The National Register.
London, England, 1817-10-20 00:00:00

..TIO NATIONAL REGISTER.

the c.ll tion given yr.rerday by the court with regard to the
tion of its proceedings on this occasion. h was to be
.4)&1 • wort clearly, that uo part, either of this or any tither
tier the pre,elit indictment, could be published until
le should be brought to a conelissb.n, without ineuirring
thr 'ilionail%ersion of that Centre, whose authorit), if set at
d, line r, would certainly be exereisiol iu bringing the de-
lingnria ?fliiishilionl. He trusted that there would be no
further necessity for adverting to this subject.
On the suggestion of Air. Cross, mid with the concurrence
of the Cuowel oil the pal t of the C.'own, all thew it nesse, on
both sitles were ordered to withdraw during the Attorne:,-
General's ;Address, except maeistrates, and such professional
persons as welt' to be called to speak merely to mantels la
form.

The Attorney. General then began ; be spoke for abort au
boor am! a hall; his speech wit+ much clearer and energetic
thin that delhered on Watmites trial.

..........
11,..tnet,a.‘ were then culled at two o'clock ; and first An-
tony Nlin

The poverty of the wretched prisoners is so greet, that it is
rim rutty reported that the briefs were nut prepared fur
their Counsel till two days ago.

FRIDAY, OCT. 17.
This Court opmed nt 8 o'clock this moming, and the business be-
gan imittiOattly. There were several wimessat examined :—Mary
Fpworth, the ini.tress of Hobert %Vatltors, the servant who was shot
by a gun feel through the window ; Samuel Fleiciier, whose house
had been broken open, and who was tincol to give up his gun and
his servant to the rioters; William Shipiiimi, the servant so forced
away, and who gave an account of the itiarciiirfr and countermarch-
ing of these outrageous vagabinuls; Hole. a farina, who
had been forced to join theta. and who deposed to a speech, saying
that now the time wasycane to tight ur starve, and WllOll3 th..niub en-
couraged to accompany them by the promise of roast-be.ef and ale,
and a fresh government, which Mr. Cross, in Ins crows-examination
of witness, called a provisional government.
William Booth, another person forced away, also deposed to the
counterman ht.'s of the rioters. _ _ _

George Goodwin. inantger of the iron-works at Butterly, de-
posed to the g: to appearano2 Of the rioters, their enter and their
arms. It was he took the ammunition from one of them, and which,
by a curious coincidence with Watson'' ease, consisted et' bullet,
partly thrust into the foot of an old sioAing, and the rest loosely
lying in an oat sack : omi:ether, it coa.,isted of about si potunis
wcight.
illiam Roper also bore testimony to the regular array of the
rioters.

Nlr. Rollesion, a Nfagistrate of Nottingham. and etptaiu Phillips,
of the 13th Dragoons, deposed to the c.sy dispersion ut tile ranks
of the rioters, and to the subsequent apprehension of several ut
them.

't lie evidence for the prosecution concluded just before 12 o'clock.
I'he jury having retired anti returned in a few minutes
Mr. Cross began his speech tar the defence exactly at 12 o'clock-
The Learned Counsel spoke for about two hours. Ile begun by
stating the law of treason, and espreswing his dissent from the doe-
trines laidsloisn by the Attorney-General, founded on ths exposition
of the statute of Edward 111. by Justice luster, and other law au-
thorities. Ile traced the pwre,ss of the law from Edward &vas-
wardi and the various encroachments made in the reigns of Edward
VI. and Queen Mary.
fie showed how the famous statute of Edward 111. had been ren-
dered nugatory by ti rced interpretations and arbitrary congructions,
or what were called constructive treasons. At the accession of the
reigning family to the throne, the Writ Act had been tussle, and
constructive treasons were abolished. 'fhis celebrated Act, by apply-
ing a particular punishment to riot, and describing what was to be
considered as tumult or riot as distinguished front treason, rentlemi
the doctrine of constructive treason useless fox the protection of the
public peace, and sufficiently explained what was meant by levying
war. Levying of war was different from mere tumult: and the pri-
soners, though guilt': of the latter, were not affected by au evideace
that was brought to prove them guilty of the former. There had
been trials in Derby fur high treason, but these happened after a
rebellion, in which there was a great army employed on the side of
the rebels to overthrow the Government. There hail been only two
attempts at constructive treason since the accession of the Brunswick
family, and these happe..est ..1 the case of Lord G. Gordon, and in
the trial of Watson in Westminster. Both attempts were defeated,
though the ino,t violent outrages by tumultuous assemblies were
committed in both cases. The Learned Counsel then went over the
circumstances of the case before tire jury, and contended that they
came only under the description of riot, and not of high treason. lie
gave a detail of the ousts of the discontents last year, and spoke in
savere terms of Cohbett and his chers publications. lie commended
Lord Siilmouth's Circular respecting the law of libel, and thought
that such publications as Cobbett's should lm:e been sooner stopt.
When the Learned Counsel concluded, u witness was called to
prove that the prisoner hail received parish aid.
Mr. Iknman began his speeeh for the prisoner about half past 2,
and was lett speaking at three o'clock.

SATURDAY, OCT. 18.
SOlll3 after 8 in the morning the Cdief Baron began to-address the
Jury. He explained to them with groat clearness, the nature of the
law, and urged them to observe the umiod impartiality in their
verdict. "If (said he) you think the evidence anbrds proof of the
crime charged' you will find the prisoner guilty. If. on the other
hand, you find the evidence insufficient, you will acqfiit the prisontr,
and if that should he the result, none can rejoice more than !assured
as I sin that you will judge according to the evidence."
After reading the whole of the e:idenee and minutely commenting
upon each part, the Learned Judge ob.:erved, " The low situation in
lite of the persons engaged in this insurrection is no excuse. A crime
is not less a come because the criminal is poor. I f there could be to
pro:pect of success, that is no exease; because the crime consists in
the intention, and not in. the adequacy of the means."
%The jure retired, and in 20 minutes returned witha verdiet,tiol.
ing Jerennah Brandreth Guilty of High Treason, and that he had
no funds or tenements, goods or chattles, when the crime was ann-
mined. The Court was excessively crowded, and the unlit pro-
found silence prevailed while the verdict was given in and n_vorded.
The prisoner seemed quite unmoved and even indifferent.
The Chief Baron asked the Auorney•General whether he could
say it was probable that any other trial could be gone through to-day,
as otherwise it would be a hardship for the jury to be confined dur-
ing the Sunday.
The Attorney-Gcneral conceived, that it was even impossible to
finish any other trial this day, and prupo.ed, with Mr. Cro.a s conbent
to,lidpurn till Monday.
r. t•ro<s amen tea. . .

A!1 the jurors were ordered to continue in attendance.
Adjourned at half paht in to non Monday morning.—(this day.)

An imitation of Leonardo du Vinci's celebrated pic-
ture called •' La Cena," is now executing in mosaic at
Milan for the Emperor of Austria. It will cast 7,500
Ignineas, and when completed it avill be forwarded to
Vienna. It is 30 feet long and I.) broad.
An on'er has lately been made by the Lords of the
Treasury, that all persons employed under the Board
of %Voris are in future to give in with their estimates
an attested account of the prime cost of all the mate-
rials to be used both in building and in repairs, on
which they are to be allowed fifteen per cent. which
include all charges whatever.