The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-04-29 00:00:00

SENTENCE
PASSED ON 111 E PRISONERS cult
HIGH TREASON..

yttle„hy mornine. al 'steady minn'es past Mae
o'clock. the CHIEF JusvicEs ni Ilse Kitties Bench
and Common I'l.Ns. the CHIRP Batton. Mr.
Justice RICHAHDSote, and Mr. Justice BLST. tout
their seats nu the Bench at the Old Bailey. Mr.
Jamie, BATLEY came in Poine time •rier*erd..
By direction nF Chirf Justice ABHoTT. all the
State Prisoners were iu a few m •rs beetled Hp
into Court heavily ironed. and ordered to advaticts
to the bar ar their mums ohnsold hr called.

TAWlnroad was dist called. awl havisig stood at
the bar was soldrei•esl by time officer as follows
" Arthur Timitlewond, you have bees. convicted
of high treason. what him, you to say why the Court
should nut give you judjineirt to die accordiog to
law ?"
• The Prisoner, who was dressed very genteely,
tlwii commenced rending a written ;raper iu his del
fence of cousidemble length. the contents of which,
from lives of il.licacy not less than prudence;
we forbear publishing. It censured, in rums*
language, the conduct of the Court, and of the Lair
Officers of the Crown in the proceedings nil
trial. conveyed very violent imputations on the
character of Adams, Edwards, and another wit-
ileas, and indirectly pored the object of the
conspirators to that of Bririna mid Curies. whoa:
history had "cited up to the stars."
The Cuter JUSTICE here observed, that the
Court could not suffer persons, even in their situss
tiori, to justify assassinatimi.
The Prisoner resumed, and was interripted by
the Bench a second limes but he said he should be
done in four lines, and continued. In the conclu.
elms of the paper, he protested against the Court's
refu-ing to examin,? witnesses oil his behalf at e
certain period of the trial, and contended that judg-
mesa ought not to be ; 000000 ounced against hint.
!Valiant Davison was theii called, and addrerked
by the officer in the same form of words. This
Piiiioner had no written speech, but addressed the
Court with great earnestly's of voice and manner,
occasional violence of gesture aud action. for
several Minutes. The generel character of his
declamation was ;mug similar to that of Thistle-
wood's. Ile asserted that no proof had been offered
that he hid been acquainted with the design of
assaaoinating the Ninsisters—repeated the charges
against some of the witnesses, and declared he hail
been entrapped into the plot. He could die but
once. and should meet death fearlessly. The •
thought of leaving a large family of small chil-
' &en was the wily thing which unmanned him.
• This Prisoner manifested the utmost degree of
firmness, or rather reckless intrepidity.
begs was the next person placed at the bar. He
appeared greatly inferior its 'lien and language to
the two former Prisoners. His address was extent.
porary and brief. He imputed to his associating
with Edwards, and the insidious arts of that wino,
that lie stood in the situation in 'flitch be was ; but
acknowledged that the horrid design at assassinating
the Ministry was oue disgracleful to Englishmen.
Brunt complained of having been denied the use
of pen, ink, and paper, in order td co.pwe wines
thing in his justification: He decl t Adams
had deceived and entrapped him, and wished to do
so before; slid was proceeding in loading him with
abusive epithets and heinous charges, when
The Cuter JUSTICE pronounced that he could
not suffer the character of a person 'testified as a
witness to be taken sway in that manner without any
object; if there was any impeuchinent of his cha-
racter, it should have been mentioned on the trial.
The Prisoner afterwards threw out aspersions on
Lord Castlereagh and Lord Sidmouth. and asked
if conspiracy to take away the lives of such men
could be high treason. He asserted, that on a
question having been put by one of his Jury to the
Judge who tried him, the Judge had misstated the
law. He then endeavoured to justify the design of
the conspirators; but initialed that the only high
treason of which he had beets guilty was resisting
some police officers.
Tad asserted that none of the witnesses had
sworn the truth except Captain Fimclareuce (who
was sitting in the Sheriff's box).
Wilson said he was not gifted with the tongue,
and that he had been draws, in by other..

Harrison said that all the witnesses were false.
Bradbarn exclaimed against the testimony given
by Adams.
Strange avowed. that as he stood before God and
his country Brunt's apprentice and Adams were
perjured villains.

Gilchrist (a wretched-looking mail). who seemed
to sink under the horrors of his situation, de.
dared that he had met Adams, for the first time,
■t four o'clock of the day when the conspirators
were apprehended—that on going ioto the loft he
was wholly ignorant of the purpose for which they
had assembled—that he wished 'o retire, but wens
prevented on pain of his life, and that on the first
appearance of an officer he surrendered himself.
" 1 have served my King •ud my country." creed
the Prisoner, " twelve years, and, Oh, God 1 this
is my reconspence."
Cooper said there was no evidence to convict him
of high treason, but that he yielded himself up •
voluntary exile.
The LORD CHM „lumen then proceeded to
address, by their mimes, first the five Pawners who
hail been tried, meting, that they had been seve-
rally treed and convicted on •m indictment which
charged them, with others, of conspiring to levy
war against less Majesty. to compel him to change
leis measures by force ; and afterwards John Harri-
son, Richard Brad burn, John Shaw Strew, Jews
Gilchrist. and Charles Cooper, observing. that each
of them having been charged in the same
meat with the same offence of which the firmer
Pressmen' hail been convicted, had origissally plead.
ed hot Guilty; but after the trial seed conviction
of the five first. they had desired to withdraw their
plea, and at their request had been permitted su to
du. James Wilson had originally pleaded a nip-
take in his tame; but that was a plea which could
out be lung available, fur 'outlier isidictmest was
preferred against him, to which be had pleaded
hot Gaiity; but had •fterwatde, like the when,
on terve uotained, retracted it, slid pleaded Guilty.
These Us meow, therefore, had ebsugM value.

tarily to acknowledge their gitilt, and throw thefts
helve. on the mercy of their ineereigii. If 'any Of
them should ultimately have their lives spared,
Which he trusted would be the cow, he hoped they
Would always beer in mind that they owed that life
to the benignity and merciful dispoviiimi of their
Sovereign, ailed and seconded also by the merciful
dispositions of those very persons upon whom they
had contemplated the foul crime of astinoinetion.—
Oise of them. Arthur Thistlewood, hail ups.' hie
trial proposed to call certain sutures**, whom the
Court hod refused to hear. This was according to
the due course of justice. as it was administered in
this country. The witnesses whom he proposed to
Cell.: were for the purpusie of impair g the testi-
snowy of • man of the swine of Dwyer, and no
other. His Learned Comorel had previously called
oitsiewes to the seine effect. It could not be al-
lowed to hint; according to the ordinary course of
proceeding. to d. more. Indeed, even if be had
hero allowed lo to do, it could have been produc-
iive of no arrvaistage. because his case did eat de.
prod upon the evidence of that witness slow. This
observation was confirmed by th. foci. that ifs alb.
iieire so emcee where the evidence of Dwyer was silo
together omitthd. a (limiter verdict of guilty was rya
turned. Sortie of them had thought fit to soy
much of the 'character of a person who had ant sp.
peered as a witness upon this occasion. The Coact
could proceed only upon the evidence which was
brought before it; of the person, therefore to whom
they alluded, or of the poictices of which be had
been guilty, they could hare no knowledge. Coors
the testimony, however. which hail beets adduced
against them. there was abundantly sufficient .tu
induce • Jury of their country to come to a
conclusion. that the whole or them had taken an
active part in the crimes imputed its the indictment.
From all that had appeared in the course of these
trials. as well as from much of that which they had
then heard, it was plain to see that they did not
embark is. their wicked designs until they hail Bet
suffered their minds to be corrupted and iullaissed
by those sediti 000 solid irreligious publicatiours with
which, unhappily for this country. the press had
but too long teemed. He did not make these re-
marks
to aggravate their guilt, or to atheism tht
sufferings of persons in their ; he made
them as a warning to all who might hear of their
unfortunate fate. that they might benefit by their
example, and avoid those dangerous instrument*
of sedition, by which their hearts and minds were
itifianied, and by which they were drawn (runt erell
feeling of morality. from every sense of obligation
towards their Creator, and of justice towards
society. The treason of which they were charged
and found guilty Was that of compassing and
imagining to levy war against his Majesty. fur the
purpose of inducing him to change his isseasured
and Minutiae, ; the first step towards effecting which
was to have been the assassination of Ministers.
They had endeavoured now to complain of the testi.
mouy of these persona who had been examined as
witnesses on the part of the prosecution. Some of.
them were accomplices in their guilt. It had here
happened, as it had upon other occasions, that the
principal instruments in the hands of justice were
partners of their wickedness; lie trusted that cir-
cumstance would hove its due weight and con•
sideration with all thaw who became acquainted
with their situation, end with the circulastauces of
their trial. He hoped, that Ihr the sake of-their
own personal safety. if they could not be restrained
by any other cosseideration, that they woold ab-
stain from evil cousessmicatioas and from evil coo-
nexious, such as had brought them to the unhappy
position in which they stood. Some of them had
avowed their intention to have taken away the
and to have steeped their hassds in the blood of 14
person.. to many of them unknown—a crime, of
• character so block. that it was hitherto without
parallel in the history of this country, and he hoped
it would remain unparalleled hereafter.—(His
Lordship here seemed considerably agitated).—lt
now, he said. only remained for him to pass upon
them the awful sentence of the law ; but before he
dud so, he exhorted them, he implored them, to
employ the shoe yet left to them in this, life. in en•
deavouring, by prayer, to obtain mercy from that
Almighty Power before whom they would shortly
appear. The mercy of heaven might be obtained
by all chow who would utifeignedly, and with hu-
mility, express contrition for their offences, and
seek that mercy through the merits of their Blessed
Redeemer.

His Lordship hewing once more solemnly exhort.
ed the Prisoners to repentance, pronounced the
sentence of the law in the following words :
" That you, and each of you, be taken from
hence to the gaol from whence you came, and from
thence that you be drawn upon a hurdle to a place
of execution, and be there hanged by the neck
until you be dead, soil that afterwards your heads
shall be severed from your bodies, and your bodies
be divided into four quarters, to be disposed of as
his Majesty rhea think fit ; and may God of his
infinite goodness hare mercy upon your souls !"
The Crier said aloud, u Amen 1" in which he
was joined by many in the Court, who were deeply
affected by his Lordship's impressive address.
The Prisoners were then withdrawn from the bar.
During the address of the Judge they did not seem
to be much affected by their awful situation.

WEI, before being removed, complained that his
legs, which were very tender, were pained by the
pressure or the irons.
The LORD CHIEF JODI'ICS said, that if he ap.
plied in the proper chrome,. he had no doubt that
the inconvenience be complained or would be re•
moved or lessened.

CONTEMPT OF THR ORDER OF THE COURT.

The Arroasee-Guneftm. now called their
Lordships' attention to the order which they had
made, for the attendance of Air. Williams mouth!
Clement at their bar, to ;mower for hi. conduct use
publishing the trials of Arthur 'rlitsilewood and
Jstnes bogs, contrary to their Lordelups'
two on the tint day of the State oriels.
Coale JUSTICI--." Let Mr. element be called."
Air. Clement was thus, culled by the proper offi-
cer, but did not appeor.
The ATTORNST.GIIIIIIIIAL now addressed him-
self to the facts of the case, and Mr. Shelton resit
the affidavit of the service of the order of the Court
al The °halves nice. in the Strand.
The ATTORSET•GRIIIIIAL afterwards stated,
that the principal object which the Court had in
view in probational' the publication of the truds,

ri' : •
„ ..
was to prevent the ;anyone s from 'mug preyourcr:a
by the communication of the evideOce from usar
brim to another. to which end, on the motion of
Counsel for the prisoners, all the witnesses, except
those under examination, Were not permitted to re..

Main in Court. He also produced on affidavit ..f
the immense number of stamps procured at t!
Stamp Office by the Defendant during Cie week
previonely to the publicatios of the tends, iimuuot-
log to Dearly 40,000.
'The Learned Judges now held • conaulstion of
some length, at the end of which,
The CHM/ JUSTICt, after commenting upon
the great propriety of the conduct 0i the
press in obeying the iajunction of the l'ourt, sill
adverting to the circumstance of the Drfenil lilt
having been actuated by the desire of gnu to th•
prejudice of others, proceeded to stales that MS the
Defendant had not thought proper to appear 1.,
answer for his conduct, and to subject himself to
that imprisonment to which he certainly would have
been consigned, the Court had thought fit In-direct
that for his conduct he should pay • fine to the
Ring of SOW.

TRIAL OP
ARTHUR THISTLEWOOD,
rot
HIGH TREASON.
SECOND DAY.
MonHasa /Iwo eisr Paper of peetereley.)

OLD RAILIT, APRIL IS.
Samuel Hercules Tannins went to Drays rooms *Ws a
warrant; found Iwo baskets, one tied with an apron ; took
Brant into easterly; Brunt said be knew nothirig of Cyr
MIAMI.; the room did not belong to hint; seat f.•r the
lady, Mrs. Rogers, and asked whose apartment that
anawered it was let to a person she did nut know, to ;:re-
Mime a Brunt. Went to 'Field's, Mole is-thr.l('.ll.pasnegs ;
Need a box fall of balLcartridts ; counted them ; liner
asnostated to 965, 10 gremlin., mail n great tomtit) of ou o.
powder; 434 ballasted 171 hall cartridge ,in a bet 1114.. ts
of powder, one woad each, in Sanuel bags; 10 roopLy
bag., how flints, tool 27 pike.baudlrs. In sine of Brismo`•
baskets were nine papers with rope-yarn, tar, kc. ; to i!,e
lamed fuse grenades, three papers .1 yarn and tar, too
hats of powder, one pulsed each, five 6 marl hap mid
nee paper of powder, lose leather bog, wish 63 hallo ; ono
Iron pot, and rose pike.haadle.
rrometiamined.—This wagon the 24th of February,
Daniel Bishop, flow-stretl oßker, on 24th February went
with other officers to apprehessil Thistiewowl, at Nu. S, Moo..
street, Little Muorlields ; found Thistlewoud in' • led on :1
ground-floor room Thistlewood lifted his head from Our
clothes ; there was just light enough to see. Told Think.
wood his rase mad yak., sea that be had a *strain, sled
threw himself on the bed. Thisilewood said, " 1 Mall make
so resistaaee." Scatted his ; Thistlewtood had his breech..
mod slacking. nn. There were three hells is the waistcoat'
Me Roots, one ball-cartridge, aura Mee black cartridge,
likewise a small silk sash. lo the coat pocket was a bias it
cloth hell, with places for pistols.
Cressoemmeined.—Did nut know Edwards; did not know
whose isfurotation caused the search fur Thistle...mi. Ina-
♦ender produced t►e belt; m beadle of pike handles was pot
lot the hand-granades were produced, ..d the illioniustiou
hell..
Our of the Jury said, tint it would be accessory for some
(me to describe their composition.
Tee SOLiCiTOLGIIN KRAL said, one of them should Le
examined and described by a competent permit.
The Cain Justice directed that the this's fumed in the
loft shrew be pet separately on the table.
The Court was occupied a considerable time is examiniag
*he articles saentiostad is the evidence, which were all pro.
dared. The pike.itandles were thick saplings, about .ix
feet loot. There was a paper AA of Myosin and old lie.,
sharpened at the points, and painted at the other ends to
screw isle the hostiles.
Mr. Morrissn swore t►at he had sharpened s sword, which
was podocesi, foe lop.
Harriman, a orrjeast of the Royal Artillery, had examined
oar of the grenades which had been peudeced at Bow.sireed.
The lin case. cumais Si town gunpowder each ; the com-
position of the tube is saltpetre and bream...tie; over the tin
is pitch, which is wrapped round with ruprhyara, betwer n
which is tow an inch thick. la the owe opened at Row.aireet
there were twelve pieces of ire., which would scatter Lust
destructively if lbe grenade were set fire to.
Some lien was now lost while the serjeant opened one of
the grenades. Many yards of tarty yore were cat fruin it,
and Gee eart.mheel sails were then dtacovererl Wichita
these were Iwo old stockings, which, dipped in pitch, strong l y
wrapped s tie ease, fonts which the serjeant, after taking 4,11.
tho tube, Amok mint gunpowder. One of the fire balls was
also ritualised.

ThM closed the ease ou the part of the prosecutiun. It
was holt:pest four o'clock.
Mr. CURWOOD rose for the defence. Hail he cuissulted
his own inclination, he would have felt it perfectly coo.
rising with his moral duty to have declined the ard►.-
ess ditty which hail devolved to him. Bet it ass one
ratios of the Profession to which he belong.d, that the
wiembers of it were nut &Mlted to refuse their assistance to
misfortunate men placed is ibe situation of the Prisoner at
the bar. Feeling it to be his duty to seadertake the drfi•nce,
he world endeavour to perform it •sawed by soy dread et*
coosequences, without in she least regarding the iufuetic•-
or displeasure of the Crew., the prosecutors in the present
indictment. Hr owed is to bis country to do his best to
immure the fair adatinistestioa of its laws; he owed it to
the misfortune of she Prisoner to do his simust to secure
him the fullest degree of justice; he owed •it to his own
fair fame, his dearly-pitied mod may iisheruance, to acquit
himself is the boldest and most effectual way of which be
was amebic of his Falafel and dared. duty. With all these
impressions weighing him dews, soda muse besides of being
opposed to as much learning sad talent as were ever kouvoi
in the Profession, he lifted his eyes to tbs. Beteg for succour,
whose aid they were all ready ~ugh to look up to is limes
of great mid, however they might 'sealed him on oc-
cosier's. The Jury had ■ right to ►stow the man who was
addressing them, that they might Mom that his object in
addressing them was fair soil disinterested. He had so
Si solicit, no prusnotim to hope for. He belonged
to so prevailing party, see, iodeed, to any party. One
thing he wished them to observe, that most as. hail putt-
ceder prejudices on sousemic or ether of the topics of human
life. He invited their attester. more immediately to the
case before theme. The offesices charged ageism the Prisoner
might perhaps have arisen from the effects which the dis-
tresses of the country had so his ',Mod. Admitting the
moral guilt of his conduct to ha as peat or greater than
that charged is the indictment', if net the guilt actually de-
scribed, the Primmer must he acquitted. The substantive
act of treason charged was the compassing and compering to
depose she King, mud depive him of his ernes and &gait y.
Time crime of high treason was first of all &timid with soy
accuracy by s statute of Edward Act to which the
corset, had looked with confidence and veaerstiun fur a
Wag succession of ages. Other Acts regarding high treason
bail sprung up, but august Act Musa had cusiiinsed with
unimpaired force to tier (mil tomes; the others bad all
withered away and became ■s nought. At Act, Set
of the Isle King, had beau added to it, for the better detail-
ing the crime of treason. The Act of Edward mule it high
tresses to conspire egoista the Kimes life, or to levy war in
Warr to deprive hire of his Cress. The tatter Act made it
treasni to compre to depose she King, or to centimes to
levy war against the King. This, sad the actual letryoug of
war, were the tremens charged against the Priseasev. The
relimme of the prosecetion lay 'tamely ms the proof of a
rompirecy lit asemessosse Mistimes. The cooclusion could
nut be Itiiiieftied. He treated, that be Need my meshing to
Mew them is what abhorrence he hell such a pot. But
grueling the substauce of all that had beee peeved, it would

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