The National Register.
London, England, 1820-02-28 00:00:00

Lin' INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KLNCPs BUNCH, Flotossr, Fes. 25.
/NVORMATIONS AGAINSf YKNUOIis Of I'LKIODICAL
WORKS.
TITS KING 4. SiIt:IRV...R.
The defendant, WISO h.ul been cinty let, •I yesterday of
publishing a libel, by stlittes tile •sd number of the
" Republican," wal, tits 014111 ling tried On anOlber
tuition, charging lion %t tilt plionsiting 111....! 3d bundler
of the same went:, containing a gross and scandalous
libel no the character of the Vince Regent.
The defendant read trout .t paper il;t: . one defence
*hat he had offered nn the tortnil tri.d,
Inc Jury, without hesitation, returite.l a verdict uf—
Ciudty-
YAM NINO •.‘WAYLIN AND SAINSBURY.
These informations were tiled against these defend•
ants for selling the saint 'Amite:Mon. Toe Atittrue)-
General, however, declined to pros cite t..ese
tionsos he trusted the ends set justice had been answered
by other CINIVICHOIIO.
THB KING V. DOLBY.
This case having been called, the defendant put in an
afft lav it, Stating th,it Mi. Sherwin, a mate, tal
was at present at Nottingham, and MS not CNiwcted
back to London before Sunday next. The deteodatst
deposed titan in the allretiCC of this Witness lie did not
Illitik IL sale to ;to to trial : and tacit:Ore lie bt.„„ed that
in, trial iiitAtit he posi potted.
Tae Attorney-General said, under the circumstances,
which had been stated to the Court, he simnel not ob-
ject to the postponement( which tile defendant asked.
TIM KING V. WLDDERIURNIS.
This was a l int
fendant whit hating used blasphemous language with
the totem to excite impiet and irreligion in the minds
-of his Majesty's subjects, and to vilify the Christian
religion.
Mr. Sitelfell opened the pleadings ; sod the Solicitor
General, In the absence of Attorney-General, mated
the case to the Jury.
The nett:Want suggested the propriety of the wit-
nesses being examined sepirately, tthich was readily
acceded to by the Sulieitor-General.
Wtllauu Push was tulttl caCrtl. Ile knew a place in
Ilopkiossoireet, near Windmill-street, where debates
were held.
'mile place of meeting was called Ilopkitts-street cha-
pel. %A/mm*6 was directed to go to tidal place, to hear
debate, on the 25th of October last, and went :lc.
enrdingly. The subject of debate was. ." Whether
the refusal of Chief Justice Abbott to ;Mow Mr. Car-
to the sincere respect lie had for the 64Cfe.1 wri nibs,
ibatod
-to a fear lest the absurdities they contained should be
exposed." Two persons spoke on the subject before the
defendant. Robert Wedderburne then rose ; and, after
complimenting the two speakers who had preceded hint,
begged leave to C 3 I weir attention to a few of the absu.-
dines which they had not noticed. lie then said,
" Christianity, it 4S trite, has been introduced, but it
has never been lidlowed. Judge Abbott, no down, his
read the Bible, and knows pretty well the absurdities it
contains." witness went on to detail a great num-
ber of blasphemous express:oils, disgusting to read or
Cross-examined by the defendant —l)id you commit
tins account set what 1 said to writing ?-1 did; part of
it that evening, and the rest on the following morning.
Of what religion ate you ? Of the Ctisistien
and bred in the principles of the Church of England.
Seriously, and on your oath. you say the question
proposed for disetissmil that g w
ht as worded as you
have stated ? Yes; the question was read by the person
in the chair.
You have sworn that the words were " lest the air
sordities it contained should be exposed." Now, there
your memory tails, for the words wire, lest Itta sup-
posed absurdities," &C.
The Lord Chief Justice informed the defendant, that
be tnight put questions to the witness at present; but
this was not the proper stage for making observations on
the evidence. The time for these would be when he
came to makes his defence.
Defenilant.—Did not I say that Christ taught his dis-
ciples that they should not call or acknowOrledge them-
selves kitias, priests, Of fathers? do you
believe that 1 said what you have related?—You said
what I have before related.
Matthew Nlatthewsoit was then examined by Mr.
I.ittletial. lle accompanied former witness to
llopkitirstreete chapel on the evening its tetestiott, and
corroborated every part of his es idence.
The defendant, bettig called on for his defence, said,
lie was the offspring of a slave, and hail been neglected
by a Christian lather. As he was a Christian himself,
lie thought, when at home, that if lie could once get to
a C11(1511311 'country he should be happy ; but, on 111
arrival here, lie ?timid the Ittlatkiel of sects so great, that
his mind was distracted witii doubts raised by Mr
opinions which were en's:ruined by them. lie first
belonged to the establishment ; then he adopted th.
Calvinistic (minim's, and afterwards MI into the Um.
tarian perstia.ton. lie inquired tutu the subject, and
found that by the laws of tile country he could be
licensed as an Unitarian preacher. When he obtained
that license lie certainly hail no suspicion of being
called to account for what he was now charged with.
As he as but an lferent reader, lie begged that tile
Court w
would allow a written (defencette read by
some other person who was better qualified watt bun
self.
Ile then gave in a written paper, which was read by
Mr. Aldan, the clerk of Nisi Putts.
The Solicitor General replied, and the Lord Clue,
Justice bilklly so dup the evidence.
The Jury retired for about three quarters of an hour ;
and on their return toe) staled, through their torentaa,
Mr. Ald.C. Sutith, mat they ball Mood the defendant
guilty of the chaige brought against tuitui, but that the)