The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-10-13 00:00:00

The ATTORNEY-dENERAL then pro -petted to
state the case to the Jury. Ile said, in ri.ing •rs
address them on this important occosloo. it. ',wild
not be necessary for him to ileum them with is.:y
arguments, having for their object the removal u:
prejudice, which was sometimes excited, when cos-
conoected with freedom of discossiou issoe
der consideration. That prejudice arose fr,..rn
natural jealousy lest soy effort of the Crown olua'•1
tend to contract that important pl6llCgr• In t•I'S
kisstance, however, lie was satisfied, that, ethers
Jury were put in possession of the nature of i.:e
case—Mhen the chorge came to be shortly a..d
plainly stated to them—the warmest friend to the
liberty of the press—he who would allow it as great
a latitude as any reasonable mail could wish—
would not find that this proceeding had fur its else
ject any restriction of that just liberty. Da the
contrary, he would at once admit, that the Officer of
the Crown who instituted this proceeding would
have been guilty of a gross dereliction of his riblic
duty, if he had abstained from bringing fvssaol
the present charge. That charge be woo kt shortly
state—and if the Defeudent wished ci4t it
should be repeated more at length, i:i
course of this day's diecussion, it should he done.
Without detaining them by such a dotal, lie
trusted he would be able shortly to state to the
Jury the substance of the charge, and the re! knee
by which it was supported, so as to give them a •
opportunity of fully comprehending its nature. It
was the boast of Englishmen that they lived uueer
a religion the most pure and excellent that WA4
propugatedito mankind. Christianity, under whtc'i
they had sirlosig lived, was part of the constitullua
of England. IVllen, therefore, the Defesitlaa; '•i.
terrupted the proceeding of the Court—w;ito '.e
stated that the charge brought against Min was not
founded on any law—he acted under a complete de-
lusion. Fortunately indeed would it be for h;rn
there were no law that could recognise ,nch aerial-•,
for, unless that were the case, he might br permiceil
to say, that it was impossible the Defendant
be acquitted. On repeated occasions, whet, siliilJr
proceedings had been instituted against u.her,
they had heard; from that authority to which tory
must all bow, the authority of the Court, that. a low
did rein to punish such offences; and lie had ow
doubt bat the Defendant would this day Irani frual
his Lordship, that the statement he had made 'i.e.
unfounded. It would he an idle waste GI bro.,
were he. it, addressing the twelve Gentlemen
had just been sworn on the Holy Evaugelists,
descant on the excellence and benignity of that re::.
glop, which was part and parcel of the comort•itiel
of the country. It would be idle to do so, bt ed2se
those Gentlemen were themselves acting under the
sanction of that religion : it was that sanction ahem
on which they relied and rested. For htnn, there-
fore, to discuss the excellence, the verity, or Cie
divinity of that religion, would be, by imply:tot a
doubt, to give up that part of the conatitutiaa •if
the country. He would, therefore, have it to the
Jury, who professed themselves to Le Clirioisas,
to declare, by their verdict, whether our Holy ROl-
giou was to be treated as e fable amid a fel.
acy—that religion on which their safety so e -
tirely dependeo. Christianity was part arid ter-
cel of the common kw of the country-wood it
had always been deemed a common law otieuce to
revile that religion. The consiquences of lomat,' a
to decry it he need not state. If they enccerded,
there would be an end to the administration of j.J.••

lice, for it was alone under the sanction of that isoly
religion that they were this day assembled in Cum t
to decide the question about to be brought beftee
them. If the Jury were not preciously satisfied of
this, why had they pledged themselves, iii taking
the oath tendered to them, by their hopes of iii jpi.
nets both here and in a future state to give an :•11-
partial verdict I Unless the Deli:damn couta wipe
away tbat oath, he could have little hope of • decl-

aloe favourable to him—he would almost say, that
stillest he could persuade the Jury to perjure them..
Seism it wool.] be impossible for bias to be at Tut..
led of the offence laid to his charge. lilt were am
offence to revile Inc Christian religious the r 4-1,..
glop of the State, as it bad been held to be thronAlt
aunty succeeding ages, when he should read these
t most disgusting passages of the publication 91.411 e
o,,feodatits, ybich it aould Ij hos duty shortly to
dad to the hity, be (the Attorney•Gentral) rwet,t