, for the
defence of their country, and of all Which is dear to them.
(No. 854.)