The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-01-03 00:00:00

'Lair ivri LirkivC,

, .
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, GUILDOALL, LONDON,
WIDNENDAY, J•NU•NN t.

:Worn Sh. Loan Cntir Jurrica and a Manley Jury.
LUAU. 017 THE: COUNTESS OF JERSEY.

THE RING V. WEATEIt AND OTHERS.
This war a criminal intormatioil exhibited by
George Earl of jersey against Robert Thstnis
%Vetiver, publisher, mud Thome+ A rrowsmith end W.
Slued:elf, proprietors of the John Ball stewspepes,
for a libel published in diet paper on the 6th May,
ISM oil the Countess of Jersey.
Mr. SCARLET? stated the case to the Jury. He
said it was slut alleged that either of the three 13e.
leutlauts was the author of the libel ie question._
It wss probable that the author vomit' never he
knows'. If he had the good fortune to he received
ni any respectable society the puleication of his
name would be sufficient to bailie!) him from it, so
that it was not probibte he would disclose it lona-
Self, and there was nothing of such brilliancy iii
the performance to cast a ray of ii;ht to intorm
posterity who was the author. Though his name
would probably continue to be mikitown, it was
not the less proper that public justice should he
ssiisfied for the crimes which lie hail committed,
and that the Defendants, who concealed the author
and profited by his performatices, should be
amenable, both civilly and penally, for Lill the con-
sequences. lie believed he might say, to the
credit of the English Press, that whatever Mamas.
gsuce as to praise or censure was indulged in with
regard to public men mud public measures, none
had been found so void of all decorum and sense
of decency as to drag female character before the
public; but it seemed that at length an author had
been found who, in furtherance of some object by
him deemed proper, did not scruple that Warners.
That pereon's professed drugs was to culainniate
her late Majesty, and he thought that, provided it
answered some political purpose, he was at liberty
to attark all kaiaks, even of the Royal Faintly.—
He considered, in the delicacy of his judgment raid
feeling, that he was at liberty to traduce ally private
character, for the purpose of potting au end to all
respect being paid to the wife of his Sovereign. He
(Mr. Scarlett) should advert as lightly us portable to
the cilcumstances which must become matter of his-
tory. (god (rebid tint he should dwell umiecessenly
on whet related to the private character of any of ilia
Royal Fatality, much less thou lie should approach
irtrverenily the ashes of the dead, even if he felt
no respect far misfot lune. Whether guilty or tuuo-
cent was not now the question, but reports were
spread to her Majesty's discredit, the tendency of
*tech was to shake that respect which attached
to the Monarchy itself, and it became a paistful
duty in the opinion of many persons to maintain
that respect. Not so the author of the libel coin.
plained of; he had thought it a proper tune to let
fly his poisoned snowy, and he declared he should
proclaim open war against every indivaluel who
lend any respect to her Majesty, ur who even paid
her the usual compliment of leasing their urines at
her Alitjesty's house.
Mr. SCARLETT deprecated the introduction of
the private characters of Sovereigns into discussion,
or supposing that such was to be the scale to mea-
sure the fidelity and respect justly due to their sta-
tiers. Reverting to the present publication, he ob-
served that nothing could be more distressing to a
Lady than to become in uny way the subject of
public discussion. It was a most estimable part of
the character of the sex to court retireutent-sseven
their very virtues loved the shade, and shunned the
opportunity of public display. Whitt, then. could
be thought of a man fur holding up this Lady in
the language of ridicule and contetnpr, for poli-
tical or any other purposes ? The Learned Counsel
then teed the libel, commenting on it as he went
along. It staled that the writer had received
many communicatious respecting Lady Jersey,
which lie should publish from time to time.
fur the amusement of his readers. lie had hi-
therto spared Lady Jersey, awl should have
continued to have done sii, if she would have
permitted him ; but the " foolish *otiose" had
auntie lietself en " offensively indecent by taking
up (when every other person had departed from
her) the paramour of Bergami," " the modern
Mescaline," &c. &c., awl the paragraph concluded
with informing its readers, that Lady Jersey was
about to go abroad. in consequence of the coolness
with which she was received in private society, on
account of the conduct she hail pursued in the
Queen's ellen. He (Mr. Scarlet!) could conceive
but one defence to this, and that was, that
the a riter load not treated Lady Jersey so badly
as he had treated her Majesty ; hut he thought
the good ttate of his Learned Friend (the So-
licitor•Cieneral), would not permit his availing
himself lif that. lit conclesion. he confidently
anticipated that the verdict of the Jury would be
such as to ensure to the Delendabto that punish-
ment which his Lordship and the rest of die Court
would at a future day deal out to them according
to their demerte.
The paper was then put in and the libel read.
Thomas Wright, clerk to the Suliciior tOr the
proeectition, produced the wiper of 6th May, 1811,
which lie purchased at the office of the Join Bull,
in Johnson's-court, Fleet-street; "Shackell and Aea
roweitittli" was over the door ; and he also produced
a copy of the affidavit of the Defendants from the
Scamp-office, to shear that they were printers, pub-
lishers, and proprietois of the John Bull.
The Soticrroa-Geteenat, for the Defendants,
objected that the affidavit of the Defendants pro-
duced from the Stamp-office stated the place of
publishing the paper to be in Dyeessbuilditigs,
whereas the paper produced stated that it was pub.
tidied in Johieson's-court, Fleet-street.
Mr. SCARLET? contended that he had proved
the Defendants to he proprietors, punters, nod
publishers of this. Paper, though not printed, &c.
at the same place. Ile had given the proof ay-
cording to the Statute, but he was prepared to offer
futile!, evidence.

The witness was further examined. Ile
said that he knew of uo other place where the Paper
was sold hut Jultilson's-roult ; lie heard the muse
of p, sees when lie was there ; he did out
6 num, coy id the D41'0410109.

Jr.N tii!ARLETT 'hen cuistendrd, that supposing
the ChlUte of the Statute nhich directed that the

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