The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-05 00:00:00

TRIAL OF, THE CHARTISTS.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.-111oNmouzw, Au 6. 2.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON. )

THE QUEEN V. HENRY VINCENT, WILLIAM EDWARDS, JOHN
DICKINSON, AND .WILLIAM ANHUI TOWNSHEND.

The indictment charged the defendants with having
in March and April last, at Newport, in this county, con-
spired and confederated together for the purpose of con-
vening unlawful meetings, with the design of exciting dis-
content andSdisaffection in the people, and with the inten-
tion of persuading them to resist the lawful authority of
the Government, to the terror and evil example of her
Majesty's subjects. The indictment contained thirteen
counts, varying the mode of stating the offence, and char-
ging offences committed at different times, at different
meetings, and in one of the counts, the defendants were
charged with having unlawfully, riotously, and tumultu-
ously assembled together, with ethers to the number of
two thousand and upwards, and for creating a nuisance
in eoris'eqUence.
Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD, Mr. RICHARDS, Queen's
Counsel, and Mr. WHATELEY, conducted the prosecution ;
and Mr. ROEBUCK who was specially retained) and Mr.
liekraccicopduct.ed the defence.
'wasThere `every appearance in Court of the most
'perfect atattquillity. The defendants were all of respect-
ableespkarance. Vincent :is about twenty-five years of
age, and is a Member of the National Convention, and
had been a printer by trade ; Townshend is a youth of
abont twenty or twenty-one, and the son of a respectable
tradesman, in Newport ; Edwards and Dickenson are
elderly men, the former a baker, and the latter a butcher,
of the town of Newport.
Mr. WLIATELEY opened the pleadings, and Mr. Ser-
geant TALFOURD, having stated the case, called Mr.
Phillips, the Mayor of Newport, who deposed as to the
night meeting, and the expressions used by the defendant.
On cross-examination he said—l believe Mr. Vincent,
on more than one occasion, exhorted the people to keep
the peace, and not to use violence. No riot ever took
place in the town or neighbourhood of Newport while Vin-
cent was there. I do not know that any breach of the
peace ever took place at all. I never saw any bludgeons,
nor heard any advice given to the people to break the law.
Mr. Morris Morris—l am a working shoemaker living at
Newport, and was a member of the Working Man's Asso-
ciation there. The members of the Association were en-
rolled, and the defendants, Townshend, Dickinson, and
Edwards, were members. The meetings were held weekly
and in the evenings. I recollect Mr. Vincent being intro-
duced to our Association as a member of the National Con-
vention in London, to agitate for that body in Newport and
its neighbourhood. The general bearing of Vincent's
discourses was to persuade the people that they were suf-
fering from great grievances, that they were paying half
their earnings in taxes, and that by uniting to obtain the
People's Chartera better government might be obtained. I
beard Vincent call the Mayor: of Newport a nincompoop.
A fund was collected weekly as a sort of rent towards the
purposes of the National Convention.
Cross-examined—l will not swear that Mr. Vincent said
be was come to. agitate the people of Newport, but 1 will
swear he did agitate them.
Mr. Watkyns Richards—l Arn harbour-master of New-
port. At seven o'clock in the evening of the 19th of April
I saw a crowd of about 150 persons. The defendant,
Edwards, was forming them in rank and file, and some
of them had sticks. They afterwards increased to the
number of betiveen five and seven hundred. All the de-
fendants were with them. Some boys with them were
singing " Brieons never will be slaves." I saw some
sticks, or something of that sort, sticking out of their
pockets. The crowd went towards Pentonville. I fol-
lowed, and saw a raised platform, on which the defendants
were standing, but could not get very near it, from the
pressure of the crowd, which amounted to near 1,000 per-
sons. I heard Vincent say something about the Poor-
law, and about bastiles, and about the destruction of
children. There was a great deal of cheering and noise,
and the meeting did not break up till about half-past
ten at night. I was not personally alarmed, but I was
alarmed generally for my family, and for the peace of the
town.

Cross-examined.—l heard something said about peace
and good order, but was at too great a distance to hear
anything accurately that was said.
A number of other witnesses were examined, and among
them Mr. PhiLlpotts, solicitor, who heard Vincent address
the multitude, using these words—" Their cry should be
To your tentu, 0 Israel;' and then with one heart, one
voice, and one blow, perish the privileged orders, death to
the aristocracy, and up with the people and the govern-
ment they have established." Witness thought the meet-
ing one calculated to excite alarm in the breasts of peace-
able persons.

On cross-examination—Heard Vincent say—" If ever
the people weFe unlawfully put down by force, then the
time for resistance would come."

Several otlier witnesses gave similar testimony.
Mr. ROEBUCK then addressed the jury in a very ingenious
speech in defence, commenting on the right of the people
to meet, and upon the excitement during the reform
meetings.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON_ having summed up, the Jury re-
tired, and in about a quarter of an hour returned, at half-
past eight in the evening, a verdict of Guilty against all
the prisoners.
His LORDSHIP then sentenced them to follows
cent to twelve calendar months' imprisonment, Edwards
to nine calendar months, and Dickenson and Townshend
each to six calendar months' imprisonment.
The prisoners were then removed in the gaol van to the
prison. Vincent applied for the use of his books and
writing materials, but was told he could not have any but
religious books. There was a very large crowd assem-
bled, who cheered the prisoners, but no outrage took place.