The National Register.
London, England, 1821-04-01 00:00:00

LIBEL OX THE QUEE.V.

CITY AND COUNTY OF EXETER ASSIZES.
Guildhall, Monday, March 19.
LIBEL.—THE XING V. FLINDLLL.
The information charged the defendant with having
published a scandalous and malicious libel against the
Queen, contained in the Western Luminary., of July 11,
1820, in the following words: "Small a woman, who
is as notoriously devoted to Bacchus as to Venus—shall
such a one as would, if found upon our pavement be
committed to bridewell and whipped, be held up in the
light of soffering innocence, and enthroned in our hearts
on the prostration of our boasted principles? "
Mr. Serjeant Pcll brit fly stated the c,o,e for the crown.
Proof of publication was then adduced, and the learned
serjeant said this was his case.
Mr. Coleridge rose for the defendant. He would not
justify the passage which formed the ground of this in-
lbrination—it was an intemperate sentence; and if the
defendant would have had him to justify it, he most
have sought another advocate. The e idence of crime
rested on the intentimi of a party ; and if he could bhew
them from a train of circinustances that Mr. Flindell
hail no malicious intention, he would be entitled to
their verdict.
Mr. Serjeant Pell rose to reply. He could not con-
ceive how the jury were to consider the defendant the
innocent man represented by his learned friend. Ott
that day when her Majesty was surrounded by dangers
that almost reached her life, the defendant had describ-
ed her as abandoned to the utmost profligacy; a fit in-
mate for a prison, and deserving of a degrading puish-
mein. inflicted only on the most notorious criminals
He would call their attention to the strong language of
the libel, and leave it with the jury to say if were nut of
the foul, infamous description charged in the informa-
tion.—" A woman devoted to Bacchus as to Venus."—
t was false ; he would confidently assert it to be an un-
founded libel. lie did not find itt any of the charges
which had been brought against her Majesty, that she
was " notoriously devoted to Bacchus ;" he had indeed
heard the filthy whisperings that were abroad, but he
treated them as they deserved. " Shall such a one as
would, if found on our pavement, be committed to bride-
well and whipped, be held up in the light of sulfa:title,
innocence?" "'here was a coarseness here—a degree of
personal bitterness that did no credit to the heart of any
mat:. The contrasting her Majesty with her daughter,
iv thie same paper, also went beyond any thing of hu-
ntnn he had ever heard. The learned seijeant
made some further observations on the libel, and con-
eluded with enforciog upon the jury to find the defend-
aiit guilty.
judge in his address to the jury, principally di-
rt CIVIi their attention to injustice of prejudicing the pub-
lie mind a,,minst a person charged with an ()Hence. The
(Settee of the &fetid flit was precisely of this description
—and it was his duty unequivocally to state, that he
considered it a libel.
The jury deliberated a few minutes, and returned a
verdict of guilty, hut strongly and imaniumusly recom-
mended the defendant to. the clemency and consideration
01 the crown. The judge said, that he should take care
that their recommendation should he made known in
the proper quarter,

On Thursday es•euingJohn Icrin. Eq. of Roe-head.
left Huddersfield, soon alter seven o'clock, mounted
Upon a spirited horse, and, as was his practice, was
riding at lull speed. When lie bad got about two miles
and a half from Huddersheld.:mt his way home, he
met a horse and chaise travelling with company from
Leeds to Huddersfield. The night was not particularly
dark, but the violent speed at which he was riding p o-
bahly prevented him I .liserving the approach or the
vehicle and his horse, which took the wrong side of the
ro.d, coming iu coidact with the other horses, he was
disown by the concussion from his seat, and fell with
his head agaiiist the corner of the chaise, with such
fatal violence as tooccicsiou his ium.edtate death.