The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-23 00:00:00

R LIA RLFORNI

WI Mr iiroverriti DrATCIS
r. THOMAS ro 114, ;‘,lNti' I. Wt`o9. wu,LIA
TAit Lott, Asti:* AT LEA uit4 r, tad mi.! lix

II Ewlin x.

This case afforded comrlderaislc mirth to it voiy
crowded ('ilior;. It wilt au .4ictmelit ti t.ii
charged the De1.1141:oils with baying initousl) iis-
tenilile.l togother at the palish of Sto'ae, in the Pie-
ter's.. aganist the parr of our Stsreteigit 11-01 A
the K:iig, and wait havis.g assoultigd Ilium I.
Deakin, by wtol.iiig woliaistity of water boas alt
eisgiiie Olt 111111, while he Unit 4,l:llliiiitsig ,igmittsre,
to at l'eti•isos for Parliaturntony Reform.
Mr. PEARSON stated the cioansestauces of the
case to the Jury, isi itoiag al;lch lie observed, flout
the riot and :issanlt orove sait til,a rot-vetting or it
political 'insure, liitt the 'Jury were to divest tin.. •
salves of eveiy political coositleratnnt ill drawing
their cunclusion of the Del.oidaiit's :41itlt ss;• • u.
vetoer ; lOr if they should be of opitom that OR!
Defendants had tiolated the law, it tear a loaner
of little
.constquence a liether it was (lune oinler
etrcilininaoce% of 4 political otiose or taut. .n.;-:
Dert”ltililltil were iiiliathtents of Stoke, mid it ap-
peared that a Sew dais bsforejlie :issaillt viimpluis.-
ell of was committed, st. Mr. Johnson. whose 'lame
may he familiar aid' !Mlle Of the Gesitletnesi of
the Jury, called a 'reeling open the aitilljt et Or pe.
titioning Parliament fur a Reform in the Douse of
(7onsinons. %Vitrifies- that gesitleinuit lir 1 iVCI tti
his sentiments or not was a tufter of little hit-
portatice its the present ingoiry—the result, how-
ever, of the meeting sous. that a petition was
agreed on, tool afterwards received by the Douse
of CooMpans. to which it was presented._
The Prosecutor. Deakin, was employed to get the
signatures of those who were wit able to attend
the meeting; he, in porauatise of hie office, went
to Stoke, in the neighbourhood of which wan
Mr. Spade's mannhictury; he got a table, mid
placed himself before the manufactory, for tie
purpose of obtaioing sigiiattarts to the petition
which bad been resolved upon at the meeting.
—lie bail not hero lon there before a perstot
'saute out from Mr. spode'S, and told loin lie iouNt
require. as he wits on Mr.. •istale's ground.—
Deakin, but wiihiog to do any tliitig Wrong, wets
'away, oblerving, that it was not his iutention
.tiv
make any disturbance; he motored to the high
road, end had hot long been there before Mr.
. Spode's' gate, were closed, and sot engine brought,
out of his premises, the pipe of which was directed
towards the Prosecutor, and began to play 'ipso
him with the greatest violence, until all the water
which it contained wad exhausted. It Was again
filled, and the Dereliction' pursued him. dreuching
him with water. The result of which war, that the
Prosecutor took cold, and W.:II fur some time at-
tended by a medical gentlemait. Whether the
Jury were friendly or hostile to ReforM or not, wag
a matter which they might of the present occa-
sion to leave out of then comideratiou. Their pro-
since alone wait conscreedioistly to a 4.. whether the
Deleaulants had or had nut vialated the law ; if
i they had, the Prosecutor would be entitled to a
verdict at their hands ; Roil if may point of law
' ilsoutd arise with respect to the i ftence being coo-
stituted a .riot, the Jury would receive it front a
Much higher authority, tier. lore be should abstain
f any observation on that head: the Leerned
Counsel th Is called
Thomas Deakin, who deposed that lie lived at
Shelton, near Stoke. Aboist 11 mouths since, or a
little better, lie wan tikiog a Petition for Paths.
;twittery Reform round the country, to get signa-
turee to it; he went to Stoke. to Mr. Spoile'i ma-
'mho:tory, sod a person. uamed Clay, cause unit
ordered him off, awl lie went front the premises on
to the turnpike-road; Clay came to the witness
again, and told him to go or; wither:a told bins. he
swarm the turnpike-road, and a* he was duilig Ism
thing amiss he should not go; he then went away.
Whiles was. opposite Mr. Opialete manufettory.
Witness saw Mr. Spode's totes shut, awl id about
tea tontines he Nam them open, mid a water-engine
wait brought out. Oise of the Delendinita ('Taylor)
had hold of the end of the pipe ; lie was guiding it,
And the engine begat' to ploy 'upon witness: he
retreated hack to the place where he was at Hest,
they still folfowed him, Imo which way he would.
Potta.had hold of the pipe. jiazielsonit was there.
Mr. If'saltSou--W hat is ititxlebisrst ?
Wetness—A barber. •
.14r. PEAIISIN —A politirat barber, eh? _(4
lung/a.)
M'ittiess cooti tttt ed—ifewson wan there; he had
.also hold of the pipe. Pal t of them were st'h&-l-
hg the engine about, and there were from fit to
70
,people there. Piosecutor heard them say.
"Curse him ; follow lulu up, mid play in his
pockets." They played upon him until all the miter
was exhausted.. He tried to escape, hut they tas
hewed. hiu,. .1 ',qv ..1 them 03i.ri " Curse you:
stop, stop. and stand your ginuetil." Clay wee the
pinion vilio said this. Ile heord matey voices say,
Curse him; follow him out of Stoke." Alter
the water was exhausted. they ;lulled al then; hats
and gave dime hozzas I and itmor v‘lices cried out,
" Bring mare water, liiing noire .e.r."
Crusts-examined 6., Mr. DA iiKCEy.
Mow long had you been in the petitioning line '
—Only a day or two.
What were you to be paid ?—Three shillings a
day.
What other lines have you been' in besides tine
.petitioning ?—I was brought up a boatman ; 194
.March I war it Carter ; after inst.l took to pot-
selling- krill.' alter that my father told me lie cui.it
put souses bread its ma, tingets fur life in siwilier wit).
What hue was that ?--,To make I..`ste blackaira.
Mr. DauticaT-a.That wee pantitig breed to your
Gagers, indeed !—(A lough.)
.From whom were yuu to receive 34. a day •?-.
, From 1041r..PAIliessoii, et Handle). a ichoolowstei :
1 went to school to him a bat.
,Whit! to qualify ,ourself firr.the petitionitig
liwe ?--.NO, not exactly so ; but lie promised ace
2s. a day.
Ah ! whew yon were going to set all the wriest ta,
rights ?-1 think it would he a-good job it It .was
set a little to riglits.—(Lorighter.,/
Mr. DAENCEY-•Ah i Mr. Ueskim.but.there is

an Old toilst,;e that said it was better Erbegiu et
Isoisse.—Pros. Yes Sir, likely 'tie.
"Q. Hail you a petition?—A. Yes. I Sad a peti.
flow ; then. were some words at the top of it ; buto
I can't partesd to say what it was about, bat I know
'it was for Parliamentary Reform.
Mr. Dattecey—What is that
Mr. D.—What is that Parlianitistary Reform ?,
....I slots% know jos*.
Mr.'D.—No, you neither know nor eare, I sup-
.l/111e..111 lung you get your 3. * day ; did you get
'nothing. eke ?--Thrser who those gave • peony. or
so, to send it up: this 1 .gave to Mr. Parkiron.
Q. Dist you explain the Petition to ihUSW who
'tsigssed it ?—No' it explained itself. I have used
i
tlw words butdon't know what they were.
Q. Had you not a few little phrases of your own
to treat them with ?—Little—what?
Q. P. few phrases ; a few words to address them ?
-.."Cot to tlw best of say knowledge.
Q. Did yon not mention any thing about, • new
King ?—Not Suit I know of.
Q. Will you swear you did not?—Yes, I will
swear it.
Mr. D.—Thai's a good fellow.—tr.ssorkter„)
IQ. A stew Constitution; what do you thin% of
'that ? Did you oily it was time and right that we
should have a Dew Constitution ?—I forget what I
'said to the people; I cannot paneled to my.
Q. lloroughmouger• ! do you think you said •
little about them ? —I did express some such words
a- that; stow you use it. I think I did say nutmeg
about ilsrowthisiwgering factions. but that is al-
most ont of my yheed.
Q. Whet are Bonsughumnsering factions ?-1 ,
don't rightly know what it means, but 1 have heard
Mr. Johnson speak about it.
Q. Where did you hear him speak. goon Mr. I
Illsacking-maker?At Handley, I think.
Q. What time was that ?—I think about • week
before I went about with the Petition.
You went to hear him speak, did you ?—Yes. I
Where did Johnson come from P—l don't know ;
be might have stopped a dsy or two there.
Was he acquainted wills the school-master ?
Yea ; I have seen them together.
Where ?—Whew Mr. Johnson got op to speak,
le spoke from a waggon. I was in the crowd. .1
don'tirecollect wring him before that.
Flow long was it sifter that. that he agreed to
give you 3t. a day was hired about two or three
drys before. I was to gn from house to house to as
people to he pleased to sign the Petition for Perlis,.
mentary Reform.
Did you know it was opposite Mr. Spode's ma•
nufactory you pitched your tent ?—Yes I did.
Were? you not told you were not wasted there ?--
No. I was not.
%Vete you going to his men ?-11410 ; I only went
there to get signatures. I had a table, which I put
down in the place.
What had you ?—A table.
Where did you get it ?—f got it from • neigh-
bour ; lout I don't know who brought it tome, but
I carried it to Mr. Spode's, opposite his manufac-
.
tory.
Mr. Jost ice BORROVOR —Did you go for the por-
poise of gettiog Ilse signatures of Mr. Spode's OW
isufacturers ?—Yrm, L did.
Mr. I)suSICST-1 should like to have the speech
you snide ou that occasion, because it is likely I
shall sever have ass opportunity to hear such an-
other F—(1104111,91-1 can't recollect whet I said ;
it was upon the Petition. It is gone up, sold was
received by Parliament. The Petition had two
leaves, which were pinned together.
Mr. DAUNCET—WeII, now that you have got
your table, yourself, and your Petition, before the
manufactory —now fire away—tell us what you
said ?...Prlbti• I don't know.
Q. Did you tell the people to go to church ?
A. I did mention church or chapel ; I forget the
words I said.
Mr. DACIICZY—Give us the substance.—Pros.
I don't know how ; all I recollect was, that 1 asked
them to sign the Petition.
Mr. Dsumcer—Did you see a Mr. Man ill
A. I might have seen Martin on the road ; I know
trot whether L SAW loion that day or not.
Mr. Justice Boaaoumt—Did you not go to the
manufactory purposely to catch the men as they
came out from work ?--Pros. Yes; I went to get
them to sign it, because I had nut gut any signs.
hares frost any of the houses where I had called.
Mr. Justice Buitaouou—How many signature"
aid you get from the houses ?—A. I think not
Omer thou live or six ; but I got a good many from
the people at the table.
_ _

Mr. Justice Buitaourtu—..What did you say to
induce them to sign it ?—A. I forget what the
words were I said to thetn—sthey were those used in
the Petition.
Cress-exwainalius lettainted.—lle had been de•
sired to go away daring the time lie was accosted.
When lie was getting siguateres, Clay told him to
stand his ground. but he was much confused by
the water being played upon him. He recollected
saying. " I will make you repent of it—you have
dune just whet I wanted." They laughed and
shouted at his, sod that was the reason why he
reed those words, and by using thew he thought
they would give over.
Mr. DAuNCgV—Yow thought that after a skewer
would come a sunshine. Did the squib go through
the Petihou thus ?—(taking up a sliest of his brief
and pushing lois finger through it)—( Load laugh-
ter.)..A. I don't know thst it went through it ; it
was very wet, but I think I put it under my coat.
As soon as the water was all gone I went away ; a
person took toe up and had We shifted.
Mr. Davucay—l shall not follow you through
that part of your story, as it might be dangerous.
What did you do after you had shifted yourself ?
A. I dried the papers and went petitioning again.
I went as ttr a. the Vine Ism, at Stoke.
M►. DAVNeelr—You exposed yourself and the
Petition again. did you i—A. Yee, but not in the
name way ; I know I should not like to be exposed
again in the saute way.—/ lareghter.)--1 then Sent
to Mr. Porkiness and got paid.
Mr. U.►uxcST—How much did you get in
pence ?—A. It might be•ahuut a shilling. Several
bundled* signed it that did not pay.
Mr. DAUllealf —And you hare never been petit
/swim% since ?—A. No, I had enough of it.—(
laugh )—I carry on my Llacking trade now.
. Mr. Da.onceir—You mean to say you are a

shining iharactstN—A. I don't snow much about
law
Mary Ankers was next railed. gibe stated that
she was a married wo.nati; she was preseet when
they were playing the entire upon the Prosecutor ;
they were as violent as they could be. He walked
off, but they atilt Inmates( hills, pouring the water
sou him. Hazlelnirsr, Taylor, and Wood. were
there. Drekiu conducted himself peaceably and ,
q.tetly.
Mi. Diiilscrw now rose to addiess the Jury on
helpilf pi the Defendants.
Mr.*Justice BUssonen, in recapitulating the
evidence to the Jury, begged that it might be un-
derstood, that he did not mean to say that the peo-
picked not a right to Petition rur the reform of any
grievances they considered themselves laboorisig
under; however blameable the conduct of the Prow
secutor might have been, in placing himself before
the manufactory. foc the perpose of catching the
diets as they came Iset. his object must hose been
this, as he had stated that. be could not get suffi-
cient siguitureisut the looses where he hail
With respect, however, to the Defendants. he had
no difficulty in israbounring. that what law called a
riot had been committed. and if the Jury believed
the two witnesses, the riot And assault upon his per-
son were made out ; if they believed this, they were
sets highly illegal, and, the Defeinlants must be.
found guilty. however improperly the Prosecutor
might have behaved.
The Jury merely turned round to each other,
sad to the evident astonishment of the Court, pro-
nounced the Drfendanti Net (;rally ! ! !