The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-17 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF Ma. HALE.

Wednesday Mr. George Hale was taken by
Keeble, the constable t to the police-office at Woolwich, before
Sir Joni; WEBB, physician to'the garrison, the Rev. Jonw
MESSITER, chaplain to the garrison, and Mr. Maitsir, door.,
keeper of the Royal Arsenal of 'Woolwich, Magistrates acting
in that Division, for final examination, charged with submitting
libellous pamphlets, entitled " The Two Opinions," to the sol-
diers in the Woolwich Barracks, intending to incite them to acts
of insubordination, &C.
Mr. Hale was attended by a gentleman who conducted kit
defence, to whom the Magistrates expressed their thanks for his
endeavours, though uusuccessful, to persuade Mr. Hale to de.:
Sig from a further distribution of the obnoxious pamphlets.
Mr. May, the chief clerk to the Magistrates, read over the
evidence of the soldiers, and of Henry Ridout, the high con:
stable; and then said to the accused, " These pamphlets yote
distributed to the soldiers in the garrison, Mr. Hale, did
you not ?"
! Mr. Hale's friend here prevented Mr. Hale from making the
admission so anxiously endeavoured to be elicited by the wor.
thy Justice's clerk ; and Mr. Hale, whose shrewdness and ra.
tionality upon every subject, save that upon " war," cannot be
disputed, replied, " Gentlemen, that is an unfair question; I
have no wish to conceal any part of my conduct, but I think
you ought to prove by evidence the offence you charge me with,
and not endeavour to entrap me into admissions of my atilt."
Mr. May, the clerk, proceeded, by order of the Magistrates,
to read over the alleged lihellotis publication, previous to which
Mr. Messiter asked the accused if he had got bail for his good
behaviour? He replied that he had no bail, and asked what
was the effence he was charged with ; for he was not at present
aware whether it was for not having a printer's name to the
work, or if the work itself was considered to be illegal.
Sir JOIIN ‘VEIIII said the charge was, that he had unlawfully
distributed publications amongst the soldiery, calculated to ex.
cite insubordination and discontent in their minds, and to in.
duce them to throw down their arms.
Mr. Hale.—ln the pamphlet I have published, there is not
one word but what is taken from God's words the Bible is the
foundation of the Christian religion, and I have done no more
wrong than if I had distributed the Bible among the soldiers.
Mr. illEssiTEß said, that some parts of the pamphlet were
calculated to do a great deal of mischief: it was evidently writ.
ten to deprive Government of that power which it possessed
over the soldiers, which was essential to the existence of social
order, and to induce obedience to the laws.
Mr. Hale said that there was not one word in tho publication
but what had been preached a hundred times in different places
of public worship; and the Tracts published by the London
Religious Tract Societies inculcated similar doctrines, which
Societies were under the patronage' of some of the most eminent
men in the country for learning and piety.
Sir J. Ws:Dn.—They do not conic down to this garrison and
distribute their tracts to the soldiers, and endeavour to persuade

them to throw down their arms ?
Mr. Hale.—They publish works against war and bloodshed,
and are not persecuted. •
11MI
rr. MayEs
shiaTting
observed,read the
offensive passage
was the following:—" Each of you have souls, and neverdy-
ingptitinslarphtlheet frmonoistbeginnin. g to end,'
eorsni tilt
yo 111 tolf tpoeucrofiel
ansouls n
ttao
Christ, of an d youyou lairvee
undone
nd
low-creatures teach and command you to hate and fight against
your enemies, they, by so doing, are leading you on, in the
most wilful and wicked opposition to the holy religion which
they themselves profess to believe in and defend, and in a
eietoinalolpelt)
manner that must end in your inevitable and eternal ruin I—
'lf any man-hash an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into
captivity, shall go into captivity lie that killeth with the sword,
most be killed with the sword. It is your duty, your interest,
and your privilege to obey God rather than man ; and while
you
hlow arcereatitguireitiai:ay,ou are orevaecdnnlgeareoninntrgaryto
re-
ligion, and disobeying the commands of the only Saviour of
sinners ! Whatever engagements or obligations you may be
ttiogi thelt aCgahirni:tti Christian"
under to your fellow-creatures, remember that will not excuse
you at the last and terrible day of reckoning! It is your plain
duty to obey God in preference to man ! and where God coiri-
puinds you to love and pray for your enemies, and your fel-.
low-creatures teach you. to hate and fight against them, it is
your duty to obey God and not man I For all they that take
the sword, shall perish with.the sword "
Mr. Hale said there was nothing in the above illegal,th'
or. at
could be charged as libellous.

Sir J. WEiin Or-de-r-eti-Mi. May to read an admission of the
accused on Monday last, in which he said that his object in
distributing the pamphlets was to induce the soldiers to throw
down their arms. _ _ _ •

• .
11r. Hale observed that he would not deny having made that
admission, but he wished to explain his meaning. His object
was to prevent war in this and every *countr y• where the Chris-
tian relation was sanctioned by the existing Government.
Mr. MicsarrEn said his notions werelis absurd as the South-
cotonlans,•who, the other day, were revelling over a stuck pii :
he did not question the motives or intentions of the accused, but
his acts were dangerous to the Government, and must be re-
lpressed; and lie believed that he (Hale) was more fit for Bea-
am than Alaitistone- gaol. •
Mr. Hale's friend said that ho was satisfied as to the purity
of Mr. Hale's intentions, though he differed with him as to the
propriety of his conduct : he, -however, must confess that he
could not see any thing libellous in the pamphlet which Air.
Hale had published.
The Magistrates here generally remarked, that they had
nothing to do with the motives of 3lr. Hale; they believed the
work to be of a mischievous tendency, and that was sufficient to
induce them to call upon him to give good security for his good
behaviour in future. Their only object. was to put a stop to the
evil; they did not wish to act with severity towards a man who
was to be pitied.
Repeated attempts were made to prevail' ore the accused to
desist from the course he was pursuing, but to no purpose.
Mr. Halo saidi that the commands of God were to he observ-
ed in preference to all human engageMents, and boasted that
his opinions and wishes were opposite to those of Curiae, for he
(the accused) wished to propagate those opinions which were
founded on the Bible and on die Christian religion, which had
been decided in courts of law to be part and parcel of the law
of the land.
Sir J. WEBn hero expressed his strong disinclination to send
the accused to a prison, and urged Mr. Hale to put in bail.
Mr. Hale said he was ready to go to a prison, or he would put
in bail to answer the charge before a jury, but not to be of good
behaviour; or, in other words, he would not engage not to dis-
tribute the publications in the mean time. He knew the only
object the Magistrates had in view was to preuont his publish-
ing the work, and that they had no intention to bring him to
trial.
Mr. Mrssyrrit said, that if he (Mr: Hato) studied his own
interest, lie would put in bail, and avoid further expence and
trouble; and he would be permitted to remain for several days
at a tavern in the custody of an officer, till his bail was pro-
duced, if ho thought proper to take that course.
Mr. Hale said here, that he was convinced no jury would find
him guilty of the offence of which ho stood accused, • and he
would" find no bail. • .

His commitment was then made out. The Magistrates told
him that a few days' imprisonment might alter his tone, anti he
could then put in bail either in 3laidstone, or before a Judge
in London.

Film—Between nine and ten o'clock last
night a fire broke out in the house of Mr. HAND-
LtY, linen-draper,
In Hay's-court, Newport
Market, which at one time, from the closeness of
the court and the adjacent buildings, alarmed the
whole neighbourhood. Fortunately, however,
the supply of water was plentiful ; and the fire-
men and engines being as usual prompt in their
attendance, the fire was got under in time to save
the house of Mr. lIANDLEy from being destroyed,
although considerable damage was done to the
front of the house, and some part of the stock in
trade was consumed.

. .
Last week a partridge was shot near Wigton,
in the gizzard of which was found a sewing
needle one inch and a quarteflong. The needle
is a little rusty.