The Sun.
London, England, 1820-03-27 00:00:00

cd ? Did they bclicve that the several parties I
had made their approaches to Manchester in
the manner described ? Dirt they believe that
the Nlagistrates had telt no alarm % and did they
believe that the constables had been assembled
to ithont alarm % Could any one (4oubt that the
a,s, rtrhli ig of such multitudes won'd tail to prof
dire alarm and terror rn the minds of the people
of Manchester ? He did not mean alarm and terror
for it Irat might he ,lone on that dav, but alarm
goosing out of the mode of maid) adopted, and
the manner of 'combioing seen on that occasion.
The very mystery in which that combination was
involved teas in itself a source of terror. He.
proceeded to show that a latge body, proceed-
tog with every ;weal ance of organization
eding under the command of such lead-
ers as Johnson, BAniford, end Doetor Healey,
(who, from the evenness of his temper, was nor
the fittest person in the world to he a leader.)
—When such a molt itude, regul iy organized,
and acting in obedience to the orders of a
S,CI et and unknown Continitiee, were seen ad-
vancing on a town in militaiy array, hearing with
them banners intscriln d, " Liberty or 11.ath,"
and such other inscriptions as had been proved to
hate had a place on the eusieris borne with the
mill itiole a•sembled at Manchester on the
of Ann rest ; when such a spectacle were seen,
good God! wound arty one tell him that this
display could be kwfol ? Mr. Hunt, to show
th“, the meeting was not illegal, had ref< r-
red to the banners and processions of Orange
Clubs. and other societies. But the answer to
ti-is was, that those banners and processions
r. ere connected with purposes that were law-
lid, and .Mr. Hunt might as well refer to the
banners itid ensigns borne by the soldiery, to
prove that because such things might he used in
tie Army for legal and coostitutional purposes, it
therefore followed that they might he lawfully re-
sorted to, in order ;0 give effect to any tumill•
hums meeting. The Jury, he thought, would
reel this, and see that such weans of giving
effect to his opinions were not to be conceded
to any demagogue who might think proper to
contend that " taxation without representa-
tion wins tyranny." it was undoubtedly true,
that many English subjects had no voice
in the choosing of a Rept esentai ive, but the
road being open to all to qualify themselves to
vote for tire return of Members to Pkoliameot,
a principle like that avowed in the inscrip-
tion which he had quoted was not to he main-
tained iu thiscountry• He did not deny the tight
of the people of Brigham! to meet in large bodies
for the propose of delihctsting on public affairs ;
but was it to be assumed that meetings of from 60
to 80,000 men were at all times and under all cir-
corns ances fit to entertain the most abstruse (res.
films of political science ? Such an assemblage
as that of the 16(11 August, he would repeat it,
was well caleithied to inspire alarm, especially
when seen as that was disposed to treat the consta-
bles and all the local authorities with mockery and
scorn. Thai meeting two witnesses had deposed
that Mr. H. had himself called a " tremendous
meeting." It was indeed a tremendous meeting, but
meetings still mute tremendous :night yet be seen,
if the verdict of those he had then the honour to
address did not prove, that even such meetings
were under the control', of the law. In such a
meeting it was not possible for Mr. Hunt, as chief
speaker, to be heard by all, or by mearly all.
Yet it was seen that he had rejoiced in their meet-
ing in two-fold numbers, slier the meeting had
been prohibited by the Magistrates. It seemed
to be his wish to go on until they should at length
meet its four-fold numbers, and finally be able
to meet any force that might be opposed to
them, face to face. Mr. Hunt had spent two
hours in examining witnesses, to prove that he
had neither used the words '' adjournment" or
" postponement," when speaking of the meeting
having been put off by the enemies of the people.
Wino he meant to say were their enemies he had
not thought it prudent to explain. It was proved,
however, by his own witnesses, that he had used
both words. The meeting at Manchester he
showed to be distinct from meetings of the cha-
racter of hose held in Palace-yard and other
places in a regular way. This was a meeting
called by a secret anti unknown Comtnitteer It
was nut a meeting of the town or a district, but
it was made a meeting, as far as it could be
made so, of all mankind. The broad question the
Jury had first to consider was this—Was themeet-
ing a legal meeting ? In inquiring into this, they
would remember the object he had in view when
he set out far the country to attend the meeting
called for the 9,11 of August, namely, the assisting
at the election,of a Legislatorial Attorney, at the
instance of some secret and undiscovered body, If,
looking at this, and connecting it with all the
other circumstances to which be had directed
their attention, they found that an assemblage of
persons like that over which Mr. Hunt had been
invited to preside was calculated to' inspire
alarm, then must they decide that it was an ilk-
gal meeting. He now came to address them on
the situation in which the several defendants
stood. Ot the part which Mr. Hunt had acted
there could be no doubt, and on that subject he
need say no more. It was iu proof that Johnson
had been with Hunt all the week preceding the
I6th August, and two witnesses had proved him
(Johnson) to have usedlanguage respecting the
meeting of the 16th of August, which went deeply
to implicate him in the conspiracy. He then

went over the evidence given by the witnesses
Willis and Slater, on the subject of his (John%
son's) being returned to Parliament, and on the

subject of the intended meeting, and the mea-
sures said to have been in progress against
the House of Commons. The language then
used induced Willie, who had known nothing of
him (Johnson) betore, to say, that if Nadin had
been present lie would hav't taken him up. To

enutra ict this rnan, a bulcher and a builder had

been. brotiglit from Manchester to sn•car, that,

front c rtain circtinistances, they would not be-
lieve upon his oAth: The evidence of that
wiiiaess sc,As„however, in the main, unshaken,
and to show that Johnson was deeply int-
piicated ,in the conspiracy. The conduct of Moor-

bowie, 111 iovi'ing people to attend the projected

meeting, had' proved bite one of the conspirators ;
hdr \Ville and Jones, in directing the people
to iock their arms, had wade it char that they

also were parties to the conspiracy. Dr. Healey
had set out with declaring in his defence, that
" where there was no law there could be no trans-
gr ssion." It might he well for the Doctor if
(-here were indeed no law on such subjects; if
there were no law to prevent demagogues from
marching at the head of numerous bodies of men,
carrying what ensigns and bruisers they thought
proper, and saying to the people so called out
what they pleased. The Doctor had probably
contribired something'to that which had been
prodoced, for which he had manifested what
seemed very like a parental affection. Ile had
brought widi him a model of that flag, for fear
the prosecutors should be so base as not to pro-
duce the original, which, by the bye, Mr. Hunt
had said it was not indheir power to do. He had,
however, brought forward the flag when the mo-
del was produced, and had models been exhibited
of the Caps of Liberty, he, in the same way,
would have brought forward the real ones. The
cap of Liberty, since the period of the French
Revolution, when so much fury and mischief had
been hatched under it, was no longer the symbol
of freedom, but the ensign of revolution, and the
boast of licentiousness. Healey, in having as-
sisted to marshal the people under such banners,
had clearly wove(' himself to be implicated in the
conspiracy. Knight was proved to have been in
the carriage with Hunt at ihe•meeting, though lie
escaped at the time. For Saxton, as it appeared
!hat he had only attended the meeting as a Re-
porter to a newspaper, be would have them this-
miss his. case from their consideration altogether.
—Having thus stared this case, he thought there
could be no doubt that a conspiracy had existed,
and, if they found that the meeting of the 1614 of
August was an unlawful meetie‘g (as surely he
thought they must), be should be entitled to a
verdict. For himself, he felt perfectly at his
ease, and had no fears for the consequences of
these plot:tech:lgs, unless indeed it should once go
forth to the world, on the authority of a British
Jury, that meetings like that of the 16th August
were to he regarded as lawful. He reeerenced
public liberty, and it was heeaose he reverenced
it that he now called for that verdict which he
contended the Jury would be justUied in giving
against the present defendants.. He desired
this, that licentiousness and vioieuce might be re-
pressed ; lest front the abuse of public liberty the
people of England, at no distant period, suould
resemble the Rumens, as dtescribed by their ablest
historian,at the timeof the death of Augusios,when
(hey considered it safer to submit to despotism
than to go back to that licentiousness which had
been attendant on liberty. The Jut y would
render a most essential set vice to liberty, by giv-
ing their verdict if4aiiist those who bad abused
it—lty showing that the laws were sufficient to
iedre,s those evils which might arise tinder our
free Constitution—and by proving to the disaffect-
ed that the laws were not to be trampled on with
inipittoty•
Tim Junne, addressing the Jury, said, they were now are
rived at thai stage of this important cause when it became
his duty to submit to them those observations which appear-
ed necessary to enable them to come so a decision on the
merits of the case. He would lay down the law to theta as
accurately as he could, and make such observations on the
evidence which had been produced as it appeared to him ne-
cessary to press on their consideration, in order to form a
foundation on which their verdict might rest. He would be
as short as possible in summing up "the evidence on both
sides as the nature of the Casa would admit. In the first in-
stance, he had to request of them, as the Counsel on both
sides had previously done, to dismiss from their minds all im-
pressions previously made on one side or on the other, and to
give their verdict without reference to the consequences which
must follow, according to the evidence whiCh had been
given. He would rode avunr to throw out of consideration
all the irrelevant matter which had been connected with
the case. One broad and important question which they would
have to consider, turned on the character of the meeting of
the 16th of August. they had, however, only to look to the
deportment of the crowd assembled on that occasion. The
conduct of the Nlagistiates, Yeomanry, and Constables, would
lead them into long discussion, which on the present occasion
it was desirable to avoid. He was quite sore that the Jury
would give the benefit of a fair consideration of the evidence;
arid if the case admitted of a doubt, that they would give the
Defendants the full benefit of that doubt. He hoped and
trusted, and was satisfied that on this, as on all other_occa-
sions, that if, from the evidence given, they should come to a
different conclusion, that they would boldly and fearlessly
give their verdict accordingly. Through the whole of the
proceedings it had been his earnest desire that the proceed-
ings should he so conducted, that the defendants, if a verdict of
guilty should he-given against them, should he constrained to
acknowledge that they had had an impartial trial, subject only
to such necessary restrictions and privations as every man living
in a state of soetety must be content to submit to. The indict-
ment charged the defendants wills three things—With calling
a seditious meeting, with intent to disturb the public peace
and common tranquillity of the realm ; with attempting to
raise and excite disaffection to the State and, thirdly,
with intending to excite disaffection to the Government and
Constitutiou of the realm as by law established. In stat-
ing the law applicable to these cases, one of the best
writers on this subject had thus laid down the law :=-J, Any
meeting whatever of a great number of persons, with such
circumstances as could not but endanger the peace, and raise
fears and jealousies among the King's subjects, seemed to
be properly called an unlawful assembly; as when a great
many meet to debate in a warlike form, no one can foresee
what may be the result of such an assembly." Mr. Seejeant
Hawkins had stated a meeting to be illegal, where the numbers
were such as to eedanger the peace, and, he added, armed iu
art unlawful matiner. Arnrs, however, it was proper he
should state, were not necessary to make it an unlawful as-
sembly; so a meeting assembled in such numbers, and under
such circumstances, as to endanger the public peace, would
be illegal. In all cases, the put pose and manner of a meet-
ing were to be looked to. lie had no difficulty in saying,
that because 60,000 men, women, and children met toge•
ther, it did not follow that it was an illegal meeting, as it
might so conduct itself, that it could not be charged with
any thing unlawful, or with doing any thing that could
raise the fears of those who came ire the way. But in a
meeting so constituted, though 571,000 innocent persons
might be there, it might so happen that twelve ur twenty
persons going to the meeting with illegal intentions might he
tried for illegal conduct at that meeting, though the meeting
in itself was not illegal. So, though the bulk of the persons
attending such a meeting might be innocent, if certain per-
sons, by placards or other means, do that which may endan-
ger the public peace, or strike terror into the public mind,
such persons were liable to be tried fur an illegal conspi-
racy. The writer he had quoted seemed to centemplate
immediate danger, butihe (sir. Justice Bailey) by no means
held that the danger must be immediate to constitute an
offence against the law. If the Jury should be satisfied that
the meeting of the 16th August had a tendency to produce
immediate danger, then, undoubtedly, they must give a
verdict against the defendants. On the other hand, if they
should be of opinion, from the peaceable condtiet of the
people, mid from the association of women and children with
the meeting, that no danger was to be apprehended on that
day, but that the proceedings were calculated to produce
danger at a future period, then in that case he would recom-
mend it to them to come to a special verdict. If they came
to a special verdict, he should consider them to find that no
immediate danger was to he apprehended, but that the meet-
big was calculated to inspire terror of future danger. The tle-
fetulants were not liable to be found guilty of acting to some
particular end, unless they were proved to he so actin in pur-
suance of snare common design. If 20 mei. go to a meanie
with a view of s,trring sedition—if each acts from his owu mind,

THF SUN •

SO I. ENI 2UI Eit E FA I,SUM P DEAT ?

LONDON,
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 1820.

We received this morning the Paris Papers of
Thursday and Friday last. Want of space com-
pels us to he very brief in our notice of their con-
tents, which, however, are not of material im-
portance. They give no fresh news from Spain,
the ordinary Courier from thence who arrived
on Thursday; having brought merely the same
details which had been previously received by an
extraordinary Courier, and which we published

on Saturday.
In the Chamber of Peers, on Thursday, the
discussion on the Projtt respecting Individth'd
Liberty was corlmtenced, and atter hearing six
speakers, it was adiottnied till Friday.—ln the
Cl4amber of De-podez, .hc discussion on the Pro-

jet respecting the Journals was continued
throughout \Wednesday and Thursday, and Was
again adjourned till Friday. The KING transact'
ed business with his Ministers on Wednesday and
Thursday, and on the latter day paid a visit to the
Duchess De BERRI.

The statement of the breaking up of the Con'
gress of Vienna is now contradicted.

The Moniteur of Thursday contains a Royal
Ordonnance for convoking the Electoral Colleges
of the Departments, whose Deputations are in'
complete•

FIVE PER CENTS.

Wednesday 74 f. 30c.
Thursday 74 f. 70c.

DEFERRED STOCK.

Wednesday. Thursday.
Of the 22d Maroh, 1819,-99 f. 70c.
22d March, 1820, Bs f. 401.

Where are the respectable Freeholders of Mid'
dlesex, who now stay away from the Poll at Bient'
lord ? A convicted Lihelltq, a Libeller of the
Magistracy of the Kingdom, a Libeller of the
Army of Great Britain, that Army, composed
as it is of the People, whose Friend Sir
FRANCIS BURDETT calls himself, invites the
Freeholders to join bins in procession to vote
for his Protege ! ! A military Knight, one of the
Army so libelled, calls upon the Freeholders of
Middlesex to vote for the Popil of BURDETT, AO
to join in the procession of the Libeller !! 1
By their acceding to such invitations, Middlese%
Freeholders will give their approbation of the
stigma thrown upon ►he Magistrates, the Army►
and that Jury, who have on their Oaths found Sit'
F.BUIDF.TT guilty of a libel. Will Middlesex melt
debase themselves by flattery towards a man con'
victed by a Jury of his Country ? Is the Trial by
Jury to he despised ? Is the verdict of twelve
sworn men to be disregarded ? Or, is he a friend
of the People who so thinks of the sacred Con'
stitution of his Country ?

MIDDLESEX ELECTION.—NINTH DAY.
The following was the state of the Poll this
day at Hdlf-past Twelve o'Clock
:
Byng 32i7
Whitbread .
MLllish 249S

THE LATE CONSPIRACY.

SPECIAL COMMISSION.

The Commissioners appointed to preside at the
Trial of Arthur ThistlGwood and others, charged
wirh High Treason, Murder, and other offences/
assembled at the Sessions-House, Clerkenwei!"
Green, this morning. At ten o'clock 51r
CHARLES ABBOTT, Chief Justice of the coar-
-1,,
of King's Bench, Sir R. DALLAS, Chief Justice,
Of the Common Pleas,
...:.RANCIS CONS'S, Esq. anti
Ml Bench of other Gentlemen, appointed as
Commissioners, took; their seats. The Right
Honourable the CHANCELLOR of the FXCHEQUIES.,
and several other distinguished persons, were .10
Court.

His MAJESTY'S Commission having been red,
the following Grand Jury were sworn :

JOB RAIRES, Esq. Foreman.
John Stock, Esq. 1. H. Pakenham, Esq.
Thomas Milroid, Esq. John Warren, Esq.
Robert Batson, Esq. Geo. Fred. Young, Esq.
William Mills, Esq. Rickard Meycock, Esq.
Henry Thompson, Esq. Richard Jennings, Esq.
Richard Gibbs, Esq. Joseph Taylor, Esq.
Thomas Lermitt, Esq. John Johnstone, Esq.
James Gordon, Esq. Frederick Dowse, Esq,
William Anderson, Esq. J. W. Horseley, Esq.
William Parry, Esq. William Binning's, Esq..
John Booth, Esq. Henry Taylor, Esq.

The Chief Justice ABBOTT addressed them at ton'
siderable length. After reciting the Act of Parlie
meat of the 25th Edward 111. for the punishment
of High Treason, be said it was the highest of
fence known to the laws, and that there must
have been an .overt act to constitute the offenze•
The persons accused were also charged with 0.0
murder of Richard Swithers, an Officer, in tits
lawful exercise of his duty ; it was not, however,
for them to say, that because the parties might lit
all guilty of the Treason, that they must there"
fore be all guilty of the Murder—they would,
therefore, make a distinction between those that
were guilty of the Treason and those who two'
ally resisted and committed the Murder. The
Learned Judge concluded an able and impartial
charge by exhorting them to give the case then.
most deliberate and impartial consideration,—The
Grand Jury then withdrew.

The KING left Carlton-House on Situ!'lay after..
0000 for Brighton, where his MAJEsTv arrived
between five and six o'clock.

The garrison ot Glasgow and the Volunteer
Force were on the alert on Sunday night, but the
particular ctluse has not transpired.—(Edinburffli
CouT('uit, March 23 )

JOHN .KENIBLE4 ESQ,—This excellent Actor,
whom the folly of public taste induced, most probably, t°
leave the stage at a time when lie could have held forth
model a eNcelletiee in many characters suited-to his titue
life for many more years, bas been passing the winter `
Toulouse. The weather has been uncommonly severe, but
has not injured his health. The place, however, has lost
social amenity since the murder of the Due de BERRI, and i 6
so much embittered by politics, that be is going to Switzer‘
land, and from thence proceeds to Italy.
THE WOOLWICH Alunneas•—A man strongly
suspected of being lately the murderer of Mr. PARKER
his servant at Woolwich, was on Thursday last taken in
custody at the Red Lion, in Portsmouth. When Mr. HO ;
the jailor, went to take him, he presented two pistols, one°,
his head, the other at his body ; but they both providential',
missed fire. A gold watch, a seal with Mr. Parker's initia )5:
and several other articles of value, were found on his pe,a°

At Hamp,tead Heath, yestenloy, the eGth init. the Cool"
tesi of Huntingdon, of a sou, her tenth child.

I,ONDON: Printer! by.). 13. C.IIISTAIRS, of No. 99, Gr
Ornionci-street, Quven-square; and published hY "r„l,f;
SCRIPPS, of No. 7, S9utli Iklulton-street, at THE
Ort!ck!, No. 112, Strand ; where Advettisementsa Order '
Leltvri, &G. (post-plid) mot be addressed.

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