The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-18 00:00:00

The Lord (71iie.f.litstice.—That is your object, is it?

Mr. Cathie had a further ime„ but he leasell it-would be
objected to it was 10 übtaiu she opinions of the sectaries
ou muds) pints of the Bible.
The Lord Chief Justice..—Havr you any farther object ?
Mr. Cailile.—That was the chief object, SR he run.
mired that lie could show by these wean. that each sectary
would ;ire a different account of the v.irious parts sub-
mitted tut hiuu. lt hod been also his intention to inquire,
whether they thought the Chriplialli fault could be pro-
lamed by any aid from the secular attn.

The Lord •ChiefJuswer.—As :ion have now stated the
purposes fur whirls you were desirous of examining thew
witniases, I bare to dentate my clear opinion that their
evidence is inadmissible. The truth of the Holy Scrip-
tures is not the question to be tiled here. it is well
known that various denominations or Christians differ in
attar tenets still articles of laitli,sud it would be meat in-

OCT. 19.

decorous and intim . rhi our to calllupon pet sous to this
Couil to give so Nei omit of their rt•lieious priticii.les,
cettninly cannot receive opinion.: it is fin• the Jody to
decide. The defendant, might otherwise call half the city
of Loudon, H suds 4 course Mete ;dlowrd

C4I4iIC Uhru mg'Wird that he should only call witnesses
to his morel clots netrr.

The Lord Chief Justice.—Mr. Attorney-General, you
have no objection to this?
The Atiotney General answered in the negative.
William Cumming was then called and examined by the
Court.—He stated, that he had known the defendant l
years ; the latter having served his apprenticeship to bins.
ilia general character was extremely good.
Hr. Garble wished the witness to be asked one or two
questions, as to his having an aged norther who—
The Lord alt (pessimism' to moral
character are general: particulate cannot be entered into.
James Yams, a person reined irons business was arm
called: be had known the defendant she yeasts, during
which time he had always borne ass eacellent character.
Thomas Walker, a messenger of the Navy-office, had
known the defendant 4 or 5 years; he had lodged with
witness, was always considered its am honest, industrious,
sober man, and our who paid his way.
Mr. Cathie wished it to be understood, that wills these
persuies he had lodged since his first apprenticeship till he
became u housekeeper.
The Attorney thornsl briefly replied, in doing which
he look a review of the amelioratiom afforded from time
to time to conseientions dirsenterii on particular points,
but asserted that such concessions could never be intend-
ed, or allowed to he converted, into a shelter for blas-
phemy 115141 impiety.
The Lord Chief Justice then summed tip at great length,
and wills honourable impartiality, mid having stated with
precision the substance of earls remit in the information,
as the °deuce chat ;red was ditto-reality described, referred
10 the several points on w Melt the defence had brew rest.
ed. Nlitirls.liad beets urged in the course tit that delenre
of which all who heard it must disappi use ; but the Jury
were nut on that account to sutler any prejudice to m ith-
draw their consideration from the simple question un
which they had to decide. It had been nests:fed in the
progress of this inquiry, that all that hail been wi hien of
the Scriptures and published by the de Irsidant was:just
and true, fit and proper to he so published. The defend-
ant load wished to read other waiters, who maitstained si-
milar opinions, though not capses•e.l in so strung, or pet-
haps so coarse a manner. He bad also desired t.: call wit.
nestles to speak wills megard to the differences prevailing
among different religions sects. His Lordship had felt it
his duty maturely to consider mud it would hardly be
supposed that he came to a trial like this, wi bout pm.
viously turtling hit thoughts to the subject, to inform
his mind as to what course he ought to pursue in the
different circumstances which might be expected to
arise ; he had then determined, and he did not regret
that dete atien. That it was not entitle:trot so a
Christian country, in a court of law, to rise up and say.
that the Christian religion was not a religion of truth.
It would be strange, indeed, if such a queetion were to
he pot its issue, its order to he tried before this tribunal.
He hail resisted, therefore, every attempt to introduce
such a discussion, and should hare felt that he was
disgracing his situation if he had acted otherwise.—
Another topic of defence, strenuously and in some de-
gree properly urged, was the danger of restraining free
discussion and free inquiry. God forbid that any such
restraint should take place I But they had to diftiii-
guisti, whether the present publication was an instance
of that free inquiry and discussion oil a work of mere
• calif y and ridicule. There was no ituluidual and no
11 subject, to whose character or whose merits, feedings
and calor:mica-could be lawfully applied. Time exercise
of reason was allowed in the fullest manner by the law
of England, because it was a law of public libesty and
freedom. That law had adopted into itself, and was
tfound.ll its a great degree on, the Christian religion ;
awl from this assurer it was, that its principles of lie
berality and humanity, the spirit that influenced and
guided the ad • • rat iiiii ofjustice in tliis country, were
drawn and derived. But though as a law of horny it
allowed perfeci freedom of opiuioq, and interfered with
slim Wales private b. lief, it did not allow to every man In
do whet seemed goof in his owls .eyes, if it were inju-
rious so society. They had then ito consider the charac.
ter and tendency of this work, for with regard to inten-
tion they had no nieans of judging, and could not decide
Nero the motive of any act except from the stature of the
act itsell, supposing it to be deliberately performed.—
Tim purpose contemplaied must be inlerred from the
natural. obvious, and direct tendency of the act, unless
by some extraneous proof it could be shown that the
agent had a different intention. ThetChristian religion
forming part of the law of the land. it was not fit that
he or ally other person al Id openly deny its truth.—
float must be taken for granted in a court of justice.
But in the consideration at motors, it was not unrea-
sonable to look at the object assailed, and compare
with that which it was proposed to substitute.—
The Christian religion had advantages which never
existed under any other religious system. By the
institution of the Sabbath, a stated day iof rest was
afforded; and he could nut allude to this subject,
without expressing that this alone had always
appeared to him to be strong evidence of its cis.
vine origin. Mats nester had steep so kind to man, as
the author of our religion had berm in establishing this
regulation. Christianity I ikewist gate the best summit
to the afflicted, taught thesis to bear their sufferings, with
patience and with resignation, in holding out to them a
hope of the highest kind—that of ass eternity ofjov
hereafter. Now, before any 10411 assailed an establish-
ment thus utkring blessings to all classes, will dis.
tioction of rich or poor. prayerful or weak, learned or
unlearned, lie inialst be expected to pause and consider
what he would substitute for that which he was aux.-
ous to destroy. Toe Jury, and not lie, were to decide
this question; but he thought no mats wishing well to
um fellow creatures would approach the subject without
awe and reverence of feeling, without decorum both of
thought and of expression. Let them consider for a
moment what was this creed of Deism which had beets
so eulogized. Christianity was addressed to &!I; it was
Oast/dad for all, and especially fur the poor arid humble.

OCT. It.

What did Deism present to them as expounded by the
author of this work?. Cold, proud, and presomptuous,
it reserved the blessings and honours Ma future state
for a few, and condemned the great body of mankind to
merciless 'hilation, saying that they were neither
worthy of being damned nor saved. Such a system en-
abled all these who hail the vanity to conceive that they
had done great good in their generation, to aspire after
eternal blessings, while it set aside the great mass of
mankind, those who by their situation in life could not
distinguish themselves, however faithfully they discharg-
ed their duties, as too insigtrificatit fur the Creator of the
world. It was remarkable, too, that the better part of
the defence which turned upon the danger of r. straining
free discussion was all taken front the works of those
who where either Christian divines, or professed believ-
ers in Christianity; and who, according to this publica-
tion, were Infidels to Got!. With regard to the Mune
condition of the defendant himself, whim' he had
brought under their consideration in representing him-
self as about to be handed over to a merciless tribunal,
it was a matter which he did not wish to withdraw from
their consideration. It was for the Jury to say, whether
in former cases of conviction fur itisdeissejuours, the
Judges hail deserved a reproach of this nature. It had
been argued, that Christiani,y did not require the aid of
the Civil Government. He for one, fifthly relied on its
divine character, and believed it would go on till it com-
prehended, in G.ttl's good time, the whole of the human
race; but although it could not be extirpated, it might
for a time be superseded. They had seen an example
of this in a neighbouring country, where it had formerly
been set aside. All the bo,ids of society were immedi-
ately loosened, and a dreadful anarchy took place. The
whole que,tion turned on the character of the work, and
that ttttt st now be collected from it as a whole. Was
it a fair and candid inquiry ? Look at those epithets
applied to the Scriptures—" a cook full of lies," "
dangerous heresy," "an impious falsehood." These
were a few specimens, and he hail found none other to
soften their effect, or that indicated any other object
than to riefailie die Bible, and bring it into universal
disbelief and contempt. So, thitik tug it was nib duty,
sitting where he did, to express his opinion to the Jury;
and that opinion was, that this publication was a work
of calumny and scoffing, and therefore so unlawful pub-
lication. He desired them, however, to think and
judges for themselves. Other Juries hail thought with
I • , hut. they were to form their owls verdict, without
any reference to former decisions. Some witnesses
had been called, the relevancy of whose evidence might
well be doubted, because moral character had no gene-
ral conneximi with profane publications. He doubted
not that their verdict would be such as their judgements
dictated and their consciences approved.
The Jury withdrew, but shortly after expressed a desire to
see a copy of the statute of the 53d of the King, upon which the
Chief-Justice desired their attendance in l'-curt, and after no-
ticing his own omission, explained to them tile whole tcnour of
the Act of William, as altered and modified by two Acts ache
present reign. The jury again retired.
The jury, alter being closeted about half an hour, returned
to Court, and pronounced a verdict of—G vita Y.

(FOLlit'l It DAY.)
FbR YUID HIDING
" I'ALUER'S IPLES OF NATURE:'

A con,i,lrrable crowd assembled tin, morning, to► the
purpose of twaring Jr. Cmille's 3CCOIId aid, for the
puLti-
ration of another dribtical work.

The defendant. who 1149 taken into e. study last night,
31)011 after the verdict of guilty was recorded against him,
entered the Coast, attended by rwo °dicers, at Y 0 minuttx
after nine, Ile looked extremely ill. Ile was lICCIIIII.
pauied by a fiiend, w Ito assisted him in arranging on the
table a great nutnbtr of volumes. Mr. Milt joined him soon
alter a a r.lv.

Chief Justice Abbott took his seat on the Bench at half-
past nine. The Lord Mayor took his station near hint.
The cause of" Time King e. Cm tile" having been called,
Mr. Bell mtny in...weeded to read over ime 161,4 the Special Jury
—of ss hum only the three fo.lovrinA geollenau au►wercd to
their 1114111111:9.

J. hauotlerwon, of Itro,id-street-buildings, merchant.
J. Cisristiophes, or New liroad•st reel. merchant.
W. Linwood, or Milker-square, merch Int.
Mr Garti,y prayed a tales. and the follow iug individuals
JAM sworn :

J. MlbStoger, chandler, I Benjamin Dcuharn,
C. Lettermen, bookseller, .lam .s Wuruich, bdker,
Edward Procter, glazier, W. Bolden, boolshirider,
C. Grosseum., vietuzlltr, IJ. itubitu, currier,
W. Young, jeweller
When the names were called river—

Mr. Castile rube :uid said—Before the Jury are swore, I
ester my protest against the legal petesicy of the Court
to try thi. tore . I believe also I hare a right to reject
Mat of the batsmen, if I think proper.
The Chief Justice.—Yes, if you have any legal cause to
assign. _ .

Mr. Carlde—this is a question of opinion—and, if I know
that there is • mon on the Jury opposed to my opiniult-
that is sutli lent rou-e.

1 he C flier J sostice.—lt is not a sufficient came in law, in
a ease of t.lis ►ind.
The Jury were then sworn.

Mr. .1 rriott uprucd the ph adin.,m. By the indictment
the defendant, Richard Carlile, was charged with unlawfully
and st is edl, publishing a scandalous, blasphemous., w kited,
and prof ne libel, of and concernin.: the Dilly Scripture.; to
li indictment he had pleaded Not (Witty.
Mr. Come, addressed the Jury, and called Thos. Fair,
ti lin proved that he h.id purchased Pabarr's incipiev of
A. 'dare, at the slaw of the Defendant, No. 43, Fleet Street,
4111 the 194 h of March last. The Deli admit handed him the
book, tar wi.i. he paid Ts.

The ml6'lllll'lll Was read—uhich rinsed the case for thy
proseeu
Mr. Carl& then ruse and addre,,ed the Jul,. Ile ex-
pressed los lulrntroo of Uppviiillig to the Court Or K1114.1r
botch,on the nest d,y til he'd tern', agning the verdict of
the preced.n., eve ttttt g, tne trial bring irregular and the
verdict thereby rota sated. Ile deelar. d 11. re Polut 101 l
to go through thr a hole of Ili. defence, to day, wlich he
bad been prey, slid f throw, in the cothrsr ui Inc former
trial. He would nut bow so Use int rruptions of Any Ju.4e,
and, if the Jury stated that they would not hear h.s defence,
woad appeal what the whole proccediog va irrciular.