Star.
London, England, 1817-12-30 00:00:00

error in this partienbr.3—Sir Francis then
that he had committed a mistake: he certainly re
lected very well that his friend was indebted to a v
able defence which he made in person for his acne,
on a groundless cliave of libel; but he thought
he had bees convicted on a former occa,ion, and
that account he thought he might have consid
him as his fellow colleague. He had himself
imprisoned for what was called a libel, and he mi
be so again; but no fear of that .tind %%osild e
deter him from etplsing a corrupts Assembly t
actedintli it e
iame nagne and o
of the Peopine, just as the Minist
were acting n the behalf
of.
his
xiiti
No penalties that Assembly could infiittshould e
deter him fro:n the exercise of the imprescripti
right of speaking the truth in defence of the
of the people. With respect to the remark of
Perry, respecting the opinion of a certain gre
lawyer on the subject of libel, he did not think th
was any disagreement between them on this point.
Lord Erskine, when at the bar, did certainly bear
most nobly against the oppressive doctrines ofludg
but he never did define what a libel was ;....40,f
Gentleman who was in the habit of writing like MI
Perry, did not now know any lawyer whom b
could go andconsolt:as to what was libel or wits

was not ; and it he did consult lawyers, they vmuli
give different I.pinions, according to their ptivat
views. In short, no one ever could define what
libel was ; and, for himself, he baieved all h
ever wrote might, by some lawyers, be called libeh
He had now to draw the no.ice ut the Meeting to th
conduct of a Gentleman to whom Mr. Hone was em

' newly indebted for getting out of his danger. He Meant
Mr. Pearstro, who, along with Mr. Wuoler, was thi
first to attack the abominable system of striking Spe
cial Juries. And not only Mr. Hone, but the publit
at large, were indebted to that Gentleman for having
so bravely placed himself in the gap, and endea
voured to break down that practice. He sineerell
believed that the reform which had been operated b:
Mr. Pearson in that list of Jurymen was the grates

practical good which had been achieved by any ma
within his remembrance— (apftkinte)—for his tier
lions, and the intellect and courage which direct .
them, the warmest thanks were due to Mr. Pearson
lb then moved :
" That the Timis of this Meeting are hereby cordially giv
to Mr. Charles Pearson, for his manly and successful struggle
oweseting the konopt system of packing Julies, which has •
tributed so essentially towards the present triumph ; and •
daily for the gratuitous advice and assistance given to Mr
throughout the whole of the peusocutions, affording a rare amts
pie to his profession of zeal, hathipeniknce, and disinteresieduess.
Lord COCHRANE said, he rejoiced sincerely at wit
nesting the strong and unanimous feeling which ha.
called together, and had been testified by, so nume
rous a Meeting. It was a proud triumph gained f•
the cause of public liberty over the system of m
trials and packed Juries, which had been so long th-
bane and disgrace of the country. He spoke feel
iogly on this subject (appraise.) But the case o
s was much worse, for many were convicted an.
punished with death, on the evidence of the m;
abandoned characters; men were convicted by packed
Juries, and on the evidence of suborned and false
witnesses. His Lordship afterwards adverted to the
sentence that had been passed on him upon a cosy'
lion for breaking out of prison. A fine of ill to
bad been thus imposed on him ; but sooner than have
paid that fine, he would'have remained and rotted
in prison; his constituents paid it for him, and
relieved him from his most painful situation...-
That money he wished now to return—(Lsed ap•
plesiu)—and with feelings of heartfelt thankfulness ta
Mr. Hone for his manly and able exertions in defence
of the liberties of the people, he would now .lay
down the one hundred pounds which he then held in
his hand, in addition to the soma already subscribed
for him.—( His Lordship here presented a £lOO
Bankosote amidst hied shouts of applause).—He had
wished to hive paid back this sum (fdr he considered
Ythat he was paying it for the benefit of the people of
England), in the old coin of the realm ; he could
sot. however, get it at the Bank. He might nave
.got Regents or Sovereigns, but they had little to do
with such a subscription as this tic largh and applawt).
He never in his life did any thing with greater plea.
sure than is lasing down this money in the cause of
the. Liberty of the Press, and of an oppressed man—
(fated applaue).—He concluded by seconding the
motion, which was carried.
Mr. PEARSON spoke to the following effect :—I rise
under the
.greatest embarrassment to acknc;Wledge
the obligations I am under for your kindness, and
the gratitude I wish to express for the feelings which
have dictated the lase Resolution. If my thanks are
cot expressed in that set phrase of speech which is
cisstoniary on these occasions, attribute it to the fact
that this is the fist time I have been ever placed is
such a situation, not that I ass insusceptible to the
feelings of gratitude, not that my heart hag never
been strung to its melodious strain, but it has trees
110leltallowed silence -and private friendship had
i~iltHed its notes. Never have I swept the strings
amidst the sounds of battle, or at the song of victor:. ;
And I cannot but attribute the present exhibiticn
feeling to that spirit which welcomes a recruit into
flibevaaks of the people, and which is ready, in the
true' spirit of Ice:Throaty, to par the tell br,uuty at
starting. If this be the case, recollect, Gentlemen,
that, although always an admirer of the cause, I
am brought before the public, and as bringers Are
liberally paid,. I hope that you will not, in your sub;
scription, forget Mr. Hone, who is my bringer—the
assistance which I have given hint has been certainly
afforded With sincerity, and I trust upon principle.--
I foetid himo stranger, unprotected and triendirc,
the object of oppression, the victim of power.
thought' it my duty to assist him, and more particu-
larly to give him the opportunity of an imnourahle
appeal to a Jury of his country, unbiassed, timn-
tittericed; and impartially selected. But when I er•
shred at the Crown Office to strike this Jiiry, I found
tt an Augean Stable, the Hustlers of Corruption,
waiting with the Hackneys of the Court properly co
poisoned, and ready to be harnessed to the Car
reriecotion ; the .)ehos of the law prepared to mount
into the seat of the charioteer, furiously to drive over
'the liberties of the subject; and, like the -worshippers
of the ladian Idols, to sheer -their seal for the God
of their Idolatry, by beating down 'and crushig a
defenceless indite:sal by its ponderous wheels. T":
proprietor of litable poetess*, with the greats:
liberality, that he was ever ready to take the Wes
4ifereatly from the stall ; stay more. be was re,tdi
-It the victim to be rode Over by may of