The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-24 00:00:00

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QUEEN'S BENCH.—(THIS DAY.)
(:3ittings tit Nisi Prius at Westminster, ibefore:Lord
CAMPEELL and a Special Jury.)
THE QUEEN (ON THE PROSECUTION OF ACHILL') V.

NEWMAN.
As soon as Ibis Coors of the court were opened this
morning there was a general rush and scramble for
places, end in Leis than two minutes every part was
closely parked.
tair A. E. CCCKBUSSN addressed the jury in reply to
the evidence adduced on the part of the plaintiff. He
said, in this most painful case, he could scarcely expect
that religious prejudices would altogether be divested from
the minds of the jury. Independent of the question, as to
the feleehoed or truth of the serious charge made against
Dr. there came another circumstance fcr consi-
deration, viz., that gross, foul, an I deliberate perjury
meet have b: en committed en one side or the other.
The case c.dmittsd of no compromise whatever. It was
impossible that a young girl robbed of her virtue could
even, after the greatest lapse of time, forget the man
who had wronged her; but it was not at all unlikely
tliat a man might, iu his general intercourse with
women, forget the object of his practices in a
particuler instance. Eib.her the women who had been
called had spoken the truth or had wickedly invented
and trumped up a cunning story. On which side the
truth laid it would he for the jury to determine; and
he was ready to admit that if Dr. Achilli was to be-
lieved the witnesses brought forward in support of the
accusations made by Dr. Newman had grossly perjured
themselves. It, therefore, became necessary to ascer-
tain which story was entitled to credibility. The young
woman Valenti swore positively that Achilli robbed her
of her virtue near Viterbo. She was no subtle casuist,
but tells a plain unvarnished story—that she was a ser-
vant in a country -house where Dr. Achilli was staying,
and that, after repeated unsuccessful attempts, be sue-
coaled in accomplishing his object; yet, though she had
since married, and Dr. Achilli had had ample opportu-
nity of inquiring into her subsequent career and con-
duct, he had not even suggested one word against her
character, which must, therefore, be taken as entirely
blameless and unimpeachable. It might be said that this
witness was under the influence of her priest—that she
was told it would be for the glory of God and
the Church to come forward and give evidence,

and that the whole case had been got up-by the priests,
in order to put down Dr. Achilli. This was the way in
which the evidence against Dr. Achilli, both personal
and documentary, was to be met. They would, perhaps,
be told that it was a rule of the Jesuits, that where the
advancement of the Roman Catholic religion was con-
cerned, the sacredness of the end justified the wicked-
ness of the means; that so great was Italian perfidy, that
these Italian witnesses ought not to be believed. But
on whose oath were they to be convicted of falsehood?
Was Dr. Achilli not an Italian; was he not educated by
the Jesuits, and initiated in all the corruptions and
artifices which were ascribed to that well known com-
munity; was he not a subtle disputant and an ingenious
casuist, brought up among monks, priests, and friars?
Though he was far from saying that one might judge a
man's heart by his physiognomy and appearance, yet, if
Dr. Achilli had come into the box with a monk's
cowl, instead of wearing the simple garb of a Pro-
testant, it would, probably, have struck them that
the man and the habit were not altogether
unsuited to each other. He, therefore, claimed for
these simple peasants just as much credit as would
be given to an Italian priest like Dr. Achilli. Another
test for judging the value of the evidence adduced by
either party, was the interest which the witnesses had
in coming into the box. Could the young women who
had been debauched have an interest in proclaiming
their dishonour before the public? It might be alleged
they had been suborned, but, however, the jury might
differ in opinion with Dr. Newman, nothing had been
shown to affect his honour or morality. Looking at the
interest on the opposite side, it was apparent that every-
thing Dr. Achilii had in the world, was at stake, and
no doubt an appeal to their sympathies would be made
by his Learned Friend on that ground. Whether he
had been dismissed from the Rom en Catholic Church
or had quitted it. of his own free will, it was clear he
had shut out all hope of emolument or advancement in
that quarter. In this country he was now a Protestant
clergyman belonging to a body whose object was to ob-
ltoaoinkepdrosueplyolnes
him
mom Resemaan Catholicism,
great shining light in
the Protestant Church that might be the
means of obtaining meny conversion and who had
s. To his
utility in that respect his moral character was absolutely
essential. If that chat-Aster was injured, there was an
end of Dr. Achilli in this country, and of all those plea-
sant prospects which no doubt stood before him. The
result of too ttial was to him, therefore, of the most
vital and deepest importance. The other witnesses had
no interest when compared with Dr. Achilli; and the
jury could not, without the most serious consideration,
come to the conclusion that in swearing to the acts com-
mitted by him they were perjured, and disentitled to
credit. The Learned Counsel then adverted to the case
of Principe, who, it will be recollected, swore to being
deflowered by Dr. Achilli in the sacristy of the church,
and contended that every circumstance connected with
the affair confirmed the truth of the woman's statement.
Neither on her nor hor mother had be thrown the slight-
est imputation, thougb, if their character and lives
eff-red any reason for disbelieving their testimony, Dr.
Achilli had ample eoportunhies of proving it. A charge
tinniest a monk of violating a virgin child of la in a
c!murch was too serious ama ter even to be hushed in Na-
ples, where it was said, as long as a man observed the ex-
ternals of religion the criminality and dissoluteness of his
hfe was of little c3nsequence. The scandal that got
into circulation about the matter was so great that not
even the protection of his friends, both civil and eccle-
siastical, could ward of, and proceedings were ec•
cerdiegly instituted before the police. But Dr. Achilli
never once confronted the parties before the commissary,
and showed a pecular indifference to the charge. Ilia
conduct led to one of two inferences, either that he
evinced a gross and total indifference to decency and mo-
rality, or that he was so conscious of the justice of the
complaints made by the unfortunate girl and her injured
family, that he dreaded denying the truth of the accu-
sation to their face. In Naples the Church stood high,
and the priests were exalted, and there was naturally an
indisposition by the authorities to silence calumnies
against priests; but, after hearing the simple, artless
tale of the girl, he was so satisfied with its truth that he
sent her away, and left the case to take its course in
other tribunals. In the meantime Dr. Achilli remained
silent, gave no reparation or redress to his victim, and
ultimately left to pursue what he called his sacred mis-
sion in other places. Yet now, when she whose brow
he had indelibly fixed with shame and disgrace, came into
the box, ho sought to brand her with the infamy and
guilt of perjury. The Learned Counsel then adverted
t.) the conduct of 1)r. Achilli at Corfu, and to his con-
n- xion with Garamoni's wife; to his establishing a Pro-
testant Church at Z Aate, and employing the woman
Coriboni, a reputed woman of the town, as door-keeper,
and her husband, who was a chorus-singer, as his
clerk to read prayers; to these persons being servants in
his own house; to his being seen taking indecent liber-
ties with the woman, and to his refusing to dismiss
either of them from his service when the congregation
complained. He next animadverted on Dr. Achilli 's
proceedings at Malta college, observing that though the
managers of that establishment looked upon him as a
valuable accession to Protestantism, rind as a great gain
fit= the enemy, they could not shut their eyes to his
practices. He bad been dismissed from that college for
shielding from an inquiry the conduct of another converted
monk who was accused of immorality and incontinence.
But whatever might have been the conduct of Dr.
Achilli abroad, it would surely be expected that be
would have led a different life when he married and
arrived he London. He took a house in Shaftesbury-
terrace, and the first thing he did was to solicit the
chastity of his servant maid, but she effectually resisted
his attempts. If her statement was true it threw much
light en his earlier history; for a Protestant minister who
had entered the holy state of matrimony was so forgetful of
his
duty as to commit adultery,they might easily imagine
how stric ly he kept his vows as a Roman Catholic
' priest. This girl was not a Catholic, and no person
would bo so infatuated as to believe she had been bought
over by Dr. Newman, and he thought the jury
would
not hesitate to rely on her testimony. Another servant,
L"gge, swore that Dr. Achilli had connextion with her.
Nu doubt she had been a person of bad character, but
her candour went to show that she was not a wit-
ness to be wholly distrusted. On being asked
about her child, she said it was one i*
whom many fathers had shared; she honestly
stated what she thought, and did not attempt to
.fix the
paternity on Dr. Achilli or any other particular di i
Be who de-
dual. The girl Wood was the next
y gibe tacit hat
nVfebialnpeep'ol3, bt, it
posed to the Doctor forcibly violating
yena7e of 15, and was
was endeavoured to shake her evil
she had been seduced at the ear
Catholic. He trusted,
be ciouded by rejudice,
tering justice between
now supposed to be a ROMall.
however, the jury, in adwiniswould
Protestants and Roman Catholics, not allow
gs intelligence t
the .o be stopped
ethreirthieentaixtste to tn
biligoe e cared not
ttrryn.stedlit-h at in adminie'
it manifested ' itself, whether LI
on which side that spir. t
Roman Catholics agape Protestants or Proiestants
by fanaticism au.d.
again" they would hold
tering justice_ the scales evenly, and
not permit them to be shaken by the height of religious
zeal or passion. He appealed to their sense of justice'
and to their feelings as
Roman Catholics.
men and Christians to deal fairly
between the parties,remembering that however great a
thing religious faith
and
zeal was, justice was one of the
ear hest bornand dearest emanations from God and religion.
Atter dealing in detail with other portions of the evi
donee, the Learned
Counsel concluded his address by _
very eloquent and stirring peroration. He said be felt
from the first that in this case he had great disadvan-
tages to contend against. They bad before them two
great champions of opposite Churches, both of whom
heel been converted from the faith which they
originally professed, and who endeavoured
whichthat
they now belonged. He had hoped the
spirit of religious contention would never again be reet-
kindled in this country; that having long slept
tat_ de
slumbered, it had sunk into perpetual oblivion; tha
hrbo.
Roman Catholic with his upraised cross, and the
sirens'
testant with his Bible, would not enter the
arthe
for the purpose of obtaining dominion over
carer
intellect of mankind. He said God prosper
the truth on the present trial.
energy
feelings had been recently rekindled with an _uri
perhaps, unknown in our times. Religious disw
had been, as it were, concentrated into a focus, ine o n
tder
two
that a decision might be arrived at between $l3 :ow
great conflicting principles. Ho could not
,jujou
teal from his mind that religions he
bile 010 iticistant of tho igrn