The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-07 00:00:00

THE CHARTIST TRIALS.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY

OLD COURT.
TRIAL OF SHARPE.

The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas took his seat oa
the bench at a quarter to eleven o'clock, before which time
Mr. Commissioner Bullock sat.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL intimated that the Crown did
not intend to proceed wilh the other indictments against
Vernon.
Mr. PATIRT complimented the Attorney-General upon the
adoption of this course by him, and consented to have the
depositions, with respect to the other charges, handed up to
his Lordship.
the bar, and indicted for a misdemeanour on. t
June. There was another indictment against him fora Alexander Sharpe, aged 27, printer, was thenhpela4ctehd at
Alexander
mis-
demeanour on the 26th of May.
of the Arraigns, as to whether he was
guilty a slight titter
The prisoner, in reply to the usual demand
replied with marked emphasis, which caused tth eg Clerkulty,
in the court—" I am not Guilty."
with sedition.
This prisoner is charged in the calendar
against the pri-
soner. The ATTORNEY-GENXRAL stated the case
would be unnecessary for him
had tried the other cases, it
em. The defendant, amongst
to offer many observations to tn
barged with riot.. He did not think he
other things, was c
the prisoner took an active part
should be able to prove that
He said, as he saw several gentlemen in the box who
andorofno
that opinion,
he submitted that it was a principle in
law
if persons
together, and by their conduct
called a large misting
ex-
cited those at it to acts of violence, that they
were amenable to the law, even though they pro-
cessedrespectLordship'
to be anxious to preserve the peace, yet at
the same time did all they could to foment disturbances.
The meeting in question was held in Bishop Bonner's-fields,
at three o'clock, on the 4th of June. A Chartist meeting
was held at the same place at five o'clock. A person
named Curtain presided, and a person named Henry Jones
addressed the assembly. It was attended by a number of
Irish Confederates, and a resolution was passed, stating, that
the conduct of the Government with respect to John
Mitchel was tyrannous, base, and even bloody. The pri-
soner seconded the motion, and addressed the meeting in a
violent strain abusive of the Government, and expressive
of his opinion that the "destruction of the Government was
necessary for the welfare of society." Two professional short-
hand writers attended, the Government having received in-
timation of the meeting. (The Attorney-,General then read
the speech at length.) The prisoner said, Mitchel had been
punished for nothing, except teaching the people their
duty. Why, Mitchel, he should prove, was punished for
inciting the people isf Ireland to direct rebellion. After the
violent speech which the prisoner made a riot took place, a
policeman was struck with an iron bar, the church was at-
tacked, a conflict ensued, and surely it was not too much to
say that the prisoner had contributed in a great degree to
promote it. He asked his Lordship to give an exposition of
the law with respect to riot, because he apprehended that
the prisoner had been guilty of that offence, and that if con-
victed the punishment of hard labour should be superadded
' to it. _ _

Mr. H. J. Doogood, short-hand writer, examined by
Mr. WILSBY, said he attended the meeting; 6,000 or
7,000 persons were present ; he took notes of the
speeches. The witness then read the speech of the
defendant from his short-hand notes, the Learned Judge
fbllowing him by the transcript. It was to this effect, that
it he once went to prison he would contaminate all he
came near with his principles, for wherever he promulgated
them he was sare to obtain disciples, and such demonstrations
of the people would even cause the Government to tremble at
their power. He had a right to advise the people to resort
to ulterior measures, as Lord John Russell did before the
passing of the Reform Bill ; that he was ready to become
the colonel of a yeomanry raised by the people. if he had
been at Redcross-street instead of Greenwich, when the
people were attacked by the police he should have advised
the people to surround them, an then they would have
begged for mercy ; also that he should have advised the people
to have surrounded the House of Commons, not to injure the
Members, but to teach the House that they required reform.
If the police assailed them, they should defend themselves;
and if they could not get stones, they could obtain plenty of
iron railings in London. A policeman must strike several
times with his truncheon before he could disable a man, but
one blow with an iron railing would settle him. Be did not
advise them to do this at that time, as it was unnecessary;
although there were soldiers and police in the neighbour-
hood, the meeting were too peaceable to render their inter-