The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-11 00:00:00

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in this country. It would be proved that the pri-
soners propoetel this declaration. and offered to ad-
minister this oath to many persons. Here he read
the declaration and the form of the oath, as stated
in our paper of yesterday, and which, for that rea-
son, we pass over. He maintained. that the civil
and religious rights which were mentioned in this
paper, it was manifest, were not intended to be
sought by penetrable means, or by appeal to any of
Elie constituted authorities of the realm. 'Phis, he
said, was clear from the words of the paper itself,
and still more manifest from the declarations of the
palsies, and the consultations which they held at va-
rious public-houses, at which all of the prisoners at
the tier were patent. These papers, containing the
declaration of those who adopted it, together with
she oath to. endeavour to obtain the objett of it, he
considered as of very great importance in this case,
because they would explain the ohje.ft of the parties
who promoted their circulation. The papers might
be said to be ambiguous in their sense ; this he ap-
prehended would be quite otherwise, and that the
meaning of them was to employ force to overturn
the Government of this country, would be nianifest
from the declaration and conduct of the prisoners.
The Jury would find, that meetings for the purpose
of obtaining subscriptions to this declaration, and
to administer this oath to all who would take it, had
been held so early as the month of March last, and
-that they had been continued and held on various
occasions et different public-houses, until the prison-
ers were al! apprehended at the Oakley Arms, on
the 16th of November last ; in the course of that
time, he believed that the public-houses at which
these meetings were held. were not less than twenty
in number. Here he recited the signs of the public-
houses at which these consultations wine held (and
which we pass over, because they are already in evi-
dence upon the trial of Colonel Despard). In all
these meetings, the Jury would find, that one great
°Orel of the panics was to seduce the soldiers from
their duty, and in which Jonh Francis was par t:c ulerl y
active in swearing persons to that engagement. The
Jury would find that some teok, and some refused
to take the oath in the course of this proceed-
ing from March to November. Hitherto. how-
ever, lie had not stated any specific objeet to
be attained by the persons engaged in this con-
spiracy. It was that of destroying or seizing the
person of the King. and then the taking possession
of the Tower, and that was intended to supply than
with arms; hut as it was doubtful whether they
should be able to have possession of the Tower, ter
it was under the protection of the Guards, the conspi-
reties intended to obtain their objeet partly by force
and partly by stratagem, and therefore it would
appesr, that they determined to terrify some, and
to cajcle others. They were to seize -he Bank as
well, but that being proteeled by Gu..rds also, they
were to gain them over. These were objects of the
Conspirators, which the evidence worth? prove
against the prisoners at the Bar; but the last and
the most desperate part of the conspiracy, was the
concerted plan for an attack upon his Majesty • and
this plan was not only actually planned, but the ex-
ecution of it put off until the day when his Majesty
was aetuaely to meet Parliament. It was agreed to
be attempted on the day when his Majesty was ex-
peeled, by some persons, to meet the two Houses,
but it being found that his Majesty was not to go
that day, and that a subsequent day was appointed
for that purpose, these conspirators put off the exe-
cution of their design unto the day when his Ma-
jesty was actually to go the House of Lords.—
This meditated attack on the person of his Majesty,
was the subject of many meetings and great dis-
cussion. Some proposed firing at the carriage in
the Park, as his Majesty passed, out of the great
gun on the Parade, and then to mike an attack, by
rushing at once forwards ; others thought it better
to attack his Majesty as he passed near Bucking-
ham-house, after the Horse Guards had left him—
but with all their variety of opinion, they agreed
to attack the King on that day • in this plan they
all agreed, and Francis, Newr:ham, and Wood,
who were soldiers, were particularly aelive; but
they wanted for their head, Edward Marcus
Despard. The SOLICITOR GENERAL said, he
would not state all he felt on this occasion, and which
he apprehended would appear in evidence, lest he
might make an impression on the Jury to unfa-
vourable fur the prisoners. He was aware that the
Jury would see, that the general chjcct of the whole
conspiracy was to seine on the person of the King,
and to put him to death. However, he observed,
that if in the examination of the evidence, the Jury
should fled any reason to distinguish between the
cases of the pri.oners, they would do so. Possibly
they might rind some of them, more active than
others, but he was afraid they would find that most,
if not all, were without any excuse foreetir conduct.
He then Irv:ceded to observe on the topics which
would be probably urged by the Counsel for the pri-
soner, such as that the evi.Lnce were either accom-
plices or spies, and laid slow n the rules of law as they
applied, in his opinion, to these points, and in which
lie was afterwards confirmed by the Court. He con-
cluded with observing, he was perfectly satisfied, that
from the diligent at :neon the Jury would give to
the case, andeis as. stance they would have from
the ('curt, they %%tnd be enabled to find a verdict
consistent u ith justice, and satisfactory to their con-
scenes" as well as to the public.
lis ths proceeded to seta the evidence for the
Clown, wheel was needs/ verbatim the seine as that
eich was given on the. trial of Colonel Despard,
aud which did not sufficiently affect the prisoner
Doyle. he being only found at the Oakley Arms,
without any proof of previcus knowledge of the
intention of the rest of the party, and therefore
Aeriiireee Gteeaet kindly observed, that
although the appearance of Doyle at such a place.
on suca an occasion, and under such circumstances,

mip••itt seanant the putting 1.1 his case to the Jury,
still he would con elit to h:s acquittal, in order that
the other prisoners, if they thuught his evidence
could avail them, might make use of him as a
witness in their behalf.
The evidence fur the prus,,cutiun being closed,

Lord Ei.i. es swim:lna, in the most landsome
terms, co:mum:Al the caukiour of the Attuaney-Ge-
neral.

Accordingly a verdict of acquittal, as to John
1)oyle, was recorded, and he was discharged ; but
the prisoner's apunsel did nut think proper to apps:al
tons cystic-me.

Mr. J +ll Y I.t. rose, and addressed the Jury on be-
half of the Prisoners, in a speech of consid?rable
and ss rent:irk:Me for its style, energy and
elegtesue as any OW J-Aivered on a similar arca-
■um. EA:Lusted as we ale by the fatigue cif detail-