The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-04 00:00:00

MANCHESTER.
(TuuRsDAYO

T., IA kiLPORTEC.

,i• it o; Tie appearance of the
streets tt, morning, and up to ten o'clock when I reached
the New Bailey,,hare were em in r:ny of the principal
r •,TS town dozen cx ra p .rsoos. No military or
fore, wai vizil,le, a, d. to one unacqua nted with the
!a, t h.it. the examwalion of the Rev. Mr. Svpliens was
fix. d for to.day, Ivery t would h:aaa seemed to proceed
in its ~r,linary course. Th- shops were all open—the fac-
tories at work, and all the usual detai!; of traffic incidental
to a lat7e commercial and manufacturing community were
in full operation. During the night it rained incessantly,
and this I beli-ve to be the best answer to the rumours
which have inlustriously circulated from an early
hour. th forge bodies of Radicals bad arrived in the
nnddl- of the night, and were located in the houses of their
friends h• re. In the immediate neighbourhood of the New
Bailey there were we fi:ty persons assembled, although the
morning was then fine, and it was within an hour of the
time appointed for the commencement of the proceedings.
Mr. Phillips, the Barrister, for whom a special messenger was
despatched on Tuesday evening, will not come—the reply was
that he was specially retained in an important case which was
to come on at the Central Criminal Conrt. I understand
that it had been previously arranged that even in the event
of Mr. Phillips arriving, the conduct of the case would still
be left in the hands of Mr. Law, and that Mr. Stephens
would defend himself in person.

At eleven o'clock the Rev. Mr. Stephens, accompanied
by Mr. Feargus O'Connor, Messrs. Richard and John
Cobbett, Mr. Willis, Rev. Dr. Fletcher, Mr. Richardson,
Mr. Oastler, Mr. Williamson, his solicitor Mr. Law, Mr.
Wheeler, and several other of his friends arrived. Up to
this time the only persons admitted to the Old Court, in
which the proceedings were appointed to take place, were
the reporters for the public press, of whom there were
nearly a score present. The courtesy exhibited by the
officers to whom the duty of keeping the gates was confided
contrasted very strongly in this respect with the course
which has been pursued in similar circumstances elsewhere

Mr. Stephens sat in front of the dock, immediately oppo•
'site the bench, with Mr. Feargus O'Connor on his left
hand, and Messrs. Richard and John Gobbett on his right.
Goddard, the Bow-street officer, remained close to him
during the proceedings. Immediately afterwards the Ma-
gistrates began to arrive upon the bench. Among them
were Mr. J. F. Forster, Mr. Kenworthy, Mr. Sanderson.
Mr. Garnett, and Mr. Shakespeare Phillips.
There were two or three ladies also on the bench, and
foreigner, who, I was told, was Redschid Effendi, in the
suite of the Turkish Ambassador. Mr. J. B. Smith, tbd
clerk to the Magistrates, was also in attendance.
_ _

Mr. Brandt, the Barrister, who appeared for the prose'
cution, desired the clerk to call upon the defendant, who
immediately rose and answered to his name. It may be
remarked that there were not more than .50 or GO persoue
in Court at this period, and although the frequent and
reiterated shoutings of the multitude, who had by this time
assembled without the building, could be distinctly heard,
within there was the stillness of the tomb.
Mr. Brandt then rose and said, that as he observed there
were several gentlemen on the Bench who were not pre
sent on the former occasion, he would shortly state whet
had taken place on Friday last, when his Learned Friend
Mr. Duck had appeared for the prosecution. Two wit'
nesses were examined, and the evidence taken down
—they were subsequently cross-examined at great
length by the defendant, and that cross-examination,
it appeared, was not taken down. He (Mr. Brandt)
regretted that such had not been done, although be
contended that a sufficient case had been made out, and one
of the Magistrates had, indeed, so expressed himself. 01
should now state the course he would adopt. He won)°,
propose that the witnesses should be put into the box, and
again sworn, and that the clerk who had taken down the
depositions should read them over to the witnesses, and the°
it was in Mr. Stephen's discretion to cross-examine them ill
any way he pleased, and that that cross-examination should:
be taken down, and it would be then his (Mr. Brandt's/
duty to follow it up by something else, leaving it to 10
Stephens to pursue whatever course he thought me9l
advisable.

James Johnston was then called into the box and sworof
and the the evidence, in chief, which has been already PI
lished in The Sun, was read over to him. [The reading,.
the evidence was interrupted by the rush of people ir
the body of the Court, the doors having been, at this titr
ment thrown open to the public. In a few minutes 19e
Court and gallery was crowded.] When order was 11'
stored, the reading of the evidence was resumed, and the
witness was then asked by the clerk if it was true ?
Johnston—lt is perfectly true, every word of it.
Mr. Brandt said it was now competent to Mr. Stepbfn'
to cross-examine the witness, if he thought proper.
Air. Stephens—At present I decline to cross-exatnirie
this witness. If any part of the cross-examination on the
previous occasion had been taken down, then I would bo/e
left it to the Court to pursue its own course with respect to
the case.

William Coward was then called into the box and sworo'
and his examination in chief, which has been already 01);
lished, was read over to him. He was then asked if t1.1,(1
evidence was true ?

Coward—There is one clause in it wrong, with regard to
buying arms.

Mr. Brandt read the part of his evidence referred tol
" The Druid Club have drawn out one pound a piece, t
purchase arms."
Coward—l don't know whether it was to purchase arts°
or not.—(Great sensation in the body of the Court.)
Mr. Brandt--Why, then, did you say so ?
Coward—l said it was so reported.
Mr. Brandt—Then that part must be struck out. Strik,
it out, Mr. Smith.

Mr. Stephens--I object to anything being struck out.,
Coward--I know they have drawn out a pound eaclbi°
one of the members told me so.
A Magistrate—Are you a member of that society ?
Coward—No, Sir.
The evidence was then, at the suggestion of Mr. Brandt!
amended in the following way—" It was reported that tb_.
Druid Club had drawn out one pound each, to purchan
arms," and the witness was then asked if the evidence s9'
true ?

Coward—To the best of my knowledge, it is true. Mr, Brandt--Mr. Stephens, do you wish to crolr
examine the witness ?

Mr. Stephens—No, Sir, except that I want everytbiar
that was said by him on his cross-examination on the fortl'e
occasion added.
Mr. Brandt said Mr. Stephens might suggest v;bBt
should be added.
Mr. Stephens—It is not my business to suggest to the
Court what course it ought to take.
Mr. Brandt suggested that it should be stated by tb°
Clerk that Mr. Stephens had declined to cross-examine t 136
witnesses.
Mr. Law objected to any such statement being made'
There could be no possible ream for it.
Mr. Brandt then called
James Dean, who was sworn.
hat
Mr. Stephens asked if this was a new case, and w-
Magistrates he was appearing before, because he folio
in the Manchericr Guardian, the highest authority, he be;
lieved, in that quarter, that the Magistrates had expresso
their determination to commit him.
Mr. Brandt said he meant to press the charge against
also
have which was set forth in the warrant, and he would Ws",, have to refer to his conduct individually in other mattel;
and to that of other persons who were implicated. As the
charge was shaped at present, it referred, as did theaddi'
tional evidence, to what had taken place at the meeting a
ready referred to, and what he proposed was, that the
commitment should be made out ; and the inference, which
he would argue was fairly to be drawn from the evidence'
was that a conspiracy had been entered into by Mr. SW
phens and others to oppose the due administration of the
laws, more particularly that relating to the amendment
the Poor-law.
Mr. Stephens—This is a new warrant.
‘ i"
Mr. Brandt— I. INo, it is the same transaction ; but ,
Mr. Stephens notice that the indictment can be so ft" meav
and the commitment so made out, so as to prove -agaili
him and others a combination and confederacy atr.oncist
of them, to prevent the due execution of the taw. asut in order to satisfy the Magistrates of that, I have thought
fit to call additional evidence to substantiate the charge.
A Magistrate—I understand that it is not your iota'
tion, at present, to go into any further iacts ?
Mr. Brandt—No, Sir.
Magistrate—Then nothing is to be laid before us 131.1
what took place at that time ?
Mr. Brandt—Nothing.
Mr. Stephens—Am I to understand that this prose et!'
inn is sanctioned by the Bench ?
Magistrate—lt is.
The examination was then proceeded with.
James Dean—l am a joiner, residing at Leigh. I was
at Leigh on the 13th November last. I got thew be:
tweon twelve and one o'clock. I was near enough to bear
what was said by Mr. Stephens at the meeting. I beard
him say something respecting the Poor-law. I b card 11110
_
say the Poor-law was no law at all, and ought not to 11
obeyed; because it contradicted the law of God ; andhe that
killoti a Poor-law Guardian in the execution c,f his du'
did God religious service. Referring, as 1 styppose--(iff
terrupted by Mr. Brandt). He mentioned the names
Mr. Jones, Mr. Topping, and Mr. Pownall. I don't know
whether they are Guardians or not. At t 1 1e close of hls
address he exhorted the people to purcha' ie arms, and to
hang them over their mantle-piece, and not to use them un-
til, they saw him with his. implements in his belt. That wag
towards the close of 114 address. I was tAt the ineetiog in