The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-11-29 00:00:00

ITO EDITQ OF rta BRlrlsti PREsf.
Ste—Upon pertitidgqhfr, Cobhitt's aylrr, 4f
the 22shiset ands* fFr..agO of mticli iientio s
matter, [.was struck at his •baytal attachrupon t
biirled 'ancestry" of Mr. Sheridan; and his sr' I
mere wanton end unprovoked one on the ;frame
and profession of the Players —those perions,.who
in his purtreateel cant, he stiles " play-aaors."
Upon this two-fold topic, I mean to break a lam
with the rednubted Corporal Colsbieta; who, cn th
occasion, seems to have forgotten hi:-former occ
pation, his moster-roll, and worsted shoulder-kno .
It is not my present intention to enter into an
inquiry into the .. services of she Sheridans," or th
expatiate on'the .. high blood" of our juvenile 00-
bility ; nor yet to canvass the merits of Mr- Paull,
or the lofty pretensions of the Corporation of
Tailors ; neither of whom, in my humble appre-
hension, have derived, or can derive, much credit
or char:l4ler from being associated with Mr Cobbett
After having degraded and debased Mr. Paull by
his countenance and support —... ; ratve tent•lif
(for here, for the first time, Mr. Cobbett appears
in the charaner of a Patron) he seems determined
to " play rap the devil among the tailors." .. A
tailor," says he, .. was not held in contempt by
those of our kings, whose reigns added to, instead
of diminished, the dominions and the glory of Eng-
land ; several of those kings having had their names
inscribed as members of the Company of Tailors,
while not one of them was ever known to associate
with players and buffoons !" Why, really, Mr.
Cobbett, this is a new mode of propagating runt..
,4111/1,0, by fraternizMg our tailors with our kings.
Nor should I be surpised, after this lofty eulogium,
that a new spirit of combination should dep ive us
of that modest remnant and most indispensible
vestte of decency and decorum.
All this would have been sportful and ridiculous
enough, were it not for the malignant sarcasm
thrown out at the conclusion, against both an use-
ful and ornamental portion of the community, who
are at once, the " abstrad and brief chronicles of
the time," sad who, according to our immortal
bard, should be " used with hd'sour and dignity ;"
hut whom Mr. CoShett, in the true spirit of gloomy
and morose per-hawser, or the no less fastidious tons
of methodistical whine, would inhibit, an by a'
bruit erslobrztle, perhaps deny them Christian se-
pultive. But " witsee SPRANG lola SaaaitaAmslir
••--from a playa/tor ; from a person of that pro-
'fission (if it can be called a profession), the follow-
'ers of which, in our wise laws, are considered and
denominated vagabonds " These wise laws, by the
bye, were framed in times when Mr. Cobbett might
I.have figured as no contemptible fanatic. But, let
me tell this rigid moialist, that "in the high
sod palmy state of Runic." Roschis was the
friend of Cicero ; and that in a more refined
peeled, Garrick was the friend and compa-
'Mon of Johnson, as moral and severe a cen-
ter of men and manners, at least, as Mr. Cols-
. bett ; and who, at the death of that great *Dor,
so tenderly bewVed that loss " which had eclipsed
the gaiety of nations." Can Mr. Kemble, who, to
Mich learning and taste, combines much also of
:polished manners, be considered as a .1 vagabond."
when he associates with people of the first distinc-
' sod the)' are proud bf his acquaintance
Illdt Mr. Sheridan's father was di a player and but
Toon," sod therefore the Treasurer of the Navy is
onworthy to possess any ra k in the State ; which
is the obvious conclusion ; for though Mr. Cobbett
has laid down pretty striking premises, be has drawn
no positive conclusion. Mr. Slietidan's father was
a man of jksedy, if that, in the stria sense of the
word, be of any advantage. His grandfather was
the bosom friend of the Dean of St. Patrick, the
illustriens Swift ; and if he did not bequeath brevet
and land' to his posterity, lit ktt them heirs to-his
learning and his talents.
I confess I am no great admirer or the young
Patricians of the present day, nor am I for giving
a vote of credit for virtuous totegtisy to the descend..
ants of a man, perhaps ennobled fur ilia baseness ;
for, if the old Grecian proverb be true, Heroes
telna poises (I will translate it for Mr. Cobbett.)
" the sons of great 'men seldom thrive, or come to
good," while, on the copiroty, we are told,
wills rape eerier wails ',Tsar h ; "the hest nice
comes out of an old vessel ;" and surely, the spark•
ling wit and flowing eloquence of r..e Treasurer of
the Navy, with all his frailt,es about him, is more
rich and racy, than the frothy fermentations of W-
ham Cohhett. With his rerArfressalionr, as Mr. Cob-
hew calls his lite iceiptance.of a situation of profit,
f have northing to do. I consider him twitted to
the place he holds, on the entrance of his patty into
powvr, from the. stubborn ititirgricy he evinced for
.0 long a period, though steeped in poverty to the
very lips," and suffiering rminsfolel privations. It
is strange that those who wear glass doublets, are
the first to threw stones ; and that William Cobbett
should so soon forget Peter Porcupine ! To-day
for Church and. State; the neat, for Jacobinism
and Democracy I I
One wind more, and I h.tve chine. Mr. Cobbett
is another Diomed ; he wooed* the softer sex. Nor
age, nor rank, nor loveliness, proms% it. Though
he professes to love domestic society, his wife and
children, and " would prefer the son of the robin"
to popular applauge, or the shouts of the rabble ; he
'obtrudes his unhallowed insinuations into the re-
d Royalty, and the retreats of the Moses,
with truly brutal malice. Adieu. Mr. Cobbett ; I am
ashamed for you ; but I shall follow you step by
step—still hang upon your rear—examine you nar-
rowly—and, perhaps, you may hear from me at
Your Manor, at Botley, where, I am told, you rake
great aim of consequence, and carry yourself most
fastidiously, nom atiatahling your ideated plain-
ness and humility. Secueue.
Rowse', Acts. 23, I fisk.
—ear
A duel, which it is feared will prove fatal its its
consevences, was fought oa Wednesday last, at
Waltham Grove, Bucks, between Mr. B—z—a, an
Irish Gentleman of fortune, and Mr. N an
Officer in the Marines. The go irrel which led to
the combat, Aram out of an affair of gonontry.—
Me. B. having been found in possession of a lady,
the niece of the Officer, who eloped from her friends.
in the •icieity of Novb,ry, iu August last. The
parties eschang d three fi:es, and Mr. N received a
wound in the left breast, which it is feared nail
prove mortal. Mr. Ca •staa. a surgeon, cheesed
the wound, but cocks scut estraa the boll.

liltmisavietAckeitarc '
• •
sill! i
•
-COURT OTIefiRSCERT, Nov.
4=l) Y' •I r'
I,4pAß:rlit ov TUE PRESS. . • •
•
• , Piasicg L. 9, vacs:awaits.
This ease, which has been so long pending in the
Cant of Omicery, came forward this day in a new
shape. The ptiecipal facia which transpired in the
enurse of the proceedings, with the observations of
Counsel, and the JuJgment of the present Lord
Chancellor and the Master of the Rolls, have been
he:fore the public in the several statements made in
the Daily. isewspepers, as far as their lie nits would
permit. For ota report of the proceedings and
final judgment, we beg leave to refer our readers to
our Paper of the 19th of August last.
The SOLICITOR-GIMERAI. this day moved the
Court, that the• Defendant, James Macnamare,
Esq. and Mr. George Farquharson ; Messri. Orme
and Byrne, the two ostensible Propzienots of 7 /is
Morning Poii newspaper; and Messrs. Walters and
Mecdonnell, the ostensible Proprietors of 'lit Morn-
ing Ilerdd newspaper, should stand committed fur
misrepresenting the case of Purcell la Macna-
mars, in the newspapers called the Moranta Pere
and ne Alornb j Herold. He said----.• This case is
not only of imporunce to the suirors of this Court,
but generally to the public at large. Ido nut
mean to contend, upon the present motion, that any
of His Majesty's cubit:els have not a right to pus.
littli the proceedings of a Coon. of Jenne*, but
quite the contrary.—l think it extremely beneficial
that such a right should exist. and I Clink that A
great part of the good administration of justice is
ia be ascribed to nothing more than the proceed-
ings of the Courts being laid cpen through this
channel to every individual; neither shin contend,
that it is incumbent upon such person to shorn it
is intrusted to make therit public, that be shall do
it with the greatest accuracy. It is necessary to al-
- a great deal for human it.firmity, and it is
quite impossible that they should lie able to take
such proteedings without some incorreaness ; but if
your Lordship ,should find that the mode of
conveying information and itutralion to the pub-
lic is converted into the means of destroying
. the charaEfers of individuals, and libelling the due
administration of the justice of the country, and if
your Lordship should find that one party payma
considerathin for the abuse of the Liberty of the
Press, and another expels such pecuniary soosidei-
stints, the Court connot render a more important
service to the Liberty of the Press, titan in punishing
these parties. The Gentlemen w: o report law-pro-
ceedings, are bound to do their duty to their em-
ployers and the public, but they are not to make
themselves the tools of designing nien. I shall as-
derteke to prove to your Lordsnip, that the pub.'
lication of which 1 complain, is not only a libel'
upon the parties in the cause, but the grossest
libel upon the Court itself, tallith I will spew
by reading borne of the passages. The Court
is there made tn'say, that which it did not, and
could not have said. this I will 'Lew, not only
by Mr. Ma:manna himself, but by the Gentle-
man Who took the money for the insertion of it.
This account, in the papers which I have mentioned,
begins by stating what are supposed to be the lefts.
"esf tits case, end then proceeds to give what they
Imagine to have been said by the Counsel of Mr.
Macnamera, Messrs. Fonbito que and Agar ; neat
they state the reply of Mr. f'oublenque, and here
they have hirroduced a libel as coming horn the
mouth of a Gentleman of the highest honour and in-
tegrity." The Learned Counsel here read the
passages alluded to, from one of the said news-
papers, in which Mr. Is onblanque is made to charge
'a conspiracy between the Plaintiffs and her Attor-
ney, with others, eg.tinstJlr. Nlacnsmera. "Then;
he continued, "it goes en to the judgment of
the Master of the Rolla end your Lordship." hate
the Solicit er•General read another passage from
the publication, which taas the same in both papers,
wherein theCheoaellor is mad° oci profess much
personal respedt for Mr. Maenamara, and entirely
sed the sentiments he aduaily expiestmd.—
" Hese," he resumed, " your Lorasinp is made to
pass an encomium upon Mr. Macnamat a. and a cmn-
pliment is .ilao paid 'tine by the Master of the Rolls,
for his candour and humanity. This, I think, no
man will hesitate to say, Vs holding up the proceedings
of Ore enutt to pit'dic derision arid contempt. It a
man were to slate that the Court had paid the
highest compliment to the Defendant for his justice
and humanity, but that your Lordship had pro-
nounced a decree against him, he would nut be be.
lit this case, however, it comes under the
highs authority of your Lordship's name, and was
it the fait, this Court world only be fit to aslant-
nioer justice in Bedlam. Of such description is
this publication ; and I shal shear, that it .was ant
taken by a person attending by order of Mr. Mac-
namara, hut that it was written undei his express
diFlation. 'llse Reporters to the public Newspapers,
not only owe a duty to their Proprietors, bur to the
public in general, and should not be induced to
accept bribes to betray the interests of their em-
ployers. The Gentleman who made the report I
allude to, was Mr. George Farquharson, who was
paid far altering the account of soother Gentleman,
who had encode,. the previous proceedings for Mr.
Macnamara. This account Mr. hlacrtamara car•
ried to The Assiut Poo, and offered payment for
its insertina; but this Mr. Byrne, the Editor, with
great propriety, refused, and thouAhtit dishonour;
able to talc. money for such a publication ; at the
same time, he said, he should insert it, provided Mr.
Macnanuta would satisfy him that it was a true and
impartial account. The four other persons, who ar
Pioprietors of those Papers, against whom I move,
tare, wi•hout doubt, liable, both civilly and ciimia
welly, for any person they may employ ; but I am
not disposed to press this application against them,
as any blame which can be attached to them, is
only for employing a gentleman upon whom they
cannot rely. Application was made to Mr. Mae-
donnell, the Editor of lie Morning Herald, who em-
ployed Mr. Farquharson to take an account of the
law notice:Amp, and in consequence of inquiries,
the en igind manuscript was found upon their files,
and proved to be the hatid.writing of Mr. Far-
quharson. And from the affideNit of Macdonell it
afterwards appeared, that be had informed him,
that being at a loss for some of the proceedings, he
(Farquharson) a; plied personally to Mr. Macna-
mar.i, who gave him sonic papers in the cause, he
admitted that several passages ia the account were

. .a•
oad' to him by attunes''', and time he ha
4ha4 tcertain attfoof .money as a remonem
.pirfor )ii k trouble, but denied ever haviog ow. .
iltlleed ...bribe," , 'lle Learned Counsel next ad.:
veliesl to „the. affidavit of Mr. Morgan, Attornty.•:,
Whollid..ilong with Sit . Purcell, the Plaintit; '
and Mroldocolto. been charged with a conspiracy •'''
by the Defendaot, and who indiffed Lincoln for
geligreo ut aftertvarda abandonoithat prose:lonia...
Fools this affidavit it appeared, that Farquhanonk
elled upop him, as he said, in consequence of his
(Morgan's) calling nn Mr. Macdonnell ; and then
stated, that Mr. Macnamara had sold him some .fo-
part? of the account, and requested h. would give -
a favourable repiart of it, and gave him a brief to
make it out from. - 'feet he prepared the case
funs this and other documents, and afterwards iila
tered them undo. the 'direetion of M. Macnamara.
.!
He then asked him, it he had heard Mr. Fanso
blenque's reply ? and he answered, that he was not ~.
io Court at the time, but that all was written under
the dire lion of Mr. Macnamara, and at his instant -u
and remace. ' e
Mr. Byrne's affidavit stated, that Fe had receiver:
the whole of the manuscript from Mr. Farquharson.
A few days after his first application, Mr. Muna.
mare again called on him, :tad t rld him he bad etno •3,
ployed Mr. Farquharson, an able Reporter, and
wished him to insert his ea:Count. lie offered pay
went. but Mr. Byrne rrjefted it i ptirsiiing to io
the account, upon his assurarsce of. iti,being a faitawir
• one. Mr. MActiamat a's aFfi tacit :stated, that in
consequence of many calumnies which had tospeatird ..
against him in the pubic prints. he chimed it moms.
airy to employ a short-hand writer *this osenoppalf.
he accordingly eng stool Mr. Frazer. who took a.
part of the first of the proceedings, but being Msgr.
ed to go to Bath, he employed fsfr Fairoaharson,
and gave him Frazrr's notes. He denied ev-r Aka
taring any part of the account to Farquharson. laka
cept the general detail, and admitted he paid hoje
for his trouble, but never gave him any bribe. , •
Mr. Farquharson's affilaoit stated, theChif had.
followed this profession for some yews, and tralwtys.•
endeavoured to give his reports with eil mete
fidelity and truth as possible ; that net Issmiegato:
teaded the whole of the proceedings in chases/Nuke ,
felt himself inadequate to give a. faitistal itemise. .. •
of it ; and being informed that Mr. Macaramee* --
isin
Fad complained of some stater's. io The ifermiqg
Hyoid, he met him, and accosted epos% tisel
Jed. He (ALacoainars) told him, e waisoost war
a friend to the liberty of the praer to templates ea
its defedo or even its mistepresemotions • 'aka
affidavit then went on to stare some further MO-
versation, which ended in engaging him to site
an account. 4 the case, for sirlsiiih he was •
-4. but never received. any. bribe.. The o .
Counsel Men, having adverted to addit
affidavits made by Morgap and Mecdonotll44:3 •
ewer to some passages in Mr. Farqiiharsen'
several authorities to shew that such a plibliCalinli
as the one complained of, was a contempt of ohm
Court, and properly punishable. If. therehmo he
°asset Ted, this was to pass unnoticed, hi would sok
what Solicitor would undertake any cause, if be was Ilk
afterwards to be held out as a conspiroter I Titis
Courts and their pleadings might as well h.-abie up
at once, if persoui who orgy did 'their ditty was
not protrded. • i
LoaD CHANCILLOII—" I agree wholly with you.
Mr. Solicitor-General, inohat position ; but I wish le
know if you have such an affidavit as will shave, that "s,
Mr FontOanque did-trot make ow of these words f e
At the opposite side of the Hall (the Court of King's
Berle.), a rule to slow cause is granted, in the first
instance ; but it afterwards comes on to be further
heard and considered, before an attachment can be
granted ; but that. is not the case in this Court s
and if there is any one thing more delicate than the
liberty of the mess, it is the authority of this Collet
to prose- d by attachment. Leery paragraph, then&
f I-. which you mean to rely on as a contempt of
the Court. you mast have an affidavit of. I might
to be very cautious how I ad in this case. I bilo, -'
lieve 1 have more reason ro complaio, in this c
than any body else, for I have been asked by
sous, for whom I have the highest rasped and re.
Bard, how I could have pronounced such a decree f
You mast shew that this person was present. and
heard Ms. Fontslanque's reply, you must also show .
that Macnamara was present ; it would tor nest to
an inquisition were we to grant attach:lints u
light grounds."
The SOLICITOR.GICNIRAL-- Then, say unit -,
I will-abandon that part of the application. oat
take it no your Lordship's owe speech, which I
. sat will take upon me to swear to."
Loan Ca • 11e11.1.011--." 1 confess I feel very g
difficulty in this ease ; most certainly that which w- .
imputed to the Court, the Court can take notice ~rs
that which is imputed to the Counsel. the COW;
cannot notice. I had not sat many days in thi•
Cour-, when an application was made to me if)/ o
re-hearing of this cause. My Noble Predi?cossor
baying taken so mach pains with it, and myself
having known the Defe'ndant almost all my blot.
for these reasons I thought it necessary to call
in the assistance of the- Matter or the Rolla; it
is, therefore, not a very pleasant thing to me, that
it shookd go all over England, nay, all over thai
world, that I was making a panegyric, or passing
an eulogium, upon that part of a case which was
contrary to justice. I revere that sentiment of she
Solicitor-tleneral, that the proceedings of a
Court at Justice should be open to every oat to
take, lir the iastrudion of the public ; and I
know that many animadversions have been mad. '
upon the opinion given by me upon a recent
applicatian for an ii.jundion. Whenever a party
comes before the Court fur an itijundi in, there •
Must appear a foundation for such application,
I found the case I allude to (Goa se; p Long-
man, for publishing the trial of Lord tlelsolls) bot-
tomed upon several strong precedents, and I grant-
ed
the rule accordingly ; taut it cannot be said that I
passed any judgment upon it ; when the cause comes
to a hearing. then it is another matter, and it will then
be time en-ugh to anima Ivan upon it. I gel not •
the owe who would curtail the liberty of the Press.
or deny the right of every man to p.1:111%. VIC pro-
ceedings of Cants of Justic..; but this he must do all i
i correcoy is he can. and at his own peril."
Nit.. Prudest's and Mr. Aucs, en the other
side, hoped the Court would hear the whcoe of the
l'abfication, boture his Lordship would pass any
judging:at. This might go abroad; aad, being ssa,a

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