The Sun.
London, England, 1820-07-28 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLAGENCE.

HANTS SUN:NH:It ASSIZFS, 1820.

THE KiN,G_CI-11ECTOR. AND OTHERS.
Mr. E. Limos stated, that this was an indict-
rnent against _John Cornthwaite Hector, John
Caw ley, Edward Shoyer, William Sprott, and
William Ware, for forcibly entering and keeping
possession of a certain niessnage in Petersfield,
the property -of Mr. Bower, and in the occupa-
tion of john Jones.
GASELIM—" I am sorry to be under the
painful necessity of stating to your Lordship and
the Gentlemen of the J ary, circumstancesof ex-
tremely violent and outrageous conduct on the
part of, persons, whose situation, the one in the
profession of the law, the ether a constable,
would have led one to expect that they would
have obeyed the laws rather than have infringed
them. The two principal defendants in this in-
dictment are Mr. :Hector, an Attorney, living at
Petersfield, many years in the profession, who
acts as the Steward of Mr. Joliffe, at Petersfield,
s ho has considerable influence in returning Mem-
bers, to- Parliament for that Borough, and John
Cawley,4a Constable. There persons were both
bound to know the law, and ought to have warn-
ed the other defendants of the consequences which
would result from their illegal conduct, and to
have exerted themselves to prevent it. So far,
however, from giving that good advice, it will be
seen by the evidence which I shall call, that these
persons themselves were the _active promoters of
the outrage which- gives rise to the present pro-
4-eedings. I will now state the circumstances of
the case. Mr. Bower, the prosecutor, is known
to many of you ; he has long been the mathema-
tical teacher at Winchester College. This Gen-
tleman has a house at Petersfield, which he pur-
chased of a person of the name of Newland, in
'lBlB. The premises were in want of consider.
able repair, which Mr. Bower caused to be
effected, and in the autumn of last year, he
agreed to let the house to Jones for 81. Bs. a
year; and on the Bth of ' December last, Jones
took possession of the premises, though the
repairs were not then in such a state of forward-
ness as to allow him to reside in them. In Jan-
uary last, that national calamity which then hap-
pened, (the death of his late. Majesty,) made it
evident that a General Election would soon take
place. The right of Election in Petersfield, is
.vested in the owners of houses.. It had long been
known that there Would be a contest for Peters-
field, and that Mr. Joliffe would be one of the
Candidates ; now it suggested itself to these De-
fendants, that if they could by any means obtain
• possession of this house, they might then secure
another vote for Mr. Joliffe. Accordingly on
the evening of the 12th of last February, the
house
.having been locked up by Jones, was
broken open by the Defendants, who took pos-
session of it with fire-arms and swords, and
mounted a regular guard. Mr. Bower had an
agent at Petersfield, whose name is Minchin, and
who paid the rates, and superintended the re-
pars for Mr. Bower. Jones, discovering in the
course of
.the next day what had happened,
informed this person of it, and they went to-
gether to the house, where they found Cawley,
/112 constable, a man bound to keep the peace, in
possession of it. Jones demanded the possession
pf, Cawley, who immediately told hiM "not to
came pear, that he (Cawley) was in possession,
,17.11:1 ate r:ould blot: any man's brains out who came
to he house." During this conversation, Mr.
'Hector canie, and observed, that he had di-
Tected it. to be done, saying, " This is Mr.
Taylor's house—l have seen his writings—
r. - Taylor is in possession—the men are arm-
ecl , and I have -authorised them to fire and
blow a hole through any one who attempts
to 'enter; and I will indemnify and save them
harmless." This- was the language used by
the Defendant, Hector ; hut it would have been
well- if the other defendants had first inquired
into the nature of the indemnity so to be given
before they engaged in this affair:" I say without
fear of contradiction, that if any man had
been rash enough to • fire, his Lordship would
liave.pronounced it murder. What -then would
haVe become of Mr. Hector's indemnity ? why,
instead of this proceeding, a very different one
would have been instituted, and Mr. Hector him-
self would have been indicted as aiding and as-
- listing in murder. Men (especially those in the
situation of the defendants) should be very care-
ful how they lay down doctrines to mislead the
people, and which may terminate in the loss of
hives. Gentlemen, you will perceive that this is
a most violent' outrage, though I dare say my
Learned Friends on the other side may call it a
mere election squabble.' It is high time, how-
ever, that these persons should be taught that
there 15 no excuse for a violation of the laws.—
You will observe, that the house is left secure on
tha Saturday night, and that on the Sunday,
three or four persons, one of them the apprentice
of Mr. Cawley, the Gentleman, who not only,
breaks the law himself, but induces his apprentices
also to do so, and the others, labourers, are found
in possession ; and that these men, to throw the
semblance of legal sanction over their conduct,
employ two peace-oflicers to assist in Maintaining,
that possession which they had forcibly and ille-
gally taken ; but this, I am sure, you will consi-
tier-an aggravation of their offence. I shall now
proceed to call my witnesses, deferring any fur-
ther observations to . the opportunity when I or
my Learned Friend (Mr. Casberd), shall have
the opportunity of addressing you, in answer to
4he: case of the other side."
William Mindhln, of Petersfield, printer and
atnAtmeer, was examined by Mr. CISBERD. He
stated, that he was the agent of Mr. Bower, and
that.he let the house in question for Mr. Bower
to John Jones, from the Bth of December last,
to John JOnes, who then took possession ; and
the k-cty.was delivered to him. lie proved that
Mr- Bower had paid rates for,the bouse,and had
ordered considerable repairs to be effected. 'That
he (Vlincthio) went to the house with Jones, about
7 o'clock in the evening of Sunday, the 12th of Fe-
bruary, in-consequence of what they had heard)