The Sun.
London, England, 1802-04-26 00:00:00

CORN EXCHANGE)

April 26.

THIS day we had a good supply of Grain in gene-
ral ; Wheats, from the many Samples, had a heavy
sale, and cheaper; Malt maintains a good price ;
Oats, from the many parcels of last week's unsold,
and having many buyers, had a brisk'sale, at small
advance ; Beans and Pease but little alteration;
Flour great quantities, dull sale and lower.

Wheat 485 a 515 a 68s od Beans - 2gs A 33s od
Fine do. - 6gs a 7c4 od Tick ditto . 26s a 3os 6d
Malt -38 s a 4{ss a 43s od Oats - - - 145 a zos oft
Firie ditto - 445 a 465 od Poland do. 215 a 225 Od
Barley - 295 a 325 6d Rape Seed 331 a 35hper last
Rye - - S6s a 3gs od Fine Flour 45s a sos per iack
Whitp.Pease 305 a 345 od Second do. 405. a 55s pei. do.

We learn with concern, that General LAN MRS'S
entry into Lisbon, has been produetive of some in-
convenience to the British Officer who commanded
there. The French Envoy declared that he would
not enter the City, while, the Emigrant' Corps; in
British Pay, wore the 'white'Gockade of France.—
The Commander in Chief, of his own authority,
ordered the Emigrants to strike that emblem of
Royalty, an order which, we believe, he was not
anthorised to give.
Preparations are making in every hart of the town
for the grand Illumination, which Will surpass every
thing of the kind before seen in this Country. The
French Government has giVen instruCtions that no
expence should be spared in 'rendering Mr. Orro's
house as splendid as possible. His illumination alorie
will cost 8001. The Band of the Coldstream Regi-
ment is engaged to play through the evening in, the
gardens of Portman-square.
M. OTTO's preparations for the General Illumina-
tion have subjeded him to some inconvenience, as
they have been ,subjeft to the criticisms of JoRN
Blymr., who has not failed to suggest. such improve-
ments as he has thought necessary. Not satisfied
with disapproving of the word Concord, which was
interpreted with becoming indignation by some.of
our honest Thrs conquered, these same Tars shrewdly
observed that the initials G. R. had no crown over
them. This M. Orro, with great good humour,
likewite assented .to, and a Crown is accordingly
laced over the G. R. While we cannot but admire
and applaud the national spirit
,of our,honest blunt
countrymen, we are willing to render all the respetl
dtle to M. Orro's wish to conciliate the good
wishes of the people of this country.
The contribution at Notre-Dame, on Palm Sun-
day, .amounted to seven hundred louis. it was
collefted by MADEMOISELLE, the Daughter of the
CoNsr.a.; MadeMoiselle DE LUCAY, Daughter of
one'of the Prefects of Paris; and Maclaine SAVARY,
Wife of the Aid,de-camp of the •Consul, Colonel of
the Selea Gendarmerie. Each of these Ladies was
condu6ted by an Officer of the. Guard, and followed
by one of the train of the Futsr CONSUL.

The Press, in Russia, now enjoys as much free_
dom as it can possibly dO under an obsolete forM of
government. The good effeas of this freedom in
civilizing the people, and refilling, their manners
and sentiments, will, nb doubt, be speedily per-
ceptible, as it has already been in the rest of Europe:
The Lord Mayor on Friday intimated to the
Court of Lieutenancy for the City, that in con-,
sequence of a conference he had had with the Se-
cretary of State, the order for disembodying the
two Regiments of London, Militia had been counter-
manded ; and ,that he could not tell at what time
the reduaion of those regiments would take place-
The Honourable East India Company's ship the
Herculean, Captain THOMAS BUTLER, is now under
dispatch for 'the Presidencies of Bombay and
Bengal. She is the only extra-ship for Bombay this
season.

We understand that seven new ships; of the bur_
then of t,zoo tons each, for the service of the East-
India Company this season, and two new ships of
Soo tons each, will be launched in the course of the
present year ; and will be taken up with the ships
which are expected to be engaged for the Company's
service in oElober next.

The average Price of Sugar, computed from the
returns made for the week ending the 21st day
.;:f
April 18oz, is Thirty Nine Shillings and Five
Pence Three Farthings per hundred weight.
Forestalling of provisions has become as preva-
lent in America as in Britain : meetings were held
at Philadelphia and other places last month, for the
purpose of petitioning the Legislature to adopt such
measures as will repress the practice.
In a Report lately made to the Legislature of
New-York on the. subject of the State Prison, the
increasing depravity of the people is ascribed to
horse-racing, bull-baiting, and the vast number of
petty publie-hotises (upwards of 20o), in the city.
On the night of the 9th of Ft:binary last, in .lat.
24. 30. long. 80. 54. while the Diana, of Baltimore,
was hailing the Nancy, of Natchez, the Captain of
the latter cried out to the former that there was
some one overboard : the master of the Diana im-
mediately hove his sails aback and lowered his boat,
when a voice repeatedly exclaiming " I shall be
drowned," directed them to the spot where a man
was floating, sustaining a woman apparently dead; the
poor fellow made them tak-. her in first, and by pro_
. per means life was restored. The woman was pas-
senger in the Nancy, and in a heavy roll of the ves-
sel to leeward, fell overboard, when a sailor, who
was likewise a passenger, plunged after her, and
supported her under one of his arms until the boat
picked them up.

LAW REPORT.

COURT OF KING's BENCH, APRIL 24._
SITTINGS BEFORE gIR. JUSTICE ROSE AND A srEVIAL

JUKY,' IN GUILDHALL, LONDON.

TI4E KING ail. leLEOM

THIS was an Information filed by the late AirrO
NEY GENERAL, now Chief Justice, against the De-
fendant„ Allan M'Leod, for a Libel on the late Lord
Clare, published in aLetter addressed to his Lordship,
in the Albion' Newspaper, of which the Defendant
was Proprietor and Publisher,' on the 9th, and 14th
of April, 180 t .
Mr. AuBoT opened the Pleadings.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL, opened the case on
the part of the Prosecution. lie said, he had to
call the attention of the Jury; upon this occasion, to
a Publication, which was charged to have been
edited by the Defendant, Allan M'Lcod, which
had been thought necessary to be submitted to the,
consideration of a Jury, for the purpose of their pro-
nouncing their judgment upon it, and to say, whe-
ther or not it deserved to be charatterised, as this
Information described it, which was that of a most
gross, scandaloUs, and infamous Libel, on the cha-
raeter of an excellent and distinguished Personage,
now unhappily no more. In doing this, and in .
discharging his duty, by laying this case before the
Jury, he should have occasion, as it appeared to
him, to trouble them with but a very few observa-
tions.

Here. Mr. SCOTT, the Defendant's Counsel, re-
quested that the information should be read, which,
after observations on the part of the. Prosecution,
importing that, as the Defendant had alledged he was
too poor to pay for a copy, he. might have been in-
dulged with the brief of it being lent to his Counsel,
had he intimated a desire to that effeet ; and an ac..
knowledgment on the part of the Defendant, that,
he had every reason to believe it, but that the non-
-application for it was merely from misconception on
his part ; and after the 'Learned Judge had observed
that when, it was recollected who the late ATTOR,
NET-GENERAL was, and who the present ATTOR-
NET-GENERAL IS, no doubt could remain, but that
the Defendant would meet with all the humanity,
he could possibly expe& in his situation :—the Re.
'cord of the Information was read in Court at length,
and then

ThZ ATTORNEY GENERA!, proceeded to say, that.
from what he was about to state to the Jut y,he thought ,
it would, not be necessary fur hith to trouble them
much. at length upon this occasion; and. the course.
he at first intended to take, was, now considerably
abridged, whatever necessity there might other-
wise have been to detain the Jury with reading
different parts of the libel stated on the record,
which was now before them. He should now feel,
that it was discharging the duty which fell on him,
by making a few introdudory and explanatory ob-
servations on parts of this libel. The Jury had
already learned, that this was a libel publislied in_
a certain Newspaper called the Albion : a paper
charged to have been printed, edited, and published
by the Defendant, in a letter addressed to the late
Earl of Clare, Chancellor of Ireland ; " A person,"
said the ATTORNEY GENF.RAL, " whose charaler,
I am persuaded, will be long revered ; for as long
as great and splendid talents—as long
,as extensive
knowledge-,-as long as unremitting industry and
diligence, in the painful and laborious discharge of
great piofessional duty, in an exalted station—as
long as an ardent zeal for the real interest of his
country,. shall be considered as circumstances en-
titling a man to the admiration of the hest triends
of the country to which he belonged, the memory
of the Earl of Clare will be revered ; but do not
think, Gentleman, I have any intention so absurd
as that of detaining you to hear a vain panegyric
or eulogy on that great man : his charader, in my
estimation of it at least, stands far above the reach
of any panegyric ; and I shall not attempt to lower
him by any praise of mine, he is as far removed
from advantage by praise, as he is now personally
removed from the assault which the libel, of which
I ilOw complain, ,was calculated to expose him to.
I shall content myself with saying, that in the ar-
duous and trying times which Ireland has seer.,
times of difficulty which brought forth, as in every.
age and every country, times of difficulty have:
brought fonh, and' will bring forth, persons of
splendid talents and distinguished virtue, to aid and
assist in public affairs, by the wisdom of their coun-
sels, the magnanimity of their designs, and the
courage of their efforts, which, while a. country is
visited by calamity, rescue it from destruttion—
while men of the greatest worth 'are called forth
to exert their powers, even among the first, there
will be :prominent oharaders. So it was in Ire-
land, for in the illustrious rank of the most re-
nowned patriots, my Lord Clare was conspicuous.
He then stood in fad, and he now stands in recol-
-anong the foremost of .those whose efforts
saved their country from ruin. Notwithstanding
this, or rather I should say, in consequence of this,.
he was selected by the Defendant as the objet of
the defamation that you have heard read, and which
we call your attention to."

Having disposed of the introduaory parts of the
publication, he stated the parts of it to which, he
said, he wished more particularly to direa their
attention. After stating that Lord Clare had called
the Peasantry of Ireland a blood-thirsty race, the
libel proceeded to say,.' But the character of the
Irish People is different from that which you have
said to belong to them, and that you are, in exist.
ence, at this moment, is a proof of the injustice of
your charge. What Nation upon Earth cpuld, with
justice or decency, be accused of any ungovernable
propensity to'violence and blood, in which a man
has been for so marry years• suffered to live—whose.
heart never overflowed with beneficence—Whose
head devised no counsels which wero not cruel-and
unjust, and whose month was Ili ver opened except
to utter National Invettive,—And yet such a -man
is living, not certainly without apprehension, for a
conscience such as his, must always be filled with
terror of its creation, but without assault and dan.
gee---going every day into the public streets and
high roads without guards, and though he himself
has asserted the contrary, apparently without arms,
daring to bring a general charge of .vitatence and
ferocity ;pilot a People wits; such patience and so

inueb provoked. A .;econd attack was to be made
on yOu—beare-the third-2—BAingham had direr
warnings before he:fell by the daggef 'of Fe.ton.--
Perhaps public hatred is trot the (only circumbtange
in which your case may be sirn:lar to

This the Arroit NET GENERAL sdid, . he reaciißA
.„,
that to which he thought the a lien (ion of the Pfiy.
ought to be particularly called. 'lTey woald see
the description of the passage : It was slandet
of the greatest malignity, and a diabolical calm.
ny on this great Personage to whom it pil.thled,
and it was r.'xessary to do no more than merely to
advert to the expression--c' What nation upon
earth could, with justice or decency, b accused of
any ungovernable propensity to violence and blot(,
in which a man has teen for many years suit: red to
live whose heart never overflowed with beneficence,
whose head deviSed no counsel which was nor cruel
and unjust ; whose mouth never opened except to
utter national inveftlye ?"--Was it possible fur any
thing to be plainer than the malice of this caiumn) ,
and infamous spirit of this sentence ? Indi'ed it ap-
peared to him quite 'unnecessary to labour, by ar_
gurnent, tb shew the tendency of this publication; it
was of itself manifestly defamatory et, and intended
to be disgraceful to, the person to whom it was.ad-
dressed—notaonly was Lord Clare, a high charae. .
ter in the nation at that time, libelled personally fir •
'his qualities, but the effect of his counsels was also
calumniated—he was here stated as having no heart
for benevolence, and no head for,counsel—it was
most manifestly the tendency of this libel, to point
oui to the whole' nation, my Lord parr, tt:, v. 4e .4.
jed. olassassination—he was persuaded that he was
not staring it too strongly ; it was, he believed,
impossible to read the words, and annex to them i
any other objed in the view of the person who
wrote them,LLLord Clare was pointed out-as the •
cruel oppressor of . the whole Nati". ;—lt stated,
that he had orice already been attacked by the Po.
pulace and Pelted with stones ; that a second attack
was to have been made upon him : and then the
Libel proceeded to advert to the Case of the Duke
of Buckingham, who had three warnings--saying to
Lord Clare, " beware of the third !"—That Bock.'
,ingham had three warnings before he fell by the
dagger of Felton—" Perlfaps public hatred is not
the. only circumstance in which your Case may be
similar to his !"—lt was impossible to read this
without being convinced that the objeft of the Au.
thor was to hold up Lord Clare to the hatred of the
People of Ireland, and. to -induce them to destroy,
him in some such mariner as the Duke of Bucking_

ham was destroyed.
It was -not necessary to trouble the Jury with
more observation's, 'to produce in their minds a hill
convi4tion that this was, as•ic was stated in the In.
formation; a scandalous and defamatory Libel. He
would nut anticipate any thing which was likely to
be said fir , the Defendant in this Case, by way of
defence to this charge ; nor would he go through,
in detail, the whole of what was stated in the Infor-
mation ; 'nor would he recapitulate the points which
had been pointed out to the Jury as the suhjcts
most material for 'their attention ; these .things
were done already ; and, when he had gone through
the necessary. Proofs in- this Case, he could not pos-
sibly doubt what the Verditi would Gentle-
man ofgreat talents had the care of the Defendant's
Cise,-and the Jury would hear from him, much of
ingenuity, a good speech would be ably delivered
to the Jury ; but it would be matter of great sur-
prise to him, if the Learned Gentleman- himself
could prevail upon himseff to say, that even in his
judgment, this publication was nor a Libel.—He
should wait with patience to hear what might be
:said, and he should. have.an opportunity of making
a reply., -

The necessary previoUs steps in proof were then
gone throngh--Such as, that Lord Clare was a
Privy Councillor in December 1793 : that he was
afterwards created Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and
Baron Fitzgibbon': afterwards Viscount Fitzgib-
bon : that in 1795, Lord Camden was Lord Lieu-
tenant of Ireland : that in June /795, the Lord
Chancellor of Ireland was created Earl of Clare, in
Ireland : that on the 24. th of September 5799, he
was' created :in English Baron, under the title of
Baron 'Fitzgibbon, of S;dbury,, in the County of
Devon : that on the.zBth of January 1801, he was
sworn of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom,
and took his place at.the,Board accordingly, as one
tit. the Lords of Council.,--These proofs were matter
of necessary form to support the allegations in the-
Information, charging the Libel to be against his
Lordship in the charader of Privy Couneillcir,&e.
J. Cl:midge proved, the Papers called the Al-
bion, of, Thursday the 9th and Tuesday the i4th
of April I,Bor, were signed by the Defendant as
Printer and Propietor of them, in Newgate, in the
presence of the Witness, who took them to him
for 'that purpose, as a necessary form previous to
their going to the Stamp-Office ; and here the Case
for the ProSecution ended.

Scorr then entered very much at large upon
the subject matter of the Defence ; in the course of
which he entered historically into the manner in
which he had made applications in behalf of the Do-
fendant, to the Court of King's Bench, for tile pur-
pose of having this subject tried ; of the treatment
he met with on that occasion by the late Attorney
General, the present Chief justice of England, who,
he complained, treated him severely, and excited
against him a very injurious prejudice, the c!reCt of
which he deprecated ; but expressed a confidence that
unless :that prejudice was allowed to operate, he
should be able to convince the jury they °ugh in
this case, to find a, verdia. for the Defendant. Here.
he entered upon a long vindication of himself, ml
particularly of the share he had taken in defendirg-
this cause. He alledged that he had been accused k
.defending this person gratis; which was not the luCt.
The truth was, he had received of the Defendant
a fee of five guineas in this case, which he now re..
turned ,to hit% in Court,
,and said he would plead his
cause gratis, a course which he defied any gentleman
at the bar to censure. Having stated tne eircurn,
stances which Ile thought necessary in order to set
himself right before the j74tv, he proccedA to open
the nature of the defeC,',...- he had to offer for
his Client. This was a charge of a libel: in
that - word there was nothing technical, as in
Felony, Robbery, or other words which convey
ed a definite meaning ; but each case was to
stand upon its own cucunistanc4i, and tha jury

ie.:o take.the whole case ;nto their cOnsi,?..er.ltiiiti,
,ecide upon the whole of it ; all doubts- upon
• thit teatier, having been removed by the late ACI
PAriatnent, pas,ed for that purpose. He ;n rin-
" 'ix:Red, that the doctrine of Truth being a Libel,
origin :teal in the :itar-Chamber, where there was
411
• Jeterinining upon the Fact, and leaving to the
~.Cblirt 'are question of Libel or no Libel, had
arigin also in die star-Chainber--7-now, thank God,
• abolished. That nu suds doctrine was to be found
in. any of our ancient Statutes, 'from- the first of
Westminster, to the present day, nor in any Law
Book, of any authority whatever, except such as
borrowed their dostrine from the Stars-Chamber,
Arum the earliest dates of the Text Writers, down
to the most modern Commentators upon our Laws.
In all these good authorities it was constantly held
' that nothing could be libellous, unless it be false.
That whatever was written, wish the true spirit of
History, could not be deemed a Libel. 'He. referred
to many authorities in the books. He maintained
that the jury bad nothing to do but to pronounce
on the Detendant a verdict of guilty or not guilty.
That, before they couid find the Defendant guilty,
they mnst, in their own minds, be satisfied that
the Defendant was a person of wicked mind, &c.
disposed to injure Lord Clare,, &c.—Unless he wits
a man of this mind, he could nut be guilty, , for all
. guilt arose our of tie mind of man—and to find him
guilty, merely because he was the Author;would he
fro i;,,rl a r4tige veidi4indeed : it would lie to' fill:.1 a
man guilty or innocence. The Jury must, ,therefore,
dive into-the mind of the, Defendant before they could
find goiit ; had brought about him no ekternal
maiks of 'it , for 'this' purpose- they Must take the
raper and look at the winne of it, and then they
were to say %Ai-ether tic afendant had that sort
of guilt about him which was imputed to hiin 'upon
the sate of this information i aod if they did: ry.;t,
they were bound to find him 'oat gUilty. _ He had
a complete answer to this charge, and be would tcli
the Jury chat that answer was ; " That the whole
of the two P.:pees which the. jury hat/ heard read,
and which were cinTrged in the Information to be
Libels, were written in the true spirit of History."
Thar these remarks on the, condud or Lord Clare
and the affairs of .Ireland, were an History of the
Transadions ofthnt Country. He then expatiated
on the use of History, which, he said, consisted..in-
re&Ctions on events, as well. as a recital of them;
and commented On the paragraphs complained of;
for the purpose Of shewnig that they were the re-
reetions of-the Historian, and not the, calumny of
the Slandeter. He had described some events in
Ireland strongly, but that arose from the nature of
subjed; for many persons there had been tortured.
Here he recited the discourse of Fortesque, Chan-
cellor of King Henry VI. on the subjea Torture,
by way of sheaving the, inefficacy of it as a means to
,obtain confession, it leading men to accuse inno-
cence, &c. and maintained, that this idea produced
warm expressions in any one who had to discourse
of it. He then took a view of the effed of the
Press, and the blessings'whieh, its liberty brought
with it to the Community, anti maintained that the
Jury could not convict the LYelendant in this Case,
if the words in this publication were not- such as
could possibly. have no, meaning but such as flowed
holy) a guilty mind. That if the words were capa-
ble of another meaning, the Jury were bound to
annex that meaning to them. The substance of his
defence was this : " That 'this Publication was a
Work written wish the true spirit of History ;nt
faithful representation of what past in Ireland ab ut
the time when it was published ;" to prove which,
several Nnoble Persons were now in Court. With
these observations, nathich might have had a better
effect in abler hands, he should, leave the Cause to
the Jury, conjuring them not to, proceed hastily to
their Veldid, 6ut to give it the attention which
the importance of it required. He was of opinion
that if the Jury found, the,Pefendant guilty, they..
would, in some measure, saniftion Torture. This,
he said, was a Cause which. involved the dearest
Rights that Englishmen coUld,,possess. , He left the
Case with them, and tie lipped they. would.give it
the deliberation, it deserved, and deliver
.such a
Verdidas should be sailklasttory -to their own Con_
sciences, to. their Countrymen, and to. their'God.
Mr. Snort. then proposed to examine Lord Cain
den. His Lordship being sworn, Mr. Sco-t-.1- pro.
ceeded to examine him.

Q. believe your Lordship was Viceroy in
Ireland in the year 179,•? A. 1 left Ireland on
the ztst or zzd of June, 1798.
Q. Will your Lordship have the goodness to tell
my Lord and the Jury, whether or not any Torture

for the purpose of• extorting confession was noto.
riousiy infikted in that Country.?

The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, he was sorry
that his duty compejied him to interrupt this exa-

mination. .Nly Lord Camden need not be told,
that he was to relate nothing but what was the
Subjettt of Ids own knowledge, - He submitted, that
in this stage of proCeeding,, or indeed in any stage
of such a proceeding as this, it: could not be com-
petent to the Court to hear evidence.of this nature,
for that was going into a justification of the libel.
Supposing such a thing as Torture having been used
by somebody in Ireland, upon some Ocea,,ion, . that
could not- be given in evidence in 'justification of a
libel upon my Lord Clare.
•
_ _

Mr.•justiee GROSE said, he. did not apprehend
. that the Defendant's Counsel would attempt that.
• The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, there was nut a
word abont Torture in the information ;• and so the
question was abandoned.

Mr. Sc orr then asked my Lord Camdep,- whether
his Lordship did nor know that therewasa. system
of Coercion adopted in Ireland ?
_ _

Mr. GARILO%V objeetect io this question, and
begged that the Noble Lord. would- not answer it,
until he had the leave of the LeArned Judge to do
so. He was aware the Noble Loid, and other Noble

.Persons now in Court-, were very desirous of en-
tering into a fll detail of the circuinstacces in

trelatid to which this qucktion pointed ; and were
this a fir and placimlte,should be glad, as the
Public would he glad; to hear the recital which
these Noble Persons would make, which .would, he
had no doubt, redound as much to their honour as

it .had produced -aZ4aotrige to their country ; but in
a Court of Justice rules must be abided by and
kept inviolate—to deviate from them would be dan_
gerous, in point of precedent... ...He must theretore
resist this question, because no answer to it could
Ise evidence.
Mr. Justice Gaosit said, the question, whether a
system. of Coercitio was adopted in Ireland, he did
did, not know how my Lord Camden, or any other
Person, could answer such a question. The Learned
hidge said, the question was so general, that noboAy
could answer it si-eciflealiy. -
The Aremestey..GE74tx t, said, if the Learned
Gentleman meant nothing more than this, to ask,
whether there were such means used in Ireland, -as
were supposed to ke best adapted to ihe suppression
of Rebeilion, he would have rerajection to his ask_
tog my Lord Cabden any question whatever—but
it he was to ask my Lord Camden to disclose the
Secrets of the Privy Council, by declaring what
advice my Lord .Clare gave, and the adoption of
which-led to any measures whatever, such a course
of examioation was not only illegal,. but likewise
so-very improper, in other respects, that the fist
and most prompt resistance to it, was absolutely de_
mantled from him, according to the sense he enter-
tained of his duty.
Mr. Justice GRoSE said, he did not believe, that
Mr. Scott would ask of my Lord Camden, a question
with a view of calling of him tredisclose the secrets
of the Privy Council.—Me. Scott would eecolleet,
the Noble' Lord's.oich as a Privy Couocillor.
Mr. Storr said, his only Objed in calling my
Lord Calnden was this, that the truth of,'w;hat he
had addressed to Itia Lordship a;td the.jury, " that
the ptiblication was a fair history tut transabions,
might aypear."—tie would ask. my_ Lord Camden-
to. state what he knew, indtverldent of his charac-
ter-of a Privy -Councillor, of a system-of Coercion
'tieing abed upon in Ircland'previous to Ale
Hein breaking Out in that Country.
'The Arro RN EY GENERAL said, he/submitted'
that a-question-to be propo.uoded to a Witness in a
Court of -justice, should assume a more distinct
share than this, before it could be put at
This was a, question which could .not be answered
without detailing the whole-affairs of -the Govern_
meat of ;tat' Country while my Lord Camden was
in Leland:
-Mr. Justice GRO3E said, that the question must
be much more definite .before it would be-legal.
Mr. ScOlt-submitted, that what. my Lord Cam-
den knew as.-an individual,. he might disclose, but
he would not ask him to say any thing he knew as
a-Privy Councillor.
Mr. GARR ()NY objected to the whole of.this ex-
amioatiOn. He. was aware that a desire existed,
not in the Learned Gentleman who was of Counsel
for the Defendant; but there was a desire entertain-
ed that an impression should be made on the Public
by this examination, that if the Noble Lord was to
relate all he knew -of Torture, and so forth, in Ire_
land, the Defendant would be acquitted. But the
Matter should not be so understood. The truth
was, that the Noble L :rds now present (Lord Cam-
den, Lard Castlereagh, and other Noblemen) were
very desirous'of explaining this matter, but they
could not be examined according to the Rules .of
Law upon the trial of this issue, to prove what was
done by others,
Mr. As noT saidl " That which is now propos.
ed to be asked of my Lord Camden, was either
done by the. authority of Government, or not. If
they were dpne .by the authority of Government,
the Noble Lord can only know them -as a Privy
Councillor, 'which,. by his owl, oath as Pivy Coun_
eillor, he cannot disclose. If they were done-with-
out the authority of Government, then time whole
matter, be it what it may, is ,irrelevant to this
issue, and therefore cannot be evidence.'.! -
Mr. -COTT said, hiS object- was to chew there-was
znfoundation for the ;assertion which was made by
his Client and to she_w that he wrote it in the-spirit
of-an Historian. tie therefore wished to know of
the Learned Judge, whether he .mig-ht not put this
question to niy. Lord Camden—Whether a system
of Coercion, by means of Torture to- extort conies_
sign, was pradited in Ireland, whether. my Lord
-Cairiden ?id not believe that such a system - took
place ? and-then he should' propose, to, follow that
tip, by asking if my LordClareapproved.it _
-Lord CAMDEN said, he was perfeCtly really to
answer -that- or any other question_ on that. head, if
he Was-pertnitted to do -so'.

Mr. justice' GRosr saidt that the manner in
which Mr. Abbot -had put the objeCtion..to this
examination, struck him to be very Aorcible.. 'He
was of opinion that this question could not be put.,
Mr. GARROM contended that this question could
not-be put, nor cou:d•any question tending to chew
what system of coercion or otherwise had been
adopted in Ireland be asked-of•any witness whatever.
upon. the trial of this issue. •

Mr. Justice GftosE said it was not necessa,ry for
him to deck4e that ; it was enough for him to say
that-this coestion could not be put to this witness.
Mt. Scorr asked whether Lord-Camden knew
that a person of the name of Shears was put to the
torture in Ireland ?

It was. decided that this 'question could not he
put.,

Mr..SCOTT said, he had another witness to call.
Lord KJNGSTON was. then
.called upon his sub-
pceria : -his Lordship did not appear.
Mr. SCOTT said, he had other Noble Lords who
-attended as witnesses for. the Defendant; but the
same 'ohjettions occurred in examining them, as had
omer.ruled the examination of my -Lord Camden,
and therefore he' should not oall them.
. The. Defendant then made a speech to the Jury,
in which he solemnly protested against any intent '
whatever, to slander the Noble Earl, but that he,
published these observations, as his Learned COML.
sel had said, in the spirit of au Historian with some
little colouring, &.4-
The ATIOAN,EI' GENERAL
,made an able.replY
to- all the leading topics. brought forward for the
defence,. but of whith we could not, withoUt tale.
ing up too much. room .for.the Report of a Trial,
give an accouot ; we: 4114 therefore proceed to '
state what was addressed to'lhe Jury by
Mr. Justice Qgntletnen of the jury,