The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-07-27 00:00:00

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WINTINGDON H UN TIN6DON, JULY 2111,

CIVIL. SIDE.
Defore the I.QP.r) CHIEF 11Aitov.

This case, which came on for trial to day befiite a Special Joryi
eitcited very considerable interest throughout, Flan .ngdon and its
vicinity, from the political notoriety of the plinilif. ,It was an ac-
tion for a libellous paragraph, of which the defendant was the re-
puted author. The paregraph was contained ins Nes-spew, re-
cently established at Huntingdon. °pealed in its patinas to a Jour-.
nisi, said to. be under the control Cl the plaintiW, if not edited by
him. In the " Liberal Joumel" there appeared certain animedeer-
%ions upon the Police of Huntingdon, for suffering noley and idle
persons to disturb the peace of the town on Sunday evenings. The
imputed. libel was inserted in " the Government Paper," as it is
called, and professed to conic under the very original title of
" An Old Inhabitant of Huntingdon." The " Old Inhabitant"
expressed his indignation somewhat in " the Cernbyses vein,"
upon the appearance of such observations in the" Liberal Journal,"
a paper .under the managemeet of the plaintiff, who seconding to
the publication of " The Old Inhabitant," had stirred ep more of
insubordination in the quiet town of Huntingdon, than any liberal
since the days of Robin flood. This example had been most peri-
lous in in consequences. He had violated the sabbath, and encou-
raged the little boys to throw stones at the apple women, and to
break the church windows and " the ten commandments." He got
drunk in the evening, and started as a popular candidate for Peter-
borough the next morning. Though a disciple of Cobbett, he
was a lover of wine, and though he held a sinecure, tiaatt nom.,
rious (Bedford) " leveller." To these and various other allegations,
the defendant, who like the plaintiff
" Is—can he help it--a special attorney,"
pleaded it justification. The damages were laid at MI.
The letter was set forth in thC words following:--
"To the Editor O. the Narrfimig err JOhrwat
" Mr. Editor—l was I*.ther surprised to observe In the /rukees•
dent Press of last week, a censure on the Police of Huntingdon,
Tet. mistake me not, Sir, my surprise was not excited at the re-
port of the respectable inhabitants of that town being grossly
toyed by the rabble; but at the appearance of such a paragraph,
in a paper patronised, at least, if rot edited by Mr. Wells. How
is such an observation from such a_quarter to be accounted for f
I &s not recollect exactly the number of years Mr. %Tells has n-
ailed in Huntingdon, but this I know, That on .ever y -puldie °eva-
sion, during his residence in that town, he has used every means
which his pocket and ingenuity could cotnpria, to draw out and.
encourage the lowest classes in society to treat with Insolence the
higher order,., himself setting them a fitting example; who &a-
turbot the Sabbath evening with bacchanalia:id public music, and.
clustering together in groups the licentious, to the great anuoyance
of the respectable part of the inhabitants. Who was the instigator
of abrost every rioteus party that has atartabliW, net only on ac...
count of politics, but oa every other occasion in the town of Hunt
ingdon, since that worthy gentleman has resided there? Surely it
might with truth be said to Mr. Wells—' Thou art the man.' le
was a town remarkable for the orderly and good conduct of elf
classes of ate inhabitants. Ilut Mr. W. stand:: a living proof of
how much mischief may be brought on society by a single.indie
vidual. Since his residence here the town has unhappily become
the reverse of what it previously was. Even during divine service
on a Sunday the streets arc thronged with the lowest orders, end
on the evening of that day, an the writer of the paragraph justly
observes, the respectable inhabitants of the town certainly expe-
rience gross aonoyance from impertinent and idle ruffians, who
stand in groups on the footway. For this we have to thank Me..
Wells and his partisans, and you will oblige toe notch if yost
will say so in your own language. " Yount respectfully,
" AN Oen INHABITANT OF HUNTINGDON:.
The publication having been proved, and its authorship by the
Eili•or, and the libel put in and read, the defendant', counsel pro,.
ceaded to croas.examine the Editor as to his recollection of certain
bills plarenled about Huntingdon, signed by Mr. It ells. They
contained invitations to the people of Huntingdon.
The plaintiff's counsel objected to their reception, but they were
received as proof of correspoudeot papers having been circulated ire
Huntingdon.
Witness recollected the acquittal of the Queen. Mr. Wells'e
house was illuminated, and beer was distributed ; and Mr. Wells
spoke from a waggon to the lower orders.
11'hat did he say ?
To this question it was objected, that " the words spoken" were
not in any of the pleas set out.
On the other side, it was contended that the words need not be
set out ; but on a suggestion from the Court, it was agreed that the
witness should be called again at the clone of the speech fat the doe
fendant.

fltiteas the plaintift's case.
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tides and the established religion, AIDA, therefore, with Mr. Vella s,
character for notoriety. it was surprising he shank! against such
a near he in an zed'', for libel. Ilia political life was freely
animadverted upon, a- d it was contended that the libel was
of a public nature, viol ting nothing that was private, and trenchis
not in the slightest degree upon hie home, but reflecting upon hie
known principles. anti the natural tendercy of these principles..
Various passages fro:n his " Cimcidnes ad Poruluen" were read.
His addresses to the then:as of various boroughs, the independent
reprceentative of which he was nnxious to become, and his Sunday
Night Vauxhall, it was contended, had the inevitable effect of tens
dewing lax the morals of the lower orders.
Weston Hatfield, the proprietor of a Huntingdon newel:tape?.
said, Mr. Wells was a friend of his; he produced certain paper,
eonreining " the Petition of the Paupers," " Invitations to l'au
hall," &c., paragraphs eulogizing these gardens. One of the
aatagraphs contained this paesage—'• The entertainments at Ilfe.
Welle's gardens form a striking contrast to the usual dulnea of *
summer's evening at Huntingdon."
'What tunes were played P National melodies, such as I retheths
bee to have heard when a boy in the market-place of Huntingden
before all the constituted authorities ofthat place. (Smut applause
was manifested at this answer, and the Chief-Baron declared he
would send any person guilty of such misconduct rut of Court.)
Cross-examined—Was not Mr. Itlargitts a captain of the Tolle.
terra when you heard these tunes
The question was objected to by the defendant's counsel. C
The HI C F -BAUON thought ttis question could not be asked.
Were the persons who attended these promenades decent and
respectable females, and gentlemen of the town P Yes, 1 think se
The " petition of the paupers" was then read, charging that flit
fruits of their labour had been applied to support tax-eaters and
sinecurists.
The Address to the Electors of Eye was also ?cad. It toile
menced by declaring that " no place, not even the corrupt and de-
waded Borough of Huntingdon, owed a larger atonement toil*
public than the Borough of Eye."
Thomas Lovell produced the manuscript Oa Mr. 'Wells's hand.
lwriting) of a letter dated January, 181 B—A letter to the Fre,...
holders of the County of II untingdou—'• Of myself I may cm.,
sav I live in the hot-bed of sedition and corruetion" was Its cup.-
mencement. 700 of them were printed."
The advertisement communicating the plaintiff's intention
to it.
laminate his house, and calling upon ••the ragainuf6i,s " o.
•
tingdon to join him in the expression of their triumphthe
then on_
victory of the Queen over M persecution Ministerial peecution__was ail
The witness said about one-third of the hosesRannog lewet!
Illuminated ; he was swore in as a special constable • . he had heart
the plaint,fl ". make speeches at various times, but tie could hot men .
tion any particular occasion.
The master of The National
School" proved that It r.-an sod
employed to tatke care that no improper person was admitted.'
lischievous boys aspembled outside, outset& by thel
13 A tat Constable proved that on the bight O
Pec

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