The National Register.
London, England, 1821-12-17 00:00:00

LAIV INTELLIGENCE

COURT OF KING'S BENCH,
MONDAY, DEC. 10.
SPECIAL JURY.-LIBEL ON THE KING.

TIIE KING V. N. LL.D.

This was an iu oimati 111 l filed by the Attorney General
against the defendant, for a !Awl on the King, in a letter
add' essed to Sir Bestjamin Bloomfield, his Majesty's pri•
rate secretary.
Tl.. Allot 'ley General (with whom was Mr. Raise and
'411'1,1.1111) stared the ease for the Cm ono in an alsnost
inaudible voice. We understood lii.,, to Pirate, that he hail
thought it his dills to tile this information against the
defeittlant fur potfflislihig a most offensive and indecent
lihel upon 116 ',Majesty. The defendant had, for a cotisi-
actable tune berme the publication of the libel in nue,-
tion, been in the habit of addiessisig letters to the King,
upon the subject of some 114111•11i1.4 of 'ahich he e •
appliCal ions mil halal( Mtit'allell lain the
Way he wished, tly way or I evenging himself, he bad re-
course to the putilicatioo of libels iif the most indecent
chat acter upon his Majesty. These being taken no no.ice
of, he at last rudest/mired pet soaally In proctor the letter
in question to be conveyed to his Majesty, thimigh the
lardi 1111 l of Col. Bloomfield, his Majesty's titivate secre-
tary. Tim was tl for the colonel at War-
wick House; and, in the usual VOUrse, it was handed to
that gentleman, who, upon opening the envelope, foustil
another leiter addressed to him, the supersetiption of
which was in the folio% log grossly offet save trials ;—"To
tine most ignoble, lying and cheating I)nke of Cornwall,
since become George the fourth." she letter,
its contents were f d equally tiffiresise. It complained
that after two ;ears emplo)eil iu applications to the King,
he had now allallSari ably SheVOI his IlilliPSl).4 unjust
departure from his honour and engagements, to afford hint
redress for the glievaiires of a hich lie complained ; and
alfi ming, that he could Ate* the Ruth of what lie asst.' ted,
by appealing to the laws Of E11.11.1.1d. Tile letter was
dated tt rey-storet, 611 e Alay, 16.1 '' The object of
this prosecution was to teach the defend:tut, by the result
of it, that he could not be permitted to pet severe in con-
duct so offensive and inde•sciit to the Sovereign on the
Throne. 'there could be no doom a hat the ve. dict of the
Jury mould be, and the only object 01 this proceeding was
to prevent the repetition of this offence.
Thomas Capes, a foot mall to his Majesty, proved that
lie had rieeived the letter in question limn the defendant,
at %Val wick House, on the Otia of May last. Col. Bloom-
lii Id thing (loin I , he put it into his private box.
Sir Benjamin 131 1111 l tifielil proved, that lie had opened
the letter in question cositaiiiing the libel. The defendant,
who was without Counsel, clot's-examined the Colonel,
touching repeated applications he had made at Cat Iron
Moose, npon the sithject of 111Plaalidls he had pi esetile.l
to his m„je,tr. The witness admitted that he hasl coo-
versatiosi with the defendant but did not now partietilaily
recollect what passed. lie ion! never given may opi.tion,
nor had lie ever formed any, as to the defendant's claims.
The laud having been read by the officer of the roil,
The. deleilthtil, Mho appeaied to be Hit elderly and
venerable looking noun, proceeded to address the Jury at
eonsiderable length, in defence of the alleged Hite!.
During the greater part of his atlth CAS be was inaudible.
We collected, that he was a Doetoe of Laws, and lead
studied the civil law for eleveit 'ears, Mal had obtained
an academical degree to enable hint to practise as an
advocate in the civil law rout is of this cotwuy, but hail
been refused admittemee, uu the (;round *Oat he was a
lerg%lllilll, having taken deaeini's eider,. This was the
hardship of which he coittplaiiteil, and having sought
rr,i'iress in the courts of justice to vain, lie had petitioned
tie King to be admitted to those lights to which be was
entitled. He alleged that the King had, thraugh his
anthoiised agents, faithfully promised hint redress; but,
after dancing attendance as Coition House for two years
and a plat ter, without obtaining the fulfilment of this
promise, lie hail written the paper in question, but not
with the object charged in the infolutation. lie professed
the utmost loyalty and reverence for the King, and denied
that his object vial. to toting his Majesty auto hatred or
contempt by the libel in question, which ho rinleaiourvil
to she* could not be construed into a libel of the descrip-
tion charged in the information.
Alter a speech of thi re lionetand a half, the defendant
concluded at half past two 'o'clock.
The Altai nay Genet al replied.
The case was summed lip by the T.ord Chief Justice,
and the Jury found the defendant Guilty, but meant.
mended him to the merciful ronsideration of the court.