The National Register.
London, England, 1820-03-20 00:00:00

iPositdettpt.

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 20.
Ti, er (ICU*, p.

YORK ASSIZES.

TRIAL OF MR. lIUNT AND OTHERS.
(FIRST *N.)

THURSDAY, MANCH appointment of this day
for the trial of Nlr. Hunt, and
seized along with Imo at Manchester, 'Noised a peas
crowd to collect at an early hour before the Castle gate..
A little before nine Mr. Hunt made his ie.pearnitee, ac-
companied by Mr. Pearson, his actor. e ; and 8114 by
JOllslas, %Vylde, Healey, and Swift. Saxton and the re-
maining defendants came into Court shortly atierwarils;
they seated themselves at the acinicircular table placed
in the centre of it, and occupied More titan half the apace
usually occupied by the leading Barristers. At 9 o'clock
exactly Mr. Jiistice Bayley entered, and the ether -
diately calk./ uu the cads attic King v. Henry Hind and
n.ue others.
The names oe the persons summoned to art as special
jurors fu 11141 cause were then called over, when tell gen-
tlemen ministered to their names. The box was then
cleared ; a tales was prayed, and Mr. Septiamis Bromley,
of Sculetiates, Hull, and Mr. George Addey, of Wakefield,
were added ti
Tile Jury having been aeon. Mr. Littledale proceeded
to open the indictment, whirl; charged the defendants,
Henry Hunt, John Knight, Joseph Julinsuip, J.'l'. Safittii,
Samuel ItainterieJosepli Hrely, JAillett eloorlionse, Ruht.
Jones, George swift, and Robert Wilde, with having on
the Ist day of July, 1819, and at divers Muer Cones, rou-
se:ln d together to cad great public teleran's& of the people,
and then el.y to excite ulcer in the mind* of his Majesty's
peaceable subjects; and that, in futile:ranee of their de-
signs, they had, on the !nth ut Aneust last, at Manchester,
illegally, 'mouldy, and tumultuously, assembled a lerge
body of people, to the her of 60,000 and upwards,
with flags, Winters, &c. There were other counts,
charging tile defendants with a riot.
The defeudants pleaded not guilty, and issue was joined
upou it.
Mr. Strailial, Mr. Sergeant Hollock, Mr. Sergeant
Crosse and Mr Littleslate, conduct the prosecistion. Mr.
Holt is employed ter John Thacker Maxims, and Mr. T.
Barrow for James Mouilionse. The other defendants
plead their own Ce 11164..
A 5 Mr, icariett WIN rising to open the ease, some con-
veisation took place betsteeit him, Mr. Peal son. and Mr.
Haut, reeea'ffsig the great number of individuals seated at
canister's table. Mr. Justice Bayley however de.
cided, that every individual coniluctiog Ms own defence
ought to be allowed to sit there; the rest usust be accom-
stiodeted with seats behind their counsel.
air. II iiiii said, that he was a Ming to agree to any
arrangemeut whieh his Lordship might think proper to
snake. Room would easily be found for them behind the
bar, as he intended to move, before the opening of the
Case, that all the oituesses on both aides (and he knew
that a great many were in Court) should be otdered out
of it.
Mr. Justice Bayley then ordered the several witnesses,
both those on the part of the prosecution and those on the
part of the defence, to withdraw from Court.
Mr. T. Barrow—a And out of bearing too."
This order was immediately complied sri,h I and among
Use other witnesses who withdrew were the Rev. Hay,
the Bev. Ethelstone, Mr. Halton, Mr. Sylvester, Mr.
Fletcher, Mr. R. Wright, and several oilier Mayistrates,
who had been actively employed on the 16th August.
The Judge then mitered psuclaniat:oti to be made, that
the evidence of those wititeases who should remain in
Conit after this notice shoeld not be received ou either
side. From this rule, however, were excepted those who
acted us solicitors on either side, and who were to be
examined.
Silence having been obtained,
Mr. Scarlet), in a speech of nearly two hours in length,
stated the case fur the prosecution. He avowed himself
in the most liberal manner the friend of large public
meetings, when legally and properly convened; but he
denied that tumultuous me clings, called by a non. resident,
from distant parts of the country, and consisting of men
moving In martial array. with sticks, and inflammatory
devices on banners and flags, could at any time he con-
strued a legal meeting. 'llse only object of such assem-
blies was to obtain their object by physicist force, and to
dissolve the constituted authorities of the state. He de-
Died that in any Republic of ancient times had the people
this right of dissolving the delegated entliority they had
conferred. Even iu Athens, where 30,000 Citizens de-
bated upon public affairs, while they secured. their Awn
freedom, they kept all immense portion of their: fellow-
people in a state of abject slavery. The learned CQOllSti
then described the particular charge against these defen-
dants; and said, lie would prove the conspiracy they had
catered into by their personal aorta at various meetings
previous to the 16th of Animal, to inflame the !people's
minds against the authorities of the state. He then oar.
rated the whole particulant of the Miutchester meeting of
the 16th, with which our (ceders are straitly tou-comver-
unt, and alluded to that intended to have been bald on
the 9th of August, but which was prohibited by the Ma-
gistrates.
The , witnesses called were, Mr. Thomas Fiddler, the
keeper of the Red Lion, at Stockport, who proved Mr.
Hunt's arrival there on the Bth of ikamtiond his meeting
with Ur. Moorholase. Mr. Henry . a victualler,
also saw Mr. Haat in the mine neighbourhood. Several
other witnesses proved his movements to the.umentry,
prior and at the meeting of the 16th of lingua, but their
evidetieetnereis related to Mr. Hunt's speeches in piddle,
which we gym at the time.
.leisses Stands* who deposed to the- training,at White-
wall", was also examined.--Murray gad Shewry, two
cometahleti, proved the night drilling.
M six o'clopk Mr. aluaticepnyley atijostrned the Court
till 10-morrow ntoridng,as„ussie, oMieleing that it would
not he of service to proceed further with the case
this evening. „ Before partings with the Jury, he enjoined
rhem mot to speak upon this subject except it should he
vie or their own number.
It is expected that this trial will not be closed this
week.

(112 CON DAV.)
ntIDAY. MAaew 17.—At ball past nine Vele& Mr.
Justice Bayley toot ids scat, Mr. Itiunt and the ether de-
fendants toying previously entered.