The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-24 00:00:00

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No. 241.—V0L. XIL]

Volitical Uttvosspect.

WE last week stated that the Manchester
Coroner had without any adequate reason, (fir
to constitute an adequate reason, nothing less than
absolute necessity can be admitted in such a case),
adjourned t',e Inquest of the Jury sitting upon the
body of John Lees, (generally believed to have met
his death from the blows and wounds he received
on the 16th of August,) until the Ist of December,
that is len days oiler Me Meeting of Parliament.—
The objects of this desperate manoeuvre are too
palpable to be mistaken, too impudent and shameless
to be passed over. That justice should have i:s
course without stop or impediment is the corner
stone of all Government, the very soul and essence
of all freedom. Obstruct this and you immediately
open a dour to alp violence and confusion ; to.
all iniquity and all the cruelties of private revenge ;
to the destruction of private peace, to the disso-
lution of public order, and, in the end, to an unli-
mited and despotic authority, which by refusing
protection and redress puts an end also to the just
claims of obedience and subjection. The dominion
of law is the dominion of liberty, but the suppres-
sion of law, or what amounts to nearly the same
thing, its obstruction, is oppression, is tyranny,
come from whatever quarter it may. In the present
instance it may amount to a positive denial of jus-
tice. A second principle of the law of Juries is,
that they shall be kept together in the strictest and
closest manner: that all communion with the rest
of the world shall be entirely shut out ; that no
room shall be given either for sophistry to mislead,
fur influence to direct, or corruption to sway their
verdict, but that, left to conscience only, and to
mutual discussion upon the case before them, the
world and all its other concerns shall be excluded,
and the dictates of immutable and eternal truth be
alone present to their minds. Another reason for
this vigilant care of the Jury is, that they may come
to their decision with a full and fresh impression of
the evidence they have heard ; and another stilt,
that their decision may he as speedy as the inves-
tigation of their subject can possibly admit. How
this principle is here violated end bused we should
think it quite superfluous to state. But we will
just add that if any of the Jury should in the mean
time die, whether by the sabre of a Yeoman or in.
any other way whatever, tise whole proceedings are
at once frustrated, and every Linage, however clearly
substantiated by evidence falls, and is buried with
him. There is, however, one consolation often at-
teuding these gross abuses, and attempt at wrong.
Injustice often overshoots the mark it aims at., and
whatever doubts might before have hung over this
much agitated question, we think the conduct now
adopted proves what must be the naturally expected
verdict and opinion of the Jury, as clearly as if Itifful
Mu'der hail been written in Characters of Light
Ivan the broad expanse of Heaven. It remains
only that the Prince Regent should be advised to
issue his letter of approval and thanks to Mr. Fer-
rand and Mr. Ashworth to render the whole drama,
as far as it has yet gone, uniform and consistent.—
If any thing could then be wanting, it is another
deelarniion of the sincere satisfaction felt by the
Inyal pad of our community. that a further
respite has bean thus graciously interposed by
ete.eoustituted authorities to the terrible sentence