Star.
London, England, 1805-11-25 00:00:00

DIVIDENDS.

lon. 26. John Coleman, late of Fetter-lane, London, painter and
glazier, at ten, at Guildhall.
Dec. s. Hugh Evans, of Stanmore, Middlefez, fhopiteeper, dealer
and chapman, at one, at Guildhall.
;tee. 7. Thomas Speed, htc of Cannon-Rreet, London, druggift,
dealer and anima*, at one, at Guildhall.
3. Thomas Gooddy, of Sheffield, liorkfhire, grocer, at ten,
at Guildhall, Linidnn.

Dee. ¢ Chriftopher Atken. of KentlaoVcltinorland, merchant,
at Yee, at the WLite Hart Inn, Kendal.

: .

LAP/ INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, NOV. 23. -
/VAAL OF MI. JUSTICE JI)HNSON AT EAR.

This day the long expeeted trial of the Honour-
a;)l Jude, came on before A Special Jury of Free-
h ers Of the County of Middiefex' when the follow-
ing gentlemen appeated, and were [worn :

Thomas Barnes, Efq. David Badham, Efq.
Robert Helm; Efq. William Finch, Efq.
Jr. Stellis. F fq. Richard Weitz% Efq.
William Rohertfon, Efq. James Waldo., Efq.
Wallin. F fq. James Douglas, Efq.
Samuel Haines, Efq. John Brown, Efq.

Mr. linear opened the cafe on the part of the pro-
fecution, and in the courfe of his fpeech read the prin.
cipal counts in the indiament, which charged that
the Honourable Robert Johnfon, one of the Judges
trf the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland, wickedly
con:riving to bring his Majelly's Government in Ire-
land into contempt and diire?ute, and to caufe it to
he believed by all his Majelly's fubjeCts, that Lord
Hardwicke was an unfit perfon to govern that part
of the United Kingdom ;—that the Lord Chancellor
Redefdale was corrupt in the adminiliration of Lis
offico;—that Mr. Jullice Ofborne, one of the Judges
in the Court of King's Bench in Ireland, was ready
to countenance and AM in every aCt of injultice on
the part of the Irifh Government ;—and that Mr.
Mal filen, the Under Secretary of State, was a perfon
equally venal ; did publilb, or procure to be pub.
lifhed, in a certain periodical paper, entitled "
Weekly Regyler," a libel, under the fignature of Jo-
verna, with the general tenor of which our readers
are already pretty fully acquainted. Referring to
the wooden honk received by the Trojans into their
City, which over topped their houfes, and whilfi it
appeared to them completely innnxious, contained in
it fo deadly a mifchief, the publication in quetlion
proceeds to inform its readers, that this Rory of the
Roman Poet was altogether metaphorical, and only
meant to caution fucceeding generations, againft the
employment of wooden heads in the management of
the concerns of nations. It then goes on to compare
the head of Lord Hardwicke to the wooden bode,
which it reprefents, though not entirely compofed of
wood, to contain many of the ligneous particles by
which the Trojan Horfe was dittinguillred. It ad.
mits the amiable qualities in private life, by which
the Noble Lord was dittinguifhed, and the harmlefs
and inoffensive tenor of his conduit, but lays it down
that, becaufe a Government is in the hands of harm.
lefs men, it is not, therefore, a harmlefs Government.
This conduit in private life. the publication goes on
to Rate, the author would have believed the only qua-
lity which the Noble Lordpoffelfed,hadhe notacciden-
tally learned from a Scotch Gentleman of the name
of Lindfay, that he was one of the bell breeders of
fheep in Cambridgefbire ; and this the libel holds out
as his only requifite for conduaing the affairs of
Ireland. With him, it affumes, that there were
joined a float-built Chancery Pleader, by which ap.
pellation Lord Redefdale, the Chancellor of Ireland,
is dininguilhed, and a Clerk in an office, (Mr. Mad-
den) as his only advifers and coadjutors in the ma-
nagement of Ira& affairs. It then proceeds to draw
an invidious comparifon as to what would have been
the conduit of Lord Kenyon, had he been Chancel-
lor of Ireland, and that which Lord Redefdale had
obferved. It hates, that Loid Kenyon, it was aid.
was fond of money. If fo, it was his own money of
which he was fond. That his innate feeling of ho-
nour and jullice would never have allowed him to
think of transferring the fees of the Secretary to the
Matter of the Rolls into the pocket of his own Score-
. tarp, for the purpofe of fupporting an unknown P en-
finny; and goes on to enumerate an immense num-
ber of faits of which Lord Kenyon would not have
I been guilty, of which, by inuendo, it accufes Lord
Redefdale. Mr. juftice Ofborne and Mr. Also-Wen are
alto accufed of ails of venality and corruption, and i
of a participation in all the peculatious of the Irilh
Government.
The ATTORNEY GENLRAL followed on the fame
fide. He felt himfelf, he laid, in a nova and moil
unpleafant fituation. He had to accti!e a judge of
the land—a Judge of Ireland now made part of thefe
kingdoms—with a crime which would be a difgrace
to any man—to any perlnn who claimed the charac-
ter of a Gentleman. When, however, fuels a charge I
was to be imputed to a Judge—to a perfon vedant in
the Laws of iris Country, and, from his office, called
on to difpenle thole Laws to others, it mull be doubly
aggravated. The libel in quellion was one of the'
groffell kind, and which would difgrace any man; how
much more grofs and unbecoming mutt it not be
etleemed, that the Government of a country fhould be
traduced and vilified by one of the Judges of the'
land. He paid the highett compliments to the dia.
railer of Lord Hardwicke and the Lord Chancellor
Redefdale, both! of whom he defcribed to bs as fu-'
parlor to his eulogy as they were to the malice of
the Defendant. Of the publication itfelf, he thought
it nnneceffary to argue its libellous tendency : It was
fo obvious, that be was perfuaded his Learned
Friend who had the defence of the Learned Judge
would not attempt to justify it. The only queltion
then would be, whether it bad been pablillied by the
defendant ? This would be proved by the evidence
of the manufcript itlelf, which had been given by Mr.
Cobbett upon his conviction as the publilher. The
moment the original writing was in the hands of the
Officers of the Clown, they let about endeavouring
to difcover whole it was, and it had been afcertaiked
by the uniform and pofitive opinion of four Gentle-
men, that. the (Lyle and charafter of it was that of the
Defendant. One of thcfe perfons, Mr. Waller, was
the Solicitor t) a Board of Revenue in Ireland, at
which the Defendant, Mr. Jolinfon, had for many
years ailed as the Alfiftant Barrifler in this capa-
city, he of cootie became intimately acquainted with
his hand-writing, continually being in the habit of
feeing his written opinions, as well as his notes and
letters, which, as a Member of the bah Parliament,
he franked. The other witaelles, three in number,
were, from their official fituations, equally able to
fpeak with certainty of the fad. If this was made
out, the province of the jory would be at an end, as
they would have no alternative but that of finding
fuch a verdiit as would transfer to the Court the
power of punifhing the libel as it juftly merited.—
He felt concerned to underftand that an attempt
woold be made, and he was convinced the Learned
Council on the other fide would feel pain in making
it, to evade the culiskiwtiaticia which this libel atufl

flro,
44

'naturally carry gong with it, by alledging that there
was no proof of the publishing of the libel in the
county of Middlefer. This attempt, hoverer, if it
were made, Should not avail the Defendant, as he
was in a condition to prove the publifhing by a deli-
very of the letters containing the libel to Mr. Cobbett,
with a requeft to him to publith them, in the county
of Middlefer.

The Sal witnefs called on the part of the Crown,
was Mr. White, Solicitor to the Treafury, who only
proved, that he received the manufcriptefrom which
the libel was printed, from Mr. Cobbett.
Mr. Cobbett was then called, and examined by
Mr. ERSIKINB.—(The manufcripts were put into the
witnefs's hand.)
Will you look at thole papers ; have you
teen them before r —A.. " I have."

Qz_4, When did you firft fee them, and how did
you come by them ? Were they fent to you ?"—A.
" There are different dates to them. I received one
of them after the other."

Q., From whence uid ynu receive them ?"--" T re-
ceived them from Budd, the bookfeller, in Pall-mall,
whore Ow I make my office, and where my letters
are received."

Qz_ " In what fllrm ; in the fm•nt of a letter ?"
A. .• There were two of them came in covers, di•
rested to Budd."

What is become of the covers ?"—A. I
don't know ; I titivate immedi.trely thrown into the
fire ; hut this I recoiled, that they had the bah port-
mark."

Q...." Have ycu any doubt but that they were de-
ftroyed r-A. "I have no doubt hut that they were."
Mr. ADAM (interpoling) " Are you certain that
thefe particular covers were deftroyed r —A. "I can-
not fwear they were."
Mr. Easausit—" Have you any doubt ?"—A.
" I have none."

" Having Paid you have nn doubt they were de.
roycd, I may afk you what was the mark?"-A.
It had the Irifh pgll-mark upon it."
Qs:" What was the addrefs ?—A." To Mr. Budd,
fo. too, Pall•mall."

hudd's was the place where you received it?"
—A. " In the firtt place I received a letter in the
fame hand writing, atking if it would be agreeable
to me to publith"—(interrupted).
Qt." What became of the letter?"—A. '‘ It was
deltroyed."
" Have you any doubt ?"—A. " None."
(It," Will you be fo good as to Hate, whit was
contain/din theletter ?"—A. " I received rletter, en.
quiring if it would be agreeable to me to receive from
Ireland certain ofeful and true information refped-
ing public affairs in that country."
Mr. ADAM—" My Lord, he is now fpeaking of
the contents of a paper wholly unconneded with this
profecution."
Lord ELLIINIOILOUGH" He fays the paper was
deltroyed."
Mr. Junk!: Le BLANC—" It does not at preteht
affett the Defendant." _ _

Mr. Abell—" if this be not fired on the Defen-
dant, it will go all for nothing."
Q.; by Mr. EISKIMI..—" In the fame hand•writing,
you lay ?"—A. 44 Yes, and I was (faired, if it were
agreeable, to mention where I would have them di-
reaed to ? and in confequence, in the next number
of the Regiller, I told him to fend them to Budd's,
at No. too, Pall Mall."
Did you receive both thofe which you have
in your hand ?"_A. 4' I received both of them.—
That dated the 29th of 04Iober fiat. They were
dire:led to Budd."

'rhey were pnblifhed in the Regißer ? What
date does the fecond bear ?"—" The 28th of No•
vemher."

0 " Your houfe and Budd's are both in Middle-
fcx " They are, Budd's in Pall Mall f mine
in Duke-Itrect, Weilmintter."_ _

Croft-examined by Mr. ADAM.
you4l You do not live at No. too, Pall-mall, do
'"—A. " No, I live at No. Is, Duke-ftreet,
Weilminller." _ _

Q._ a Did you live there at the time of the publi-
cation ?"—A. a I did." _

Q.:_" Did you receive them at your honfe ?"
A. " No, they firlt came to No. too, Pall-mall,ad-
dreffed to Budd." . .

" Were they opened when you received
them ?"—A. " The &It was opened ; but after the
receipt of the firfl, I rowelled him not to open them,
and confequently the next was fealed."
Q._ " Who fent them to you ?—A. " Budd."
(„?." Whom were they fent by ?"—A. " I don't
know."
O" Were the covers defiroyed "-A. " I think
they were."
(IL " Have you ever fearched Int them fince ?"
A. " I have never looked particularly for them.ex-
cept looking in the drawer where manufcripts
are Milani, kept."
What was ufnally done with the covers!of let.
tersr—A. They were generally thrown into the
fire."

" Have yon made any recent fearch e—A.
•• No, I have not."
Mr. &setae to the wands. Is this your
Weekly Regifter ?"—A. u It is."
Mr. Richard Waller was then called, and elm-
mined by Mr. GARROW. He Paid, be was Solici-
tor to the Cothroiffioners of the Cuftorns in Ireland,
which fituation he had filled for twenty-three years ;
during that time Mr. Robert Johnfon was Counfel
to the Board. In the fpace of ten years, in which
that Gentleman was confulted by him, he had daily
opportunities of feeing him write, and of receiving
opinions in his hand. The body of the paper (the
letter of the 29th ()Sober, being given to the wit-
nefs) was in the hand writing of Mr. Janice John-
fon ; but there were a few words which were not in
his writing. The paper dated the 284 November
being then handed to bim, he laid, thane had ex-
amined them three times before, and bad put his
name to each (beet.
Oo his crofs-examination by Mr. PARKS, he Paid,
that fince Mr. Jullice Johnfon had become a Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas, in idiot, all con-
nesion had ceafed, and he had fince then only per-
haps ken his fignature occafionally to affidavits. The
letters were written more clearly and (mailer than the
Defendant's ufual hand.
The Counfel on the part of the profecution then
produced Mr. Charles Ornifby, Mr. Jofhua Nunn,
and Mr. jam Edwards, farther to eftablifla the band-

,-e'!:',

writing or the Defendant to the manufcripts, and
then called Mr. Charles Crowe to prove that the dif-
'ingninted perfonages alluded to in the libel, held
the fituations flared upon the record.
O Whom does the Cambridgelbire Earl allude
to ?—A. To my Lord Hardwicke.
Qz... And to whom the Chancery Pleader ?—A. To
Lord Retlefdale.
Q. Whom do you underhand by Mr. Marfden ?
A. Fir. Alexander Madden, my Lord Hardwieke's
Secretary.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL—" If your Lordffiip
pleafes, we now propofe to read the libel."
Mr. ADAM ohjeCted to this proceeding. He raid,
,hat in a cafe of this very great importance—of im-
portance to the dittribution of public jullice, and of
infinite confequence to the individual, he hoped he
lhould receive the kind attention of the Court ;--ind
notwithflanding what the Attorney General had laid,
he confidered it his duty to his client to avail hinafet.
of every objeftion, and he hoped that k would be nn
prejudice in the mind of the Court to the Defendan,
he made this no part of hii cafe, for he was roma..
ed with evidence direelly to fubvert that which w:s
propnfed on the part of the profecution. In this case
there was no publication of Mr. Plaice Johnfon's in
the county of Middlefex, and therefore the venue was
incorrally laid. There was no conneiting link in
the evidence which could convince the minds of the
Court that the mannfoipts were fent by the defire of
the Defendant, to be publiffied in Middlefex. This
was exactly the objection which was made in the cafe
of the feven hilltops reported in the hate trials, page
403. It was an indillment for the publication of a
libel in the county of Middlefex : the libel was a pe-
ti, ion which was prefented to the King by the Arch-
hilltop of Canterbury, the Whop of St. Afaph, and
five other prelates of Great Britain. At the trial
before the Council, there was no evidence produced
of the publication by the Biffinps, by the prefentation
to his Majefty ; and until Lord Sunderland was
called in to prove fuch publication by the delivery,
the cafe was incomplete. Nos comfier that the De-
fendant on the prefent occafion had written the pa-
per with a view to publication, and there was no evi-
dence that charged him %with the tranfmiffion to
England.
Mr. PARK, Mr. LOCKHART, and Mr. RICHAID•
sots, followed on the fame tide.
The whole Court, however, confidered that there
was prima facie evidence to go to the Jury, that the
libel was publithed in the county of Middlefex by the
tranfmillion of the Defendant, and therefore Mr.
Adam's objection was over-ruled, and the libellous
paffages were, by the direftion of their Lordlhips,
read by the officer.
The firft letter, dated the 29th October, was en-
titled o Affairs of Ireland" introduced into Mr. Cob-
hetes Weekly Political Regifter of the sth of Novem-
ber, 1803, page 610, which thus command :

. -
" sir—Egu• we credits, Tevcri, was the advice will, In a dim-
serous moment, Laocooo gave to the Trojans. it will be remem-
bered, that the ern:, againit which that fagseithe skier mo-
tioned his countrymen. was a wooden OEM Ifs asanwymes dld
nut regard Laoconn ; they received the wooden regnilantadth Of
Wifdom ; they approached it, as it it padre& Ind
power. Its wooden bead towered shove their bodes ;
the machine Breit was of humbles wood, the en:dales
found its hollow head. and exalted nothing lets theaTZ:
tubes for greedy peculators and blood-thirfty titans. The bee*
nious author of the Rory did not mesa to canine the lean wbieb
it ineuketes, to the tale of Troy algae. He meant to take ad-
vantage of the eafy metaphorical exprefika, whitely by the caw
mon afi nt of mankind. bad nestled Well into molt bagasse%
and by Which a certain fpeciet of heeds (which the moderns have
afertained to be a non-condudor of ideas), has been denoatinsted
a :rodeos lead. He meant to caution future nations not to put
trult or confidence in the apparent innocence of any fads wooden
initrument ; and not to fuller thetas:lves to be led to exalt it into
eonfequence, or to pay it any refpea. He meant to tell them, that
any people who fubmitted to be govaned by a wooden bead,
would not find their feeurlty in its fuppofed innostioutnefts and Its
bollon nets would loon be occupied by initrumaits of mifeblef.--.
When I found, Sir. this part of the kingdom overwhelmed by
fuela confequences to our property, as the rapacity of Mr. Madden
and big friends, and Web confequences to our lives, as the pikes of
Mr. Fmmet and his friends have lately produced ; when I could
trace all clock evils as the inevitable int from the head and body of
fuck a government as that et Lord Hardwicke.and I am told elks
fano:Statues and his armnefs, I Rill reply the fiery of the wooden
hock, and I ihall Ern, notwithitanding the fate of Laocooo, mite
m voice to my ecentrymen, and cry, •Bfre we crolste,Temeri....
Not, Sir, that I would be onderftood literally. Id* not mean to
affert the head of my Lord Hardwicke is abfolately built of tim-
ber. My application, like that of the original author of the talc,
is only metaphorical; yet, at the fame titre.,l cannot avoid fufpec•
ting, that lithe head of his Excellency were fubmitted to the ana-
lyfis of any fuels inveftigator of nature as Lavollier, it would be
found to contain a fuperabundatat portion of particles of a very
ligneous tendency. This, Sir, is the Lord Hardwieke of Mr. A&
againit whole Government • not a murmur or complaint
has Deco heard.' While our pet petty has been fubjtht to the
plunder of his Clerks, and our palms have been impeded to the
pikes of the rebels; Rill, however, the innocence of Lord Hard-
wicke, as to any intentional raifchief, is held forth. lot, I reply
in the words of Mr. Burke, ° they who truly mean well, mei
be fearful of acing ill. Delufive good intention is oo exude foe
prcrumption." And I may add, in my own wads; that the go-
vernment of a harmlefs man is not therefore a hamlets govern-
ment. Enquiry and tele:web are the duty and reburies at the ir
manta, and therefore I did enquire. The refok of no Mall at-
tention bellowed in this math, was, that I difoovered of oat
Viceroy, that he was in rank an Earl ; In manners, a gentleman ;
in morals, a good father and kind hatband ; and that be had a
good library in St. Janteet•iquare. Here I amid have been foe
ever flopped, If i bad not by accident met with ore Mr. Lindfay,
a Scots parfon. Once become (and I am fore it mutt be by Diem
PROVIDE tic:' far it would be impoilible to account for tt by fe-
condary auks) Billoop of Kilian, in Ireland. From this Mr.
Lindiay I further learnt, that my Lord Hadvrlcke was celebrated
for underianding the modern method of fattening amp as well as
any man in Cambridgethire."
The nest libelous pottage is contained in the fame
letter with which it concludes.
“ While I have been wetting. a map of the Weft ladles bar
penal to hang before me. My eye wandered, I know not why,
upon it, and !bed upon one of chafe little Elands which have bees
lately. by the grid& troops, redeemed from the capitulation of
Lord Cornwallis at Amiens. Give me leave to fuppole. that ha
the covert of a few years, one of Ode little Wands Should become
highly cultivated, and ebar a eanaderable portion of &kith pro-
perty became veiled in its land, and in its trade. Sapp*, that by
bare unfortunate combinational events, this little Wand boold be
=itak by infurredioa within, and boob be loudly me-
byen
'maim from without. Suppofe a powerful fleet of the
anantles of the Britt& name by to windward, filled with troops
Oar boding, while a delicate band of nifllans were fecretly arm-
ing in its bofom,rsady to aid that landing of a foreign enemy. Sup-
per% In this dither* a Committee of Weil India Proprietors,
whofe money had been v. Red in this little Wand, flaccid apply to
He Dr. Addington for affiance. Su be were to rife up, and
es define them to quiet their ap for got &kit istrailed
Abs owe of their fleeted to a 11ery mews, farartlivehr from Gindritr.
oh, tow t. fen 4941 of di kis rooffek I, a very able earprear
kilt amour, Nark iron Lioroki hoe. Give me kave to ak yen,
Sir, who know the City much bate than I can pretend to do,
what would a Sugar Committee, truing from of their Coffee-
houfes, fay to itch an enterer f-
the walls of St. Stephen's,
would be made to ring
Sit. to this fituation
dueed ; on the ftrensn
only its own fakty ;

1

Committee, Ming from one of their Coffee-
enterer from a Britlib Minifter Why, Mr,
ohm's, and the chambers In Downing-dm-et,
log with their vociferous reproaches. And yet,
is that portion of the United Kingdom re-
gal and vigour of which, at this moment, not
but, as Stare in my former fetter (toted. the
Enna over. •