The Sun.
London, England, 1819-10-22 00:00:00

IiNUIsFORD QUA TER SESSIONS, Ocr. 20

CHARGES OF SEDITION WAND CONSPIRACY.

[From The Times]

Joseph Harrison, being called on, appeared at
,the corner of the -Counsels' table. He was re-
-spectably dressed, and spoke uniformly in clic
whine and manner of a Methodist Preacher.
Sir JOEIN STANLEY (the Chairman.)—Are you
rrepared to be tried now
Mr. liarrison—That does not rest with me, but
Avith the Cont' r.
The Clerk—Are you guilty, or not ? That is
the first thing to be stated.

Mr. Harrison-1 feel it difficult to answer that.
--(A laugh.)
The Clerk—Can you not answer whether you
are guilty, or not ?
Mr. Harrison (openin7 a large parcel of pam-
phlets, which he held rolled in his hand.)—lf to
be a Reformer be guilty, I am certainly a Ite-
lormcr.

Chairman*" Reformer" is not in the iudiet-
silent. lie had bttter have the indictment read

t( {Tim

The indictment was here 'Tad. It set forth,
that Sir Chas, ‘Volseley and Joseph Harrison, be-
ing persons of turbulent and seditious minds, did,
on the 28th of June last, at Stockport, trttr cer-
tain seditious and inflammatory expressions, tend-
ing to excite hatred and contempt of the consti-
tution, &c. A second count charged thtm with
eonspiring, confederating, &c. to excite hatred and
Contempt of the constitution and laws.
Mr. Harrison—Sir Charles Wolseley is now se-
parated from HIC-•
The Chairman—All that the Court has at pre-
sent to do, is ro ask whe:her von plead guilty or
vot guilty. We don't know the evidence before
the Grand Jury, upon which they found the bills.
Mr. Harrison--1 can enter into recognizaoces
as Sir Charles Wolseley has done, two in 20/. each.
The Chairman—You must plead first. If you
do oot, you roust be committed.
Mr. Harrison—l hope there is no objection to
bearing an argument or t wo—
The Chaiman—We will not hear any thing till
you plead.
Mr. Harrison—l protest against the jurisdic-
tion of the Court, as Sir Chalks Wolseley is se-
parated—
The Chairman—lf you will not plead, you
must be removed.
Mr. Harrison was again beginning to make
some.ohservation.
Mr. Trafford (a Magistrate.)—We have a great
deal of business. We cannot be wasting tiwe in
this manner.
The Chairman—Mr. Harrison, will you have
the goodness to tell us whether you plead guilty,
or not guilty ?
Mr. Harrison—Tice indictment is so serious,
and so strongly founded, that I must not be hur-
ried. I hope lam not in a court of inquisition.
The Chairman—No. You arc in an English '
Court of Justice, where equal justice is dune to
all,

Mr. Harrison—l ought then to be beard.
The Chairman—We are not trying you.
Mr. Trafford—The Court is not to be trifled
With. We are losing a great deal of time.
Mr. Harrison—l have bail.
Mr. Trafford—We refuse to receive bail till you
plead ; that is the decision of the Court.
Mr. Harrison—l refuse of course to plead then.
The Chairman—You stand committed. Call
the next business.
Mr. Harrison—Call Edward Sanderson and
Thomas Massey.
The Chairman—We will not receive your bail.
Take him away.
Mr. Harrison (while the officers were dragging
away)—l wish it to be recorded that I have
appeared here in Court—
The Chairman—Take him away.
Other business of no public interest was then
resumed. Sir Charles \Volseley and Mr. Pearson
had stood in Court close by Mr. Harrison; they
followed him out of Court. Mr. Pearson soon
afterwards returned, and obtaintd a copy of the
warrant for this last commitment of Mr. Harri-
son. At a late period of the day Joseph Har-
rison was again called, and he presented himself
in the prisoners' box.
The Clerk was proceeding to read the indict•
cleat again.
Mr. Williams—lie knows it all; it is not ne-
cessary to read it to him.
The Chairman asked, if he wished it to be read.
Mr. Harrison—lt is not necessary. '
The Clerk—Are you guilty or not guilty of this
misdemeanour ?

Mr. 114rrison—As my family and friends, and
suy mamicaptors may suffer inconvenience, aud
any health suffer—
The Chairman—We will hear nothing but your
plea.
_ _ _

Mr. Harrison—This Court has no jurisdiction
to rucord my plea—
The Chairman—lf you don't plead, I shall or-
der you down.
Mr. Harrison—Mr. Chairman, Sir John. To
save my file I plead, Not Guilty. These are my
reasons why I did not plead helot c.
A paper was handed to the Chairman, which
was not read, but which we bfliC ascertained was

in these terms :-1 appear before the Court to

plead, irissintich as my myself, my family, my
mends, and my nilwicaptors, vrould be exposed

to inconvenience, and my health Would suffer in-

jury from a protracted confinement in a newly-
both prison, the walls of WLiCh are damp, and
the atmosphere consegnently iinwholesome and
dangerous. My objections to plead were and are

founded upon the opinion, that this Court has
no jurisdiction to recut(' my plea. I. 13ecaute

the 1%94 of certiorari is to remove the record

itself to a superior Court, and not to remove

it so far as regards one defendant only. (Vide

March. ll 1.) 2. Beeause inch writ being duly
flied, and operates as a supersedeus, as well be•

fore as atter its return. (Vide Yelverton, 32.

Dyer, 245. 1. Salk. 148) 3. Because I appear
and oder two maaucaptors, viz. Edward Sander-

of Stockport, cottivraitter, xt►tl Thomas Abut-

hey, of Stockportwoor, weaver, to plead to the
said iudictuieut iu the Court of k:iug's Bcucb,