The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-31 00:00:00

MR. FROST.

TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT
MAJESTY.
The humble petition of William Foster Geach, of
Monmouth, attorney-at-law,
Showeth—That your petitioner was engaged as the
attorney of Mr. John Frost, upon the occasion of his late
trial at Monmouth upait a charge of high treason, and of
which he has been found guilty.
That the list of the Jury summoned to attend at Mon-
mouth upon the said trial contained three hundred and
twenty names.
'rat your petitioner had received especial instructions
from Mr. Frost to challenge John Christopher of Red-
wick, farmer.
That the Jury list contained the name of John Christo-
pher of Redwick, farmer, and your petitioner accordingly
marked his name for challenge, in case of his being caked.
That no person of the name of John Christopher was
called.
That a person was called by the name of Christopher
John.
That your petitioner had no instructions to challenge
Christopher John, neither was your petitioner enabled to
obtain any information respecting any person of that name.
That the prisoner's right of challenge extends to thirty-
five only.
That your petitioner, before ten of the Jury who tried
Mr. Frost had been impannelled, had exhausted the pri-
soner's right of challenge.
That your petitioner did not feel warranted in exercis-
ing the prisoner's right of challenge in respect of a person
of whose character and opinions be bad obtained no in- •
formation.
That after the trial your petitioner discovered that the
person who had answered to the name of Christopher
John, who was sworn and took his place in the jury-box
as Christopher John, was in fact John Christopher, the
person whom your petitioner bad been specially instructed
to challenge.
That your petitioner contemplated urging these facts in
arrest of judgment upon Mr. Frost, and for that purpose
your petitioner obtained an affidavit to be made by the
said John Christopher.-10f this memorial his petition
given below is nearly a copy, and we do not therefore require
to repeat it. he only difference is that the petitioner
swore to the affidavit.]
That your petitioner would have felt it to have been his
imperative duty to have challenged the said John Christo-
pher, not only from the opinions which your petitioner bad
ascertained to have been expressed by the said John Chris-
topher, but as well from his being an illiterate man.
That by the Statute Law of the land it is the bounden
duty of the law officers of the Crown in cases of prosecu-
tion for high treason to give to the parties accused a List
of the Jury, with their proper names and occupations, and
places of abode.
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of that injury,
Your petitioner further humbly prays to be allowed to
call your Majesty's gracious attention to the events which
have succeeded the trial and conviction of the said John
Frost, and of two other unfortunate subjects of your
Majesty.
Your petitioner begs to state, that at the time of the
trial of the said John Frost, Zephaniah Williams, and
William Jones, a point of law was reserved for the opinion
of your Majesty's Judges.
That upon the reservation of such point, it was clearly
and distinctly expressed that the prisoners then in course
of trial, should have the same benefit and advantage of
that point as they would have had in case the same had
been decided by the Judges at Monmouth.
That the point has now been decided by your Majesty's

consideration of the before-mentioned facts ; and your
petioner humbly and fervently implores your Majesty, by
die interposition of your Ronal clemency, in the exercise-
of justice and mercy, to grant to the said John Frost,
Zephaniah Williams, and William Jones, a free pardon,
there ;y converting the rebellious spirit that Las lately
broken forth in your Majesty's realms, into a siirit of devo-
tion and attachment for your Majesty's Royal personae, and
institutions, and thereby also carrying home conviction to
the breast of every disloyal and lawless agitator; that in
conspiring against your Majesty's sacred person, or against
the laws and institutions of your Majesty's realms, they are
seeking to undermine and destroy that which, in the hour
of extremity, is their best safeguard sand protection.
And your petitioner will ever pray, &c.

W. F. GEACti.

TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MA-
The humb?c petition of JohnS Christopher, of Redwiek, in
the county of Monmouth, farmer,
Showeth —That your Petitioner wi..s summoned to servo
as a .Jur man on the Petit Jury, empanelled at Monmouth,
on the trial of Mr. John Frost and others for high treason
and other offencef.
That your Petitioner can neither write nor read.
That your Petitioner was summoned in the namo of
Christopher John.
That yeur Petitioner's real name is John Christopher,
that your Petitioner never passed or was known by any
other name than John Christopher, in which name your
Petitioner was christened and married, and by which he
has been always known.
That your Petitioner was called upon to sit as Juryman
on the trialof Mr. Frost, that he was called in the name
of Christopher John, that he answered from time to time
throughout the trial of Mr. Frost to the name of Chris-
topher John, and that he, with his fellow Juryman, returned
a verdict of guilty against Mr. Frost.
That your Petitioner is 41 years of age, and has resided
ncarly all his lifetime in the parish of liedwiek, his pre-
sent place of abode, and that the parish extes,ds from
ncrth to south, as your Petitioner believes, about three
miles, and from cast to west about three miles. i

That your Petitioner is certain that persons inquiring
for Christopher John in his your Petitioner's parish would
not, except by mere chance, be directed to your Petitioner.
That your Petitioner feels in conscience bound to con-
fess that your Petitioner has felt and expressed a strong
prejudice against the persons called Chartists, of whom
the said Mr. Frost was one ; and that your Petitioner is
certain that had any inquiries on that subject been mad* in
the parish in which your Petitioner lives, and had such in-
quiries been set on foot as to your Petitioner in his proper
and only name, that is to say, of John Christopher, the
persons inquiring must have ascertained the opinions ex-
pressed by your Petitioner with regard to Chartists.
That your Petitioner feels that he has unintentionally
and innocently wronged Mr. Frost, in having answered to
the name of Christopher John, and having entered the
Jury-box, and taken a part in the trial of Mr. Frost by a
false name.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly and fervently
prays tbat your Majesty will be graciously
pleased not to allow the verdict against Mr.
Frost to be carried into execution, so far as
regards the part that your Petitioner has taken
in the matter.

The mark of
JOHN CHRISTOPHER.
The Petition having been first read over and fully ex-
plained to the Petitioner, he set his mark thereto in
my presence.
THOMAS CROSBY, Solicitor, Bristol.

RESPITE OF FROST, WILLIAMS, AND JONES.-The Attor-
ney and Solicitor-General, and some of the Judges, had,
an interview with Lord Normanby at the Home-Office last
evening; after which a respite (we understand) was sent,
(by post) to Monmouth for Frost, Williams, and Jones. It
is expected that their fate will be finally settled at the Ca-.
binet Council sitting to-day. In the course of this morning-
an immense number of petitions, praying her Mrjesty to
spare the lives of the prisoners, were received at the Home-
Office from all parts of the country.— Correspondent of the
Standard.