The National Register.
London, England, 1822-10-28 00:00:00

LAIV lATALLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.
MONDAY. O. 21.
This day this Court sat in the Sessions House, Westminster.
for the trial of Special Jury Cases.
THE KINS, ON TYE PitosECUTIoN OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL

stiCIETY, V. Douse.
This was an indictment against tile defendant, a bookseller,
im the Strand, for the publication of a sedition* libel, contained
in &work entitled, rile Puliiined Dirtiowiry. Our readers will
recollect that the prosecution was brought forward some time
ago, when Mr. Seeded objected to the Special Jury returned
by the Sheriff, on the ground that one of the Sheriffs was a
member of the Constitutional Souely. In consequence df that
objection the trial was postponed, sod a rule of court was wade '
absolute, 'stilling on the Coroner of the county to return •
Special Jury. The Coroner having complied with the order,
the indictment clone uu again for trial. The Special Jury were
called over, and sin appeared iu the bos.
Mr. Scarlett then ruse to object to the Jury being sworn.—
Ho *aid lin Lordship would recollect it appeared tot record on
the.puateci, that thie intlictmeut came beture the court on a
roamer day, when three Jurors attended. An objection was
then taken to the toles men. Three Special Jurors remained
unctiallfingetl, and it was the duty of the Coroner to supply only
a usw list of Special Jurors,. in eider that persons might be
taken to make the brat Jury good.
The CltiefJustioe over-ruled the objection. on the ground that
it did lint appear on the rostra, that the Special Jury in the
former case remained unchallenged.
A aecuud objection was taken against the Ninnies sent by
the Coroner to supply the absence of Special Jurors.
Mr. Scarlett contended that the tales ought to be taken from
the Jurors returned upon t'rc Sheriffs' paunch.
The Chief Justice held that the tales were returned by the
Coroner in the best mode, and overruled the objection.
The Jurors were then sworu, one was excused on the plea
of deafness, another iu consequence of his having been sum
atoned in a wrung Clinstian name.
Mr. lyadal opened the pleadings. It was an iudietinent, he
said, against 1110111111 Dolby, for the publication of libels on the
Lung, Lords, C 0101130814, Judges, and constituted authorities.
Mr. Guruey stated the case. He said the indictment lied
been found by the Grant Jury of Middlesex, charging the de-
fendant wills the publication of seditious libels, in a book which
be them held ia his hand, and lie might say, if it was not sedi-
tious be knew not what sedition wan. It was intilled The Po-
heirs. DS tiJnary. or Pocket etoaccutioa. This work would he
found toast misenievons in its effect. It was written to degrade
the lkiug, Lords. and Commies, the Clergy. the Law, and ill
the institutions of the country. It was, in short, a libel upon
viers clan: of the commuoily, , escept the lowest class of suciety ,
who were ff ittered to answer the object of suck writers. Fur
the purpose of supporting this indictment a few vantages were
selected, sod if his learned friend had au idea that the ingenuity
of writers of this description could be defended by going
through the whole of the' hook. be should have nu obit ctiun to
read every paragraph. Mr. Gurney then turned to one of the
alleged libels, under the bead of " The Cl/6111110e Law." This
the writer described to be any thing the Judges might wish ;
fir example, the thiiug Davidson for tiefentling himself, or
bring Mi. Clement for puldishing Thistlewood's 'Mal, was coin-
-111 JLI law. Lord Chit:lJ istiet l'enthertun had made his boast
that be ha I made more el/1111111111 kw 01111 all the Judges in the
reign of Charles Cie Second, sod both Houses of Parlianieut.—
.Plauy Judges of the present day were disposed to fulls* his
•sample. 'rinse persons, said Mi. Gummy, kuow they are
euoveying falsehoods to poisuu the public mind. The writ, r
Lows the eUlellUolll2W is nut any thing tie Judge pleases.—lle
is not se iguurant as nut to know that when Mr Otis idsori ad,
hord,be was tined by the cmunion law, and if the learned
JaJge had not fined loaf, lie *wild hose iieglected his duly to
the public, *limb cuto•ialeti w part in ['reboring diceuey in
(mum of justice; end but atiltei such I.iatia..l% to heroine the
tueatth of blasphemy. This is the troth. -yet the defendant iu
his publication, wishes it to lie assumed, Iliat persons taking
that inicceut comae in a 1.011, I lit ju,t,ce ought out to be res-
trained. Whets he says Mn. C.teneni was t.e...d fur tilt• pulei-
o.itiou of Thistle* oott's trial, it i., fals•. It was not fur pulp-
ineling that trial, but tor paalrahing p la the trial whilst it
wit going on. Some of the witti,sam, were Out (Actium, whilst
getters were examined, and the object in prohibiting theepuidi.
ition was to prevent one set of wit • knowing what others
ba I sworn. Mr. Conley then c..iumented en the words—a
tad clergy without religion—rinliatoeut as einry