The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-23 00:00:00

Mr. Henry Huut, examined by Mr. Wether

P..esitles at n place callt.:l Middle►on Cottage, in If ampshire.
Has not been :.iihpumaed ON a nitne-:, for the Crown iu Otis
pro,eciition, but did expect it. Mod a bublinma i•erved upon
him Sir the primmer. Was at the first Spatield:. meeting, held
rm the Vriti No% ember. Mark ateireedi to thie persons ehn
were niseuilitcd, but not that sptet'll reported an in the Times
and other news-papers., nor any thing like it-

Lord Ellenhttrongh--Answer tie opestion—don't wander.
After the v.-et:hes urn( finished, a motiou watt made to all.
intuit the niketing to a Adore day. 'to the !se,t of his recol-
lection- but he was nut positive--thc atki ament wag pro.
posed for the 'Eues.hty after the in...tile: of l'arlitiment. Did
not think he had- Keen Castle ktet'ore that day. Might bare
qeen him before, but did not recollect seeing him until hr saw
him with a flair in tipalields on that 'Die first time lie
recollected to have semi him, W:IS When he was iu the act of
unfurling a flag,. and fixing it on a pole, a Nell he afterwards
brought to the Mei Cave, and fattened it to the side of
the %inflow. Saw nothing more of Castle till he Caine into the
rltUill at Cooper's ifoutl in the evening. Not one of the party
appeared in the lewd intoxicated; Witness expostulated with
the elder Walton for having brought stich a fellow into the
room. Watson said," that Castle was a good fellow--a little
indiscreet and violent. hut he wet an extellent reflux% , nod that
be had the greatest ear Cdente.. in hint." l'omt which the 'abide
party got up to go a A.ll, and ou a sudden. Castle mal. as aide
awake as witness was at this momeut. The chair re, taken
trout under tutu ; but without stOubling he 'loud up .is,tl au.

$.
A.E.• %

11i-oa:taw:the. Recollected co 'ling ht town nn tote 2i.ifslews
c quitter, to attend the Spatields meeting, whirl. was to fan.
place at mac o'clock. He hail come riot of 14st k that motor-
tug. and Willi going towards Newgate street in his w.iy from
the Allusion house. ll'hile par' ins along he observed a con-
vitlerable crowd of people on melt side of the steel t upon the
cotiscwayst. Mr. Castle, who WA% ill the crowd, left it and MO
op to witness's cat riage—a iand.mt. Witness was then oboe: t
rive yards on the west side of flow Chinch. Ile was drivir
rather slew, and was looking out fur information au to what
was the cause of the crowd. Castle VAMP np and stopped hie.,
and said, .4 For God's, sake. host 134111 C 11:0011 IS/ 61. ,I11:11C to Oily'
at the meeting," n, "so 11111111 after your lime i"—ntsontetem;
to that elkcl. ‘Vitliess said." Alter my lime by, it waive
twenty teimites to taut o'clock," ',Mifflin.; to Row Chin elt
eir•ch, and at the same time !militia out his nail watch, Or
whirl/ it isamcd, about tt quarter to one, rod trebled." I'll gt t
there iii.very good time." "0'!" bailfra,lle,`• the nit, tim.• has
been broken op these two hours. •-tre are going mu tLr I over,
which had burn in our posscstion for inure than. 101 heap—
Come atom: --mane Moog !" Witness work his Maser, mitt
said to Castle," Ihiametl heonoth el.' owl drone aft fin Spa-
fields. li' Ga•tlc hail not got speedily cut of the Way, cite of
the a heels a mild have knocked hint down. •
George Philpot has known Castle store :time Ittl I t and
from the general chatacter of that ia.lividaal, he does not
think lora worthy of credit on oath.
Jainc.s. L.aa holl. of hie the Times newspaper. has known
ITaywood, one of the a ittiesscs, lit ntay ray trout his int.:lacyp
and he considers linn a pet son nut to be believed at any taut
on oath.

I:ayrlen gave similar evidence.
Robert Curtis has hilows Ilayw,rof by the tame cif
Haywood, nod found hilt. al3ll Wi't, .1•11,101i1 flilNit'd his I,a-
-trews, cid who was not a gootttleality in bii,initss.

George Spureel has known Haywood, who is a complete
rogue, as witness te ill prof e, if the Court see cause.
John Scott, reporter of the Morning Advertiser, attended
the second meeting at Spafields, and get sometimes near
the waggon, but from the immense pressnre, and his beinat
ptistied front place to place, he was nnahlg mire a singso
note. Old Watson was speaking, and, as witness, unelerstoods
was complaiaing of the conduct of the Prince.
Samuel Steels, reporter to the Morning Herald Otliec, was
told by Mr. Dowling, that in consequence of Isis connective
with these prosecutions, lie had been introduced into the Honni,'
Department, and it had led to his emplos ment as a short hand
writer, to the valite of ti or 3001
This closed the evidence fur the prisoner. •
Me. See:plant Copley then rose, and addressed the Jury
to the following effect :
Tic began by (Asserting, that lie wioke most unfeignedly when law
assured them, that words were inadeiratc to expressitin, feclingt e 7 thaS
ititercting occasion. The cause which lie was now called to echo:ant
was one of die most hnportant, in every point of view, that had et elf
occurred in the jurisprudence of the country. It was particularly cry
to the nnhappy man at the bar, affecting as it did his character as
man landl a.; a member oriel% il society. Aware of this, hr owned
that be felt the strongest 'Trifle:Mc:is that his powers were
We of doing justice to the cause r• but he was animated when he am.
template(' the character of those whom he had the honour to edits-sae
lie was animated by considering that he addressed an English Junk •
elected from an independent ela-s in -ocicry--an assembly of gentle.
men, who, from the attention they had paid to the cave. tl.e vigaanctr"
they had exercised, and the penetration they had Iniutifested. lied
!hewn, to his satisfaction, that they were the very best tribunal thee
could have been constituted on this important ocusaisio. 'the indict-,
mein, as they well knew, consisted of four treasons, and as 1, is Learnt. 4
Friend, Mr. Wetherell, hail very properly &mired, was unexampled
in the country. He had taken great pains to examine the charge
sad he would ask, how were they to be made nut by evidence ? They
had read the speeches et:livered tin the oc.a:ion, copi-v of th.. 14
speeches being delivered to them by Mr. Dowling, the Oleic
hand writer. They were filly acquainted with all the pmceed.
inte, in Spatields, the 'loyal Exchange, and ashes parts of the City....
Ail this being known, whet was their conduct? How dife cjev po-
t...eel in conseptenee of this discovery ? Did wry that ehow that weir
opinions were that it was a levying of war? Quite the reverse. Well.
to what was all this citing? Did it arise from the negligence and in.
attention of the Law-Officers to their duty ? That could not be the
CALM; thr he spoke sincerely when he said that unperson could dis•
charge their duty with mow fidelity and integrity than the personserhO
at that time were his Majesty's Law °dicers. The obvious undoubted
eonclmion of the whole WAS. that they did not in the tlightc;t degree
consider the transaction as a levying of war, or they would never have
instituted two prosecutions for felony and misdemeanour. But at the
end of four mouths, they came forward, and gravely said it was levy:
ing war. Where WAS the evidence of any conspiracy? In the testimo-
ny of Castle, and Castle alone. Let that evidence be Wetted cut from,
the notes of the Jury, and then no evidence whatever nmaineduport
the subject. It was said, how,.ver, that an accompli,T might be &wit.
IIeSS. Drat he did not diTute. He might be a witnt :4, though um:en-
tireties!. The greatest villain that ever existed, if not cent scud of cer-
tain crimes, and !ken:cord of diet conviction put in, %night Ira witness.
It there be no evidence to uphold the charge. of a couspitaoy
to levy nor, all the. other counts must full; beoause in refuse
Mg that charge you refute the others. The question for your
consideration is, first, w better the re was a deliberate design
to subvert the State, and slid these violent measures take
place with that jut elation ? Nothing remains for me to add,
but to thank you the your attention ; and may that Pros i.,
(fence, w Ito in extreme and difficult eases so frequently et..
lightens the minds of men, shed his influence on yours, and '
ntertain uodonbt that you will pronounce the deliverance
of the pii,utier at the her.
Lord lillenborongh called spun Watson for his defence;
and Watson expressed himself m these terms :--
*. A t r the addiers which has been so ably and eloquently delis
vered to the Joey by the gentlemen who appear in my belfa:;. tit
would be presio.iptionts for me to 'ay more, Own Ciat I e.,•:‘.'a.rl
ir‘v intention to overthrow the Gocernment es.atilhhed Ku g,
1.9111:, turt:oll!muns."
The Solicitor General next rose, and said, the period- hail
at length arrived %%lien the whole of the case iu es titmice tens
before (bean, and it became his duty to address tlomi —a el ty
hick at an% time he telt incompetent to eltschorge, brit till,. ha
wearied a, he WAN by a tom; ci oss examination, and a here
there were so many topics, her knew himself dame/Mil to sit
jtestice. Ile had the connnLttinn of 1h:t.;.;14.t. that in the in.
tensity and tanlerstmuling of the Jtirx iie could best
that they knew their emu &tics, and that the% %soul(' tin•st
conscientiously discharge them. Ills Leartia Fi tends whq
conducted the defence. had called upon them to dist-116s front
their panels all prejudices which might has e reached then,
from without.--He bogged of them to go no further, and
miss all prejudices that might have been addressed to the a
within. The Learned Counsel for the priaime r Ns e.
thercll) had called upon the Jury not to take the taw on that
occa•ion from his Learned Friend the Attorney t encr.4l, ansi
he the Solicitor Gone,ali also eallcit upon the J iir‘ not to
take the law from that Learned Owntlentan himself. It %%cold,
not, itulecd, become the Jury to take the last from r.tbee
aide. To heal the' arguments of COIMSCI nu 110111 Silks- • :Le
determine upon their definition of the lan, sueneet to the
eorreetloW of the hildgeSy as well as to derides the important
regastons to which the evidence helots them riiilaatett, war

'IN

•
lite Moine, and duty at the Jerry, ffilef AMP,'
Serjetot copley t hod endeavoured us male out, that the in.
•t etsboi. .4 the psi-goiter OZJIlid 1:10t be .liaoll,ll, hel!illese enwrap.
rear aUrilnuea to him was nut etft toed; lea 11w taideai our
WA`, Ulla. Thle Cantwell fur the prisoiter tool s. r riatteti .ly eta.
ovavoured to discredit the testimony of the neesnattice,
vole, and the jury were told that histlseerned Frit t.d hart
.11%il.'teti ill the ease, and mainly relied for its etiattli,litoitur,
utatito evident's, of an infamous person. Rut did it uenur to
'these Learned Gentlemen to euitsider, that with all the in.
Limy that :in:wired to Castle, end all the crimes of wide!' lie
had coati...sett Itinaseifßrrihy, who were ilk associates? They
might blacheu Couto as moult us they pleased, but let it be
recollected that it nsw in ernlence that ut the titnesDr. 4
soil, .he prisoner, selected hint es Cis companion, lie Will
folly iterate of the throw), of this very Castle. In filet, the
more intertrooc they made out Castle to be, the more probe.
Isle the plot end purposes charged upon the prisoners would
la itutally betoow. The Counsel for the prisoner hid et-
teetpted to blacken -Castle. and Week enough he certainly
w as by his own crimes; but they had attempted to insinuate
tit he had sr secret key of %idiom!' lodgings. He would
• as's. was three the least evidence of this? •lt was also eon-
tended that the pikes were not used at all. Even without
Castlelthere•was evidence ofseveral of the treasonable facts.
Bat he was confirmed. In all the places were Castle went,
taere was always some oue of the other persons mentioned in
t in&ctirent• to be found with him--stlther Hooper, This
•t ewuod, Preston, Watson, sen. or jug. or Harrison. Yet he
-wet the contriver of all!—He aloneled the six men astray.:
A meeting was tbea called by public advertitemeut fur the
ur'a of November, lint it was thought necessary to have re-
•coarse to others besides themselves, to give an ri:'ut to the
-meeting. fie believed Mr. Hunt knew nothing oetlisir de.
a4ns, but was applied to in order that his presence might
-strait the purpose of the meeting. A good deal had been said
a'tost the credibility of Haywood ; but when Ifaynowl, on
bea4 asked el:ether he had made any commniticatien at the
La.e, stated, that he had to two Gentlemen, a Mr. Bent, and
rcsor ; his Learned Friend lied not thought proper to
to: •g forward either of these gentlemen, though he knew.
e they lived, omitted the means of calling them. 'the
pr.sorers could call them, but you the Crown; they were not
t:• list of witecssevfor the Prawn. lie would ,tot-fatigue'
Alston by ening into gins important case more minutely ; but
wished to remind them, that if it was ofitoportauce as it
astected the riveter. it was of more importance as itre-
apeetod the British public.
Lord Elienhoworigh procceile l to sten up the case for their
-caosiderution. His Lordship, titroogleaut the whole of his
'barge, spoke in so feeble a tone of voice as to be nearly in-
as • tit We to any but the Jury, end other persons who happeued
re i.e obnoseelose to the bench.
About-two o'cleck, his Lorttiltip, ireing overrontewith the
'exertion he had triode, was unable to proceed, and requested
Mr. Justice Boyles,' to moo with the detail-14.11m evidence,
which that Learnt:T.l'l4pr accordingly did for some time.—
The thief: Justice being sotnewhat recovered, resumed the
tads, but was ageiu obliged to consign it to his Learned Bre-
.ther, who having read to the end of his notes, Lord Ellen
borough ugairt addressed the Jury in a short commentersy
upon the whole defile evidence. .
1-lieJoryaseee absent about au hour and three quarters.—
On *heir return, While all comitenauces were fixed on theirs,
aside breathless anxiety prevailed, the Foreman, Mr. Rich-
-ardeon, with a distinct and firm voice, pronounced the long
-e-spotteZverdict—NOT GUILTY.
As wan as silence was obtabied, Mr. Watson asked, per-•
missies to say a few words. (Ice or two gOlllllOllll4l mar him
3ntiniated, that, us his Counsel, Mr. Wetherell, bad with-
•4lrown, this might not be proper, but the Court appeared
omitting whose him. Mr. Watson, bowing respectiutly.to.the
-Jury, and laying his hood on %idiom% saith•with great forge
• turd feeling, "Gentlemen, I thank you much."
Lard Fllenborottgh asked the Attorney General if lie had
-um other otinegrogainst the prisoner?
'I lac Attorney General answered, "'No, my travel:'
Mr. Watson was then discharged.— In Spring Gardens Mr.
Mariner and Mr. Watson Were recognized anal cheered.
On the latter quitting Mr. Harmer's house in Hatton Gar-
'den, lira hackney coach ; some of the populace drew him
'down Holborn, and through Fleet Street, tat he arrived at
Mr. West's, wire-worker (one of his bail), in •Wych Street,
-T)rery Lane, whore he alighted. populace soon after
called out,'" Watson, Watson!" Mr. Bird, the auctioneer,
sauelc his appearance at the-first-tloor window, and addressed
the.aorcerotts spectators as follows:—" Gentlemen, Mr. Wat-
son, in his repeated jemmies to and front the Tower, obit his
• close attention in the Court of icing's Bantle is •so fatigued,
that Ire is really incapable of addressing you. Gentlemen,
let int iatreat you toaonanet yourselves with propriety and
-good order; recollect She laws, and that a Magistrate can
.iantnediutely disperse you. He desires- me to inform you of
heartfeit gratitude for your gold whales towards it
swill be •eagraven on his heart, but he Ira enst voice to thank
'Non he- and sincerely wishes. Geatle.aen, he.will
;hew hinweifto.yon, and he trusts that you will then depart:l
ocinietly to • your homes. :He will also drink all •your,,
thealths iva bottle at* good *ld wine."—" Lights! Lights!"
•were that • called for. Mr. Bird-o" Gentlemen, you shall:
gave lights." Mr. Watson now showed himself, standing out-
aide of the window, surrounded hy• candles. -Ile bowed re-
Apemedly, and 013 his retiring placed hishartd or; his heart.
tumults of applause were beyond slescaptioo. Ile ap-
speared mach exhausted. " Home ! Home !" was titan the
general cry, and the peopledispersed peaceably.
7%IiCHATirsE OF PRESTON, HOGAN, AND THIS-

TLEWOOD, (N Tc►ru.l.v.

At nine O'clock Mr. Harmer, the eoli:;tor, was formally
oar/prised •by the Solicitor for the'Cr, ry, that is war, intend-
• crl at twelve o'clock to bring into Cottrt the three a emaioing:
iv, isomers Thistlewood, Hooper, and Preston, and move liar
their discharge.
The Attorney ani Siille.itorriene.rals, Mr. Scrjeant Cop-
ley, and Mr. Wethcrall, entered the Court at thirty five
Auntutes past-twelve o'clock. A few minutes before isne
i.'clook, the prisoners arrived at IVestminster Hal!, fromthe
'lower, with silo military escort which trended them nu the
nrecelin" te slap. They were :greeted •by the crowd in-Pa-
luee•artl with loot! hittzas. At five unc.ntes beta' ere
cecina tar. prkoners were, is the usual-nue:tier, Itrotaz,ht into
'the Court of it,lngPs Henel. -Preston and Hooper lookori re.
fl.arkahly welt, .and were dressed ia the salt);, doilies they
-wore during the last week.
Tbistlewood's appearance was role+ altered ; he bad thrown
• .5i le bib suikor's clothes, and appeared in a full suit of•black,'
• au.! tooled remarkably well.
Ti.ey were then severally pot to the bar, ordered to hold •
,e . nod mrsignetl in the Ice:tl lam. They wire
•,H.:n,+to custoin, hylitc tieg of tilt croirsi