The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-31 00:00:00

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TfiltEglTl PRES S.
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LON DON,
fejtigiAY. Acorn #l, two.

in bet lilt number we published an Iterolint of
the final examination of Mt. Hunt. and his fellow
prisoners. which took plum, at Mtincheatter on Fri.
day last. From the depositimis of the vritnesses--.are
were gerisg to say on the part of ate Crates. but we
should wish more propriety say on the part of the
iferithtlie public can estimate the sullicieocy of
the doubt* entertained by their Worship,, which
voted ja-tify them even to their own consciences in
detaining Mr. HUNT, and we believe ten other per-
ilous, in close stall solitary confitiartlent for twelve
days, on the serious charge of /nigh treason! With
tripect to rue of the Prisoner' ELISABETM GAUNT,
there slid not appear on 'ridgy, either to the Magni-
trate, or/the Cruets Solicitor, a 'shadow of evidence
to implicate her even in the inferior offence of
a conspiracy, acid she was accordingly discharged
with to humane admonition on the part of the
Chisitiosin. Why. we would ask, in the name
pm *rely of strict justice but of common hums-
uityr why was not this discovery made et an
earlier period t The sitnetiou of the poor woman,
labouring under the effect, of a scree* wound,
might even in the breast of NADIN have awakened
compassion; amid yet such was the moment in which
the Magistrate. thought At to immure her in a soli.
tasty cell—i.to deprive her of those domestic comforts
which, even in poverty, are conferred by a thou-
mild kind and heartfelt attentions of relatives and
friends, Which are never so valuable as in the hour
of sicktiess and affliction, and which can never be
so highly appreciated as by • suffering female—to
agitate her mind by the terrors of a charge of high
*meson, and after ill this, is it now appear, untie-
misery severity. the Magistrates turn round said
tell the unfortunate wounded and agitated woman,
that they not only have had no pretence to imprison
her for the great offence of high treason, but that
they hive not even a shadow of evidence. sufficient
to justify them in holding her to bail on the charge
of a misdemeanor.
The complicated charge of MGM ?DRAWN and
fairdrr, which has for so manly days impended
over the devoted heads of Mr. HUNT and his fdlow.
prieemers. has burst indeed, but only like the bub-
ble play-thing of a child, or if it contained any
°featly, mutter, it has fallen its contempt and
ridicule upon the Magistrates who bad inflated it.
This alarming charge has bees abandoned for
that of " a coospiracy by forme and threats to
slier the laws of the country t" but so little
pima of a conspiracy among the Prisoners appears
its the depositions of the witnesses on the part
of the Bench. that we feel convinced, were it
not for the apprehensions of eliciting universal
contempt and ridicule by so absolute a surrender
of their prisoner', the Magistrates of Manchester
would gladly have administered towards all the
same measure of justice which was meted out
to ELIZABITEI Gaunt. We are unwilling to
remark upon the character of the exhibition made
by the Magistrates on the Bench during the finel
examination of Mr. HUNT on Friday; but whe-
ther Mr. HUNT was elevated by the consciousness
of his own powers, compared with those of Isis op.
potientr. the strength of his cause, the assurance.
thit with it no small portion of the rights and
li-
berties of the people of England were involved, end
that he was sustalued at that moment by the holiest
sympathies of every man in the country who merit-
ed the Messing' of independence and milted in the
name of freemen, never on any occasion did the
man appear to so much advantage. He evinced a
qinckeiess of conception, and energy of mind,
which completely baffled as it surprised his sista-
giiiiists, who, conscious that their agents could not.
endure the power of Mr. HUNT'S cross.extunina.
tioa„ were reduced to the miserableexpedietit of
compelling the poor creatures to refuse answer* to
:many of his questions. The Magistrates or Man-
„theater -have, by their intemperance and indiscre-
Jtion, achieved move for Mr. HUNT personally than
•be and his colleagues could ever have effected
:they Wee rendered him an object of solicitude
and *rapidly ; for however the people of this
country may dislike the general conduct of any
individual, it would be inconsistent with the rho-
racier of Englishmen were they to permit him with
indifference to become the victim of injustice and
"persecyttoti.
Mr. Hun? is said at first to have refused giving
ban!. from a 'smidgen notion that by so doing he
would. in some degree. ackisowledge that he hail
committed a crime, and, in consequence of his
pertinacity on this head. he was imitantitted under
a strong escort of cavalry to Lancaster gaol ; but
we have sine, homed, that he was bailed on Saler-
doy lasts at' fisseister, by EDMUND GatulDr, of
ot:1111.1114 CHAPMAN, of Mists.cliestet.
The proisk 11114pcheater snaissaly
.expected Ins
arrival an Somali is that town, acid •of coarse big
pearlier would be warmly reeled by the multi.
. Pooribry the wise cites of Matiebester msfy
dances* in tea cheers of mob en,teitot nal*,
:intent; and cause' Bur* to be
P1P494..114,V1114 T4l,ll,mit.PMlloo.-lilltel.;.oris000
I little Wadi filmset endive the. might :of putter,

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