The National Register.
London, England, 1820-05-22 00:00:00

166

LAW REPORT.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH. MOND %V. IV:As.• IS.
An unusual bii,tle was this morning displayed in
NVestminstcr Hall, in consequence of the great anxiety
manifested by all ranks of people to procure a place in
Court. The interesting proceedings which were this
day appointed to take place, naturally nett:int for this
anxiety. Besides the judgment to be passed on Mr.
HUM and his companions, it was generally understood
that Sir C. Wolselev was in attendance, expecting that
his sentence woM.I also be pronomiced. Several noble-
men were in Court, amongst whom we noticed Lord
Apsleyand Lord Binning.
Mt. Justice Best entered the Court a little before ten
o'clock, and after going through some business of no
public importance, was soon after followed by the other
Judg,es.
The Attorney-General then prayed the judgrtitat of
the Court on 11.tnry Hum, and others.
Mr. Hunt immediately made his appearance in Court,
attended by all the other defendants, with the excep-
tion of Johnson, who WAS then engaged in preparing
an affidavit. On this account Inc proceedings were de-
layed for a short time. Mr. Hunt, accompanied by
Johnson at length returned to the Court. All the de-
fendants being now in Court,
The Chief Justice inquired if all the affidavits were

• ready. •
'Mr Bunt.—ls it necessary, my Lord. to put in all
the el davit• at present? They are very long.
Lord Chief Justice.—Yes; they had better he laid
before the officer. I hider some peculiar circumstances,
an opportunity is -sometimes afforded of filing an
afli-
davit io reply.
The affidavits were then put in.
In reply to a question from the Chief Justice,
The Attorney-General said, that he would not put in
any affidavits until he had heatd those of the defend-
ants.
The officer then proceeded to read the affidavits, be-
ginning with Mr. Hunt's. It stated, that he received'
an invitation to preside over a meeting to 'be held at
Manchester on the 10th of August last, which invita-
tion he, the dephnent accepted. That on arriving at
Bullock Smithy, he was informed that the meeting was
abandoned, in consequence of the interference of the
magistrates. That he was then informed that a meet-
ing was appointed to take -place on the 16th, and that
'he. much against his own inclination, was prevailed
upon to remain in Manchester until that period. That
during that time, having heard-that a warrant had been
issued for his apprehension, he went into the Court-
house, and addressing Mr. Wright, inquired if this in-
formation was true. That he was told that no warrant

had been Issued ; and after informing them that he
should always be ready to meet Ahem peaceably, he de-
parted. That ou the asiorning.of the 16th he set out
from the house of his friend, Mr. Johnson, and ar-
rived at the place of meeting about one o'clock. That
the meeting then proceeded, and was proceding quietly,
when they were attacked by an armed body of cavalry,
who cut down men, women, and children, without
resistance. That he deponent, arrested this slaughter,
by inquiring of one of the officers near the hustings
the reason of these proceedings, and being informed
that he held a warrant for his apprehension, he the
deponent, immediately jumped down; and requiring a
police-officer to execute the warrant, he immediately
surrenderea into the custody of Mr. Nadin. It then
declared that the deponent believed that the yeomanry
had intended to destroy him ; that, after he was pri-
soner, he had received two most severe blows from an
individual holding the rank of Major-General in the
army; and that his life had been saved by the interpo.
anion of Nadin. That lie was then thrown into pri-
son, where he remained eleven days and nights; and,
that being brought,up for examination, he was remand-
ed, as he was then told, on a charge of high treason.
That upon a final examination, he, and several others,
ware committed upon &charge of conspiring to hold a
seditious meeting, and immediately sent off to Lancas-
ter Castle, a distance of fifty miles. That he, the de-
ponent, disclaimed any idea of committing a breach of
the peace, and that he only saw the mottos of two of
the flap, neither of which were exceptionable. That
notwithstanding the opinion of the Lord Chief Jus-
tice, the meeting held some time previously in Smith-
field, was held for a totally diflerent purpose from that
assembled at Manchester, as was sufficiently evident
srom the,purpose expressed in the public advertisements
announcing the meeting in Smithfield. That the depo-
nent, inconsequence of this trial, had been much in-
jured in h,s private fortune, ar 'that his affairs had been
considerably embarrassed. This was the purport of the
affidavit, which was of great length.
Manyotheraffmdavits were read, sworn to, principally
by persons attending the meeting, the whole of whom
concurred in stating the legal object for which the
meeting was convened, the peaceable demeanour of the
multitude, and the unprovoked aggression .of the yeo-
manry cava!ry.
Another affidavit was subsequently read, which im-
peached the credibility of Chadwick, one of the wit-
nesses examined at the trial on behalf of the prosecu-
tion.
1' he Attorney General observed, that perhaps he was
wrong in not having interfered sooner, but that lie sub-
mitted that such an affidavit ought not so have been
read.

Mr. Justice Rest.—lt not only states him to be un-
worthy of belief, but goes on to accuse him of treason.
Mr. Hunt.—lt accuses him, my Lord, of being the
hero of the story which he himself' had told at the trial
After consulting the other Judges, the Lord Chief
Justice addressed Mr. Hunt, " Have you any thing
further to urge?"
Mr. Hunt.—" My Lord, had the name of the witness
Chadwick beets on the hack of the imlielinent, we ought
to, and should have been prepared with witnesses. But
he was a witness totally unexpected, of whom we had