The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-25 00:00:00

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bit IP

No. 232.—V0L. XII.]

Political Vat toopca.

WE last week stated that the Manchester
Coroner had without any adequate reason, (for
to constitute an adequate reason, nothing less than
absolute necessity can be admitted in such a case),
adjourned Cie Inquest of the Jury sitting upon the
hotly of John Lees, (generally believed to have met
his death from the blows and wounds he received
on the 16th of August,) until the Ist of December,
that is ten days oiler the Meeting ig Parliament.—
The objects of this desperate manoeuvre are too
palpable to be mistaken, too impudent and shameless
to he passed over. That justice should have its
c,,arse wi•hout stop or impediment is the corner
stone of all Government, the very soul and essence
dull freedom. Obstruct this and you immediately
open a door to al violence and confusion ; to
all iniquity and all the cruelties of private revenge ;
to the destruction of private peace, to the disso-
lution of public, order, and, in the end, to an unli-
mited and desixitic authority, which by refusing
protection and redress puts an end also to tiro just
claims of obedience and subjection. The dmirinion
of law is the dominion of liberty, but the supprea-
sit's of law, or what amounts to nearly the same
thing, its obstruction, is oppression, is tyranny,
come from whatever quarter it may. In the present
instance it may amount to a positive denial of jus-
tice. A second principle of the law of Juries is,
that they shall be kept together in the strictest and
closest manner: that all communion with the rest
of world shall be entirely shut out ; that no
room ►hall be given either for sophistry to mislead,
for influence to direct, or corruption to sway their
verdict, but that, left to conscience only, and to
mutual discussion upon the case before them, the
world and ull its other concerns shall be-excluded,
Arid the dictates of impossible and eternal truth be
alone present to their MIAs. Another reason for
lid- vigilant care of the Jury is, that they may come
to thei.- decision With a full and fresh impression of
the evidence they have hearth ; and another still,
that their dexision may be as speedy as the inves-
tigation of their still;ect can possibly admit. flow
this principle is here violated and abused we should
think it quite superfluous to state. But we will
just add that if any of the Jury should in the mean
time die, whether by the &Aire of a Yeoman or in
any other way whatever, the whole proceedings are
at once Mistimed, and every charge, however clearly
substantiated by evidence falls, and is buried with
him. There is, however, one consolation often at-
tending these gross abuses, and at.tania at wrong.
Injustice often overshoots the murk it aims at, and
whatever doubts might before have bung over this
much agitated quesiiiia, eve think the conduct now
.adopted proves what must be the naturally expected
verdict and opinion of the Jury, as cle..rly as if iliffid
Mu der had been written in Characters of Light
nron the brutal expanse of I leaven. It remains
only that the Prince flegent should be advised to
issue his letter of aporoval and thanks to Mr. Fer-
ranti and Mr. Ashworth to render the whole drama,
as far as it has yet gone, milia.a and consistent.—
If any thing could then be wanting, it is another
dee:a:alio, of the sincere satisfliction felt by the
Ley& pa,t of our commundy. that a further
respite has been thus graciously interposed by
llstconstituted authorities to the terrible sentence