The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-07-23 00:00:00

. , .
CLERKENWELL SESSIONS, .14..1.‘ 21.

SEDITION.
• Jacob Mererr wris indicted for uttering, on the
S of Aril, in the prtiener of diver, rf His Ma-
jesty's sohjects, the following malicious unil sedi-
tion. expressions: —" Dam,. and blast the King
and all the Itoya! Fatoily—we want tau
Mr. KeYnor.Os, for the prosecution, anted the
ease in it very able manner. kie described the ex;
pres . i 111 l s used by the Defendant, as being of a very
iuertutnatory.ustuo; and panegyrised, in a most
elognent style,.the British Coustitutiou—the wheat

ever framed .by:tnatt; the three orders of which
were balanced with such admirable harmony, that
the des ruction of one tnust necesiarly produce
the minor all. He must be stupid iu the extreme,
who could vilify or defame any one of the consti-
tuent eiders of such • system.; but that man must
be lost to all the dignity of virtue, to all the ex-
cellence of morality, who could speak with disre-
spect of a King, who had fur so many years dis-
charged his public duties with the utmost anxiety
fur the welfare of the country ; and who, in the
walks of private life, had uniformly followed the
dictates of religion and of virtue. When he heard
of persons railing against tie Constitution of the
. country. he could nut avoid turning hts eyes to-,
wards Fraucv, the great theatre of innovation:—
there revolution had followed revolution, in rapid
succession; and what had beets the consequence?
That country now groaned under the most severe
of tyrsunies--a military despotism. He was far
from wishing that true liberty of speech should be
abridged ; it was the pride and blast of English-
men : but its licentioustiesie should certainly be ie-
pressed. Public subjeetii should he aiscussed with
temper, and the three ordi-rs of the Constitutioo
should be spoken of with that reriaect which was
certainly due to them.
George Ruiliven, the Prosecutor, • tide-wait •r,
was then calLel.—sHe deposed, that, on the nnnn n-
ing of the Bth of April. he vies on shore ; in I'll
noon he went on board the snip ineariab/e,
the I.riailun Dock; he (the Defendant) itiquiied
VI.III. there any :wive? Prosecutor answered. there
Was none, except dist Sir Francis Burdett was to
be setit to the Tower. Some one said, he expected
• there would lie a row, Defendant imineettettly
cried out 4. 1 hope there may; for, my ey es
I'll go ashore. and have a hl—dy burns! Damn
and blast the King, and all the Royal Family. we
want no King!" Prosecutor said, 4. How foolish
you talk. I ouderst•tid the gun., at the Tower are
loaded ;" Defendant immediately rejoined s. Damn
the Tower ; what do we want with the 'tosser? let
us go is the Bank, and have • smash, or have it
does II ;" witness dot not recollect which.
Here Mr. WA I FORD, the Counsel for the De-
fendant objected to the disclosure of any conversa-
tion, not laid iii the indictment. The Court, how-
ever, over-ruled the objection ; obse►vang that it
was right to hear such conversation, f..r the purpose
of proviug the yuu aniuto.
Prosecutor continued—When Defendant made
use of these expressions, he (the Prosecutor) said
to him, .i it is very well I bold the situ•nou I do,
otherwise I would expose you ;" he then spoke to
the second mate, who was present, who acid.
" that it was not the King. but the Gower 1111 l eut."
Defendant swore he would have tweed at 4.1. a
loaf, mid that provisions were cheaper, and Cie
people better off, in other countries than in Eng-
land. Prosecutor silted whet the mob could do
against the soldiers ? Mercer arvavereii, " damn
the soldiers, if I was a soldier I'd tire over the peo-
ple's heads, I'd join the opposite party ;' The con-
versation took place under the copings of the hatch-
way ; no one was present but the mate (who is •
native of Prussia butt spoke Eitglesh). De-
'rodent, and Prosecutor. The vessel bad

sailed, and the mate had gone with her. 11l
had met Defendant on London Bridge since the
bill of indictment had been found against him ;
Defendant begged of hits not to appear against
him, as he was not bound over.
On his cross-examidation, he at first denied that
he bad ever been clserged by say 1u with
sie.iling any article on board the ship; hut, subse-
quently, ecailow hedged that the Seiaind Mate had
charged hun with purluming some marline and cof-
fee, and taken it from him, but that the First Mate
returned it again. The marline hail been given
to him by the Boatswain, for the purpose of *lung-
ing his hammock. Hr had never been accused of
stealing barley. His box had been broken open by
Defendant, and some biscuits were found, but nei-
ther Defendant, nor any other-person, had charged
him with having stolen them : he never took away
a piece of beef in his handkerchief; nor did he
ever say to Defendant " If I cannot detect you in
thieving, I will in something else." He mentioned
the seditious ewpressiuus to his mother the following
day ; his father was not in town. Prosecutor did
not make his charge till the 30th of April ; the
vessel sailed on the luth ; his reason fur not toiling
it sooner was, he expected promobun ; amid as
minty of the persons ensployed is the Customs a ere
favourable to Sir /muck Burdett. he feared he
I should make enemies. Ou the following day, De-
fendant abused him very much for irking nstice of
what he said ; he celled him a thief-taking %them ;
and said he wanted to make 101. of his (Mercer's)
body; Proseciitnr answered. he never belonged to
Bow-street; Defendant replied, If he did not,
some of his people did." Prosecutor's father had
been many years attached to Bow-street Office ; he
was at preseiit superannuated, and received a pension;
his brother is at present in the saint esuplot. Pro-
secutor observed a. person in Court who could prove
that Defendant said he would mike 101. of his
body, on the morning of Monday the !WI of April.
Thomas Highland, • bowman, deposed he
ern on board the fevariabie at the time men-
tioned by Prosecutor, Aid I.e serer Leant De-
fends:of scout( Prosecutor with wanting to maw
101.1111 i: busty ; he never heard any improper
conversation ; he recollected the Defauclant saying
to Prosecutor *. that he ought to be seat to gaol
for robbing the ship of stores. Ile recodecied a. c-
log him with a handkerchief full of pearl li.irley,
which was part of the ship's storrs, stud not of .11c
cargo, which was hemp; he had been subpana',l
for the Defendant.
Mr. WALFORD now addressed the jury in a very
impressive manner. Ile stated, that he would de-.
memoirists to the sAtistact;ott of the Court, that
every syllable sworn to he the Pre......utor was false;
that lie was not to be believed on his oath ; and that

•
the t . t aehon origisial,d ;is private malice; uhw
did he not bring forward the mateahom he asserted
to hare bevu present at the coneteraition? But, no,
he knee that individual would have emitradiried in
terms every word he. tittered. The words are
states! to hare been spoLon en the eth of Aprsl, but
he never masses his activation ti'd the :Oil).- alter
the Ono had sailed, and the mate with her. He did
not us..in to justify. the expreceeins,if tlu-y beets
made; but it would, appeer evident they had never
beets used. Ile agreed perfertliyaith his Learned
Friend, that lib -frty of speech was the great birth- •
riglit of F:ngli,hilien ; a very .great latitude was
given to the disciii,ioit of public .subjects. The
country, ia lime* of danger, found its best security
in that liberty; fo • 110 is naturally defended that
most strenuously which they were convinced was
worth defending. What could the Jury think of
that mass, .vlia dragged forward into a Court of
Justice the unguarded expressions of a moment of
warmth and irritation, even tillowits4 the expressions
to be proved ? Would they think favourably of that.
individual who could betray the secrecy of mob-
dentist' conversation ? Such a man Ilion appear its
a very doubtful point of view. The fact was, both
Prosecutor mid Defendant were tide-waiterr, oat
board the Invariable. Prosecutor, es would In
'hewn, was repeatedly detected ,reaping part of the
cargo; he was charged with this dishouesty by the
Defeisitatit,•aiiil hence are Isis deter •.tion to
be revenged. Defendant us at irreaeot employed as
an otlimr, his loyalty was never before qiiestioned ;
he has lost two lit-others in the service of Ins 17
try; and as to private cheracter, stone can :meet a
.better. He then proceeded so call his want:ascii.
Wm. HC41414441/44/ a labouribg man, who MOS at
work On Wald the faectridide, saw the mare take.
some in aline from Pro-eciatur : the Defendant
arid, ." You are a pretty nfficrr ; you arc not to be
busted." Probes -00 r trembled very much. Witue-4
could not say whestiet the articles Mere returiird to
him or nut.
Thomas hoboes, ai porter in the service of klr.
Sodden. the owner of the re-isel, saw the see...id
mate take two 'skeins of wartime end Inoue coffee
from Prosecutor: the mate took him ilow• so the
hold. and then •cloireed. Islas aid) the thief : he
did not know whether the property had been tea
turned to him.
George Wilson, grocer, of Blackfriars.rne
posed, that front swill ke And limed Proseetwe
swear that day, he would not believe him oo his
oath.—[He was informrd by the Chairmen, Use
the Jury had heard the Prosecutor's cud, 'sc.., and
were the beat judges of the credit due to i:.)—'Xit.
neat gave the Prisoner a most excellent character
fur probity, and stated particularly that he was a
very dutiful son.
Several other witnesses came reward to Defend.
anti character: they all declared him to be a very
good young win. acid extremely toys. ; but to A
question put to each of them by Mr. Itserrohna,
they stated they had never heard Drfemlaut tiptase
hai *Moo upon any political subject.
Mr. Ri:YNO6D4 replied at gr at length to Nlr.
Watford.
Mr. WAISOaD task an objeetiou to die stseirt.
meat. It stated. that the words were utters .l so
presence of.. divers sui.jecta of Ili- Majesty ;" a here.
as, in point of fact, one of the three persoaa pew-tit
was a Pflislll.lll subject. Time objection oat use -
ruled—it being heist, that every man, tile
country, owes anew ince to the Government.
The CHIIIIII4III then summed up the evidesice--.•
and the Jury in a few unuutes retinues! a v.:l dice
of—Not Chatty.
Samuel Branders was indicted fur putting off a
counterfeit seven-shilling piece. on the tt9th of
May, well knowing tilt:1414111e t be set-•••id
count charged hien with ott-ring the ciao tu
tabeth, the wife of John lt-wres
It appeared that Elizabeth Reeves a crow' re-
sidiug ns Poirpoollatie. Gray's oal-haue, lie:i gone
to the shop of one Mathis. a butcher iu Brook'sr
market, three screral tune*. soil purchase ! as
quantities of meat, in p eyaietit or whteli she eat b
tone tenderest a seven-shilliog piece, as.d re: raved
the change. Martin having occasion to pty a sum of
money into a banking-house, produced tio se sereo-
@Selling pieces as part or it : they were re:n(l,M
by the desk, as base. Recuilecting that he had
taken them from the game e omen, Ise des:red
Henry Watts, his servou•, when she came swill.
to detain her. On the 29th of May, she berttaied
for a joint of meat ; and, as usual, tendered a
seven-atoning piece; she was then taken lute cus-
tody be Iluid, an officer of Mattbornogn-atiees ;
Mrs. iteeVCS immediately mated .there she Isseat";
and added, that she was clear-woman to the prison,-r,
from whom she received the bad mums, end ally
resided to the house with her. Hunt diem ;Latched
the room of the primmer. who. on to.iug istformad
that the viten-shilling piece was had, otreed a
good one far it. 1.0 base 11101117 was forms! in hit
room ; his our,. co:denied four good half-Kniar.ak;
roil ill a small tin-box there stoat' 41. lie, wd. Ns good
silver. When Hunt 'brat denusailed slid the velvet
belong to hum. he *mil .ryes;' but Ace he dio.
covered hum to be au officer, he alleged shot it be-
longed to 16 Mead. 0 1 Isle second extunioation at
Mar:borough-street °Ric-. a woman of the ranee of
Thornton, also had washed fur issues e. ! Warts'
voluntarily, and deposed that, ss at seven ddleeetst
time., she: hail revs teed sevaitahilling pieces grow
the Dere:admit, to ))))) loose aitisls• for loon and
that they had always lee i refowil." The.e wets
were folly substantoited its evidesire by Mr. MArtil
and his servant Watts, Elizabeth !terser, Haut
the Officer, and Mary Thornton the hillside, vs.
Mr. Powell, trout the Mint, titscal toe 7r. Pit 4:-'1
to be bale metal.
Mr. ANDialai, Counsel for the. Defendant; s ail-
ed, that his client had received the base maw iu.
change ; hie sight wis very defective, and he sisiglit
very easily lc derriere!, as the pieces weir tame me.
ly well executed. Hr celled no witerseet. • •
Defendant was found it to she
months' imprianistoent io t se :loose of Corresaiu..,;,
said, at the expo:snots of {hit stint, to plied asr.
sanity far his send behaviour b.r six mass ,h..
Defendant liveried its Court ends Is . oi,;:ia-s at. o.
and sweated in the last stage of de; pilita rod di •
Behjamin Leon, and Jim a& hi. ;de, a
dieted for keeping a kiwis of mas
orderly house. in tlillfe-csat!t,
prosertitiosi was carried oa at the cat • •
pas ish of St. Clement's Danes.
Gabriel Davis, who lives opposite the Is use of

Jr

die Defendants, stited set eral infirmaries which
• he lied observed in the house :he had ffequenrly
seen woolen of the ton enter it, followed by wen;
ft. kid Mo-reed women beckon from the motto*,
to men whip were pasting : there were frequently
ili,turbancrs it night ; these riots were piotieulerly
frinielo el by a woitiac of the mime of Taylor, but
who was better known by the plesioutiou of
• legged Charlotte, who was alleged to have resoled
in the house. When witness remonstrated with Mn.t
Lynn as to the impropriety of her co :lilac!, site
stripped her lingers at hint. said bf-r home. was
her emails., and slot would do what she liked there."
John Gabriel Davis, brother the lest ait•iess,
corroborated his tes!inione. It appeared, however,
that couch ill-blood bad loag subsisted between
these parties, and that even warrant& bad hawu re.
oiled to ; and it Wes admitted, that since the pre-
,ffut bill had been found, the house had exhibited
nothing rept. Infusible.
Mr. J. Miller, of liow-street office. deposed to
the notorious iliara. ler of Taylor alas Homily leg-
ged Charlotte. She was well knosu at the
office.

I

John Daniel, a watchman, James Woodhouse,
Samuel Darrington. James A orleraini, Mrs. Wright,
Murton, and Mr. J. Matlock, rarpectable in-
habitants of the tieigimlniurhood, were called in
support of the prrowention. y could speak to
no fact, however, from the Ist of J4ll. last to the
id of April, to winch tune they were restricted by
the indictment. Time last witness stated, the only
disturbance he recollected in the Court was occa-
sioned by namly-lqqed Charlotte and Mr. Davis,
when much foul laiiguage was used on both rides.
Several of the witnesses stated, that they never
thought of pro-.renting until Mr. Davis presented a
paper to thein for signature.
Mr. AIIDIIEW4, for time Defendants, stated that
he had a host of witnesses to call to the character
and conduct of his clients, who Lam! rseided tor ),
years in the neigh'', he would, however,
content himself with calling one.
Mr. Young was accmarditigly s.-urn. and riernied.
that he had lived in the Defendants' house, and
never sow any improper persons in it. Since he had
.left it, he had sometimes called there ; but never
saw any impropriety ; if the Inner had •b.eu bad,
he thought he must have heard it ; but never had
been told any such thing.
The ell %INMAN shortly informed the jury, that
not a syllable which had been given in evidence
went to support the counts in the indictment. lu
point of fact, no circumstance was adduced, as
stated, to prove that the def. Infants kilt a house of
the descrip'i ua specdied, .• for filthy imicre and
gain ;" out did it appear that the house in que,tion
was. a'" Quittance. to Has laje.ty's subjects ;" which
it was necessary to prove, to support the cutiut
charging them with keepinc a th,ordeily house.
The Jury returned verdi, t Crate.
The Defendant, Benjamin Lyon, was carried
tufo Court, and supported datriag the trial, being
in a state of second childhood.