The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-16 00:00:00

SEDITIOUS .PURI4Ie.kTIONs.
CBARGE OF DISTRIBUTING THEM. AMONGST TILE

SOLHICIIi AT WOOLWICH.

On Monday Mr. G: Mule 4 of Lambeth, formerly ' ,
a resnectable tradesman in the Strand, was. cl4rted before Sir
J. EBB and the Heti. J. IVIES4IT I:le,' at the Police-05.6, • •
.Woolwich, with distributing_ to the aoldiers ie, those brIACI9I A '
number of seditious Publications, ten)ing to 'excite the ict
mutiny and discontent. • The
,prisoner, does ' hot :ippc4r, tor ix-
more than 30, and his dress resembled that worn by the Quakers.
He was apprehended on Saturday,in tlt•ei ' Giaisrdlicenn: 'of•the' it
barracks. A number of privates and non-commissioned of :ceps
appeared to Support the charge against tbb prisonet, who, It yids
stated, had for the last seven months been bosily en *aged in
writing and distributing pamphlets amongsf•the 'Soldiers end
sailors at all the barracks anti docks within 'IQ Miles of Loa. ~
don. Mr. M Essrr E a told the accused that the charge against
him was of a serious nature, as he had been Actively engaged in
endeavouring to induce the soldiery to throw otitheir allegiance'
to their sovereign, and to rebel against their superiors. Mr.
Hale denied that he had any such intention.. .
About eighteen pamphlets were produced, and several bundles
of similar publications unopened, which has been taken from the
accused on his apprehension- •Tlie bundles were marked
" Chatham," " Maidstone," " Canterbury," " Sandgate."
" Dover," and" Deal." . ' I
Mr. McSSITEB told the accused, that he was fearful lie was
the tool or agent of a society of persons in London ; and asked
him if it was not his intention to have distributed the contents
of the several parcels to the soldiery at the different places
Written on each envelope? Mr. Hale replied that there was
nothing secret about his conduct, and he did not hesitate to ad-
mit that such was his intention.
Mr. 111EssiTEn.—You were down here, Mr. lisle, a few
weeks ago, and delivered pamphlets to he soldiers, were
you not ?
Mr. sale.—Yes, I was,
Mr. MEssrrE it.—These publications. though they pretend
to be religious works, are of the most mischievous, tendency.
Mr. Hale.-1 have not written or published a single sentence
but what is founded in the sacred truths of the Christian re-
ligion,
which are to be foetid in the word of God.
111 r. MEssrrEu.—Wliat is your object ?
Mr. Hale.—My object is to put an end to war and bloodshed.
and thealaughter of my fellow-men; and I advise the soldiers
to obey the word of God, rather than the orders of men.
Mr. Al ESSIT E n.--Do you belong to a society of persons in
London called the Peace Society ?
Mr. Hale.--I du not.
31r. AlEssrrEa.—lf the soldiers were to fellow your advice,
they would be guilty of mutiny.
Mr. Hales.—lf they would follow my advise, they would lay
down their arms.
Sir J. WEBB.—Your object, Mr. Hale, seems to be similar
to that of a great number of deluded and wicked men, who,
about five years ago, attempted to excite rebellion throughout
the country. I should like to know who you are
Mr. Hale.—l reside at No. 3, Thomas-place, Lambeth ; and
I have till lately kept a shoe and boot.warehouse in the Strand,
and in New.street, Covent-garden.
Sir .1. WEBB —How long have you been circulating these
publications ?
Mr. Hale.—About six months.
Sir J. WEnte—Vou are a mischievous person, and will tind
that you had better have kept to your trade.
A druminer-boy at the Woolwich Illirracks was sworn, and
stated that the accused, on Saturday morning last, gave hint
five pamphlets to distribute to. his fellow.seldiete. Ile pro-,
duced them : they were entitled The Two Opinion:.
A corporal proved that the accused came to the gate of the
barracks on Saturday afternoon, and asked him if he might
go into the berrack-rooms and distritiute pamphlets ? He re.'
plied, that be had better ask the sergeant of the guard. The
accused then went into the guard-room, and asked the sergeant
if he might distribute some pamphlets amongst the privates ?
The sergeant replied that he bud better not ; and at that mo-
ment the privates put out their hands, and the accused gave
them some of the works, which the witnesses produced.
'The Magistrates now called on Mr. Hale to find bail.
nollolirr.enHceal,eesittthiderhieegstaitoourldmnootratd.rbabiel,(trrishte had committedlanreligion
was
said to be part of the law of the land ; and what he lied writ-
ten was entirely from Scripture, and therefore part of the law
of Oft land.
Sir J. WEBB told him it was not for him, an ignorant per.
son, to expound the laws. Ile had violated a statute by omit-
ting the printer's name on the pamphlets, by which he had
subjected himself to penalties amounting to several hundred
pounds.
Mr. Hale referred the Magistrate to the imprint—" Printed
for anti published by (i. Hale, 3, Thomas's-place, Lambeth,"
and said he was nut aware that more was necessary.
Sir J. WEBS.---'That shows your ignorance. Who is the
printer?
Mr. lisle gave the name of a printer in Shoe-lane; and
said he knew they were afraid of meeting him upon the merits
of the work, and if Government prosecuted him for the unin-
tentional omission pointed out, it was an act must cruel and
cowardly.
Sir J. EBB told him Government was inclined to act to.
wards hint with lenity, and the only object was to stop hint in
tos illegal and dangerous a cou: He wished him (Mr. Hale)
a aay, whether he would desist from publishing these pain.
phlets if he were set at liberty.
Mr. Hale.---" If I were set at liberty now, I would distri.'
bute them again, and ant ready to answer for what I have done
before any tribunal. Answer me by arguments, and not by.
threats."
The Magistrate agreed to transmit to the Secretary for the
Home Department the documents taken from the prisoner, to
have the opinion of Governmenthow to proceed; and the ac-
cused was remanded. The Magistrates informed him that
they should not send him to a prison, but he should remain in
custody of a constable at a tavern, as it was fat from their wish
to place a man of respectable appearance amongst the wretched
creatures in the cage.
Mr. Hale thanked the Magistrates for their gentlemanly
conduct.
Yesterday Mr. Hale was again brought up on the application
of a friend of the accused, to obtain the precise charge against.
him. The Magistrates first refused to say what he would be,
ultimately charged with, whether for sedition or for the Ornis-
aion of the printer's name ; that it would depend on instrue•
tions from London.
Sir J. WEBB said the Magistrates were responsible if they
acted illegally., and asked if he was a professional man !
lie replied that he was not ; but he should bring one on be-
half of the prisoner on the re-exam nation.
The Magistrates hail no objection.
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WEAIIIIIII IN VIE NORTII.—It appears that
n goodeal of min havirig fallen on several
the weather best *goodas unfatoarable for the harvest in
'vented reaping. In such a suite of things it
natural the farmers to be under considerable anxiety
that by. a letter received this morning from Newenoe.„,,,.
prove so !
fiNviloa;Yrltslhlieu'vllsfinahlulilthT;f their crops. We arc happy to state, however,
Tyne, we hive advices that a change had taken place, and that
the weather for the three days imnictliately prior to the 13th inst.
had been quite fair and favourable, accompanied with a gradual
rising of .t he barometer till it had attained about 30 degrees, an
altitude which it was hoped would be a guarantee for a conti.
DEEPENING OF THE RIVER CIA p E.—Stith
nuance of the rumor , r temperature. May it
is the
pow, of the new machine applied to that purpose; -that in
out above 7,000 tons of earth,:
the course of a few days it dug
and cleared away the bank extending opposite Finnieston, to
the length at. 140 yards, and 40 feet wide, thereby deepening
the river nearly two feet in all that space. The eoritterptenen
is a safe navigation where vessels were formerly apt to take the
ground. A perceptible difference is also, in consequence, ob-
served in the flow of the title, it flowing and ebbing earlier and
i mote rapidly. '