The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-11-02 00:00:00

EMIGRATING ARTISAN.;

John Basso was indizted for a misdemeanour, for
that he, being an Artisao, did promise, enatraet,
and prepare to leave this kingdom. and bring ;long
with him the art and mystery of his tra.le and call-
ing, contrary to the Aft of Parliament. &c.
Mr. Guasey, for the Proseca ion, st red. that it
wa: not carried on with any •:ew to injure ,he De-
fendant; tint a, an example to *idler Art•SalS, to deter
th.ma from the lake, and to prevent the conamarlicai.t.n
of these arts, in which we excel other alai .05,
SO as to enable them to equal. or pemaps
us. 'fhe Defendant in this indifLuent was a ma.
chine maker, and one of the m ru i igen;ous arti-
sans in Enisland ; it was we, by any meant:. wieaet
to wtach any thing of criminality to him, taut to
secure his remaining in this kir. ;Linos, that rLi. pro-
secution was instituted. By the 5.h t Georg: Ist
it wai enaatsl, that any persons attempting, or en-
deavouring to seduce any artisans or workmen in
the •anotss branches of wood, iron, steel, Bcc.
should be liable tn, and proses ited under heal,* pe-
nalties ; and, it was further enafted, that any artisan
or tradesman who should promise, contra& or pre-
pare to leave the kingilom, should be liable to heavy
pea laes. This intli&ment, however, was not
against the person seducing the artist. but against
the artst himself, and all croft was reqnired, was his
givi ,g security not to leave the kingdom.
Mr. Ast.sv, for the D fendait, contended, that
this could qnly apply to persons who did not return
home within the six months proclamation provided
fur in the statute of George 2.1. Ile an had been
repealed by a subsequent one. encreanng the penal-
ties, and, therefore, he con idered the Court not to
have any jurisdiftion in the present case.
This objefhon was ove.-ruted, and evidence was
called.

Mr. Cook, an eminent iron-founder, stated, tl.at
he knew the Defendant, who WAS a machineati ikrr,
and, in his opinion, the first aitisan in this, or any
other coJntry ; lie could take a piece of iron in the
rough, work it up, turn it, m ike the lea'h for tutu-
it, and all the necessary tools to servile with ; he
thought him one of the most ing thous men in
EnAland, and perfealv master of all the nsecharieal
arts. lie was proceeding t 3 state the examination
of the Defendant before the Magistrates, when• Mr.
ALLEY objeteJ to it, as the examinations were
taken down in writing, and shi•uld be produced
Sir Richard Ford was examined as to the fare
of the examination., who stated, that finding it it :-
cd.s4ry to have a communisation with Lori M it-
grave on the su'itel, he rook the depositions with
him to his L•misnip's Office, where he kit them
with his Sect eta: y, and, after minute search, was not
since able to find theft.
Mr. Cooke then roamed, he said, when they went
before the Magistrates, the Defendant admitted Ise
was preparing to go to Russia, and had all his things
packed up ; he had received a letter from a frivol
At kloscow, inviting him to go, fit the purose of
manu!adturing Agricultural Machinery. lie was
the principal iiistigator of this prosecution, not t.
hamper ur distress the Idefesidant, but to 'lacy,

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her artificers, they were not to emigrate with ins-
,iunity.
11r. Ara FY made a very able defence, in the
c'atrse of which, wi—,t into a I.mg discussion of
several AR< of Parliament upon this suhjea,
and co•ttended in support of the privilege of every
Vrgli,hman to go where he pleased, he submitted
"itt he evi 'core WAS not adeTfate to authorise a
r.ilviaion. The indi2lmenr, Pt...tens-like, had been
tortured into various forms. and consisted of no less
than t wenty-fmr Counts, each charging the offence
is a different way. The poor man was not able
ro procure the security provided for in the A& of
Palitment, which left no discretion in the Magis-
trates ; the consequence would be. that this poor
man most remain in gaol till he could procure se.
rarity, which, perhaps, would be never, and the pub-
lie and his family would he deprived of the benefit
arising from his superior talents.•
The CH Atar AK observed this to be a case differ-
ent from all others he had ever met with ; no charge
whatever of criminality was attachable to the De-
fen lant, but that he was about doing that which
the Legislature had wisely provided against ; they
were then deciding upon the piiiitiee words of an
Al of Parliament ; and the question was, whether
he had made such contrail and preparation for
going abroad? if so, he would Ise under the neces-
sity of giving security a-Jainct such an event. The
Learned Counsel mistook, when he said the Court
had no discretion in this on the contrary ac.
cording to circumstances, they could appoint the
security which should he given.
The .Jury found the Defendant Gu,Ura ; and the
Court ordered, that he should enter into recognizan-
ces not to leave the kingdom. himsellin .501. and one
nr two sureties in 251. or 1.21 IN. each. The latter
was agreed to, and Mr. Cooke, the Prosecutor, im-
mediately became one of his bail.

ASSAULT AND RAPE.
Ai <hoed Srrivew was indided for cnmmitting an
assault upon the person, of Elisabeth Hobart, then a
child of nine years old, with intent to commit a
rape.
The Defendant was arraigned at the bar of the
Old Bailey, about two Sessions ago, indi9ed capi-
tally for a rape; but the Prosecutor not being able
to make nut his proofs, he was then acquitted, het
sf-;ained till the present indidment should be pre-
fared.
Mr. Ks s PP. IT the prosecution, stated, that this
was a case whirh would excite all the attention the
Jury avid Court were able to bestow ; it was the
snore important, as this violation of the girls
chastity was committed by the very iserian, of all
others, who, by all the ties of moral and religious
duty, was bound to prnted and guard her from
every violence whatever. This was no less than her
own stepfather, who, snmetime after the death of
her father, found means to introduce himself to
Mrs. Hobart, licr mother, who then kept a public-
house, at Hampstead, and married her; the child
was then about nine r!at, old, and had been lett
same prnp•rty, along with three younger brothers,
by her father, who, by his will, appointed Mr. W.
Marryatr, of Islington, Mr. Brown, and her grand-
father. executors. He then proceeded to state the
circumstances of the ease, which are ton indelicate
for publication.
The little girl was produced in the Witness-box ;
for some time before she had been much affeffed,
and cried bitterly, hut had quite recovered, and gave
her testimony in clear, di.tinft, and unequivo-
cal manner; she supported the statement of the
Learned Counsel. and added many other dream-
staricvs, which delicacy forbids us to recapitulate. On
Jter cross-examination, she not only corroborate I her
former story, hut gave her evidenc, with some little
forwardness, as if unconscious of the crime. She
teas an interesting looking child, of a fair complec-
tion, and a little more than eleven years old.
In this account she was further cotroborated by
the evidence of Mr. and Mrs. Marryatt, and Sur-
geon Roberts. of Chancery-lane, as far as the cir-
cumstances came to their knowledge.
Mr. Guar. r v , for the Defendant, expressed a hope,
that the Jury would not be led away by their in-
dignation ag,ainst the crime, in their verdidrespeaing
the person ; on which verdia, a maxim in the cri-
minal law, which never yet was departed from,
must stand or fall, that of admitting the evideme
of children, when not corroborated by any other
testimony; if convidion li!llowed in the present
case, it would be setting a precedent for future
times, and nn one would be safe from the accusation

of children. If the Detendant were guilty, he agreed
it was a most aggravated case ; when he should have
been her most strenuous protector and guardian, to
become the violator of her chastity ; he should not
be looked upon as a man, but considered as a mon-
ster ; however, in their indignation and abhorrence
of the Clime. he tru.ted they would make a distinc-
tion between that and the inoisidual. The very
Brest delay which had taken place before any pro-
ceedings were instituted, the length of time since the
first commission of the act, the age of the girl, and
her deportment in the boa, were all circumstances
auX:ient to throw a doubt upon the truth of her
evidence ; and, it they had a Alubt, it was better
that many guilty persons should escape, than one
innocent person suffer.
The Cu A I Ass s s, After recapitulating the ,videncr,
desired that the Jury would consider, that this trans-
firat took place upwards of two years and
half ago. They would consider whether they be-
lieved this CASe against the father. When two
persons only were present, and no immediate dis-
covery made, they should receive the evidence with
a considerable degree of suspicion.
The Jury, after some canstiltation, found the Di.-
fendant Gritty ; and hews, committed to gaol till
she sentence of the Court could be determined.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the sth regiment
*f Foot passed through Chatham on their way to
the coast: they are a part of Lord PA cirr's brigade.
Thursday, the Sherif, AIN‘LI And Nice went
in their new carriages, attendvd by the ('ter Ra-
se § saaNcta, and left their invitation cards for the
City Banquet, on Lord Mayor's day. fur His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wats', and the different
branches of the ROYAL FAMILY ; as also the Right
Hon. the Loan Cs ANC ci.t.na. the CII AMC ELLOi of
the 1.111.1111,KE1t, and all the Cabinet Ministers. The
nilidi appearance of the new She: ills' carriages, in
ivethwasteeet, attraßed the attention of the Tree-
Messengers, atoll Ow place was