The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-16 00:00:00

TRIAL OF THE TRADES' UNIONISTS,

( From the Edinburgh Evening Post.)
During the last week, public excitemeut has been wound up
to the highest pitch, in connection with the protracted proceed-
ings of this extraordinary investigation. The trial con inued
fiir inure than a week, during which period a crowd of witnesses
were minutely examined—many legal objections, which were
incidentally started, discussed, and disposed of—untst able
speeches on both sides, particularly• on that of the piisoneti,
delivered by the eminent counsel engaged on the occasion—and
some of the most elaborate statements and addresses frum the
bench ever made from the judgment-seat. The jury were se-
eluded during the whole period; add their verdict was the
result of a careful and anxious deliberation of five hours' dura-
tion. Altogether, the trial is perhaps the most remarkable, in
these respects, contained in ma-criminal annals. •
The verdict of the jury has been much commented oni -un-
questionably, it was not considered, in a technical point of
view with that accuracy which would be looked fur at the
hands of professional lawyers; but, to us, time forum and construe-
tioo of the indictment appears needlessly obscure and compli-
cated, and, we think. naturally led to some contusion or iecon-
cig.eney au the Part of the jury. However, their verdict is
clear enough, as it legally acquits the prisoners of all share in
the mudrer of Smith, or the conspitacy which led to it, and
other crimes of greatest aggravation.
The evidence, however, is in itself most important. The facts
disclosed, most reluctantly, by some of the witnesses, let in a
flood of light upon the nature and objects of the Trades' Uuious,
as they are styled. It will be seen that these associations had,
in connection with them, secret bodies, whose aim was to des-
troy life and property. The assaults and attempts at fire-raising,
evidently organised by these dangerous confederacies, are
clearly spoken to; and the entire machinery of intimidation
laid naked with frightful precision. The secret committees
are (for, no doubt, they exist at this moment in full activity)
expressly constituted to prevent the men from working freely,
by means of personal violence; and these means are described
to be of the most deadly character. The men not • connected
with the unions are watched, marked, and reported to the per-
secuting committee by spies, called guards, appointed for the
express purpose. Allowances are made to certain miscreants,
also, who May have perpetrated acts of violence against the
nobs, as they are termed. The diabolical practice of throwing
vitriol upon these unfortunate men seems to have long been a ,
part of this iniquitous system; and it was clearly proved that.,
explosive materials have been frequently projected into the
houses and manufactories of the master cotton-spinners. We
refer to the evidence, which we have given at great length, for
an ample picture of these horrible proceedings.
We make no comment upon the statements of the various
witnesses, or upon the progress of the trial; these are matters
which none but individuals such as were in constant attendance
upon the,court could fairly or adequately discuss.
With rigard to the murder of Smith, with which McLean,
one of the prisoners, more particularly 'stood charged, and of
which he is acquitted by a verdict of not proven—this circum-
stance is by far the most appalling in the whole case. No man
can doubt—flom the evidence .adduced—the situation of the
„moldered victiM-the object anti designs of the union—their
violent and illegal measures—th'at Smith was sacrificed in lit,
therance of the interests of these attrocious associations Ills
blood' wi,is shed—his life was taken, ,because lie would not aet
in accordance with the tvranuical and unjust demands of the
trades' unions. We have no moral doubt that he was murdered
on a deliberate plan adopted for that purpose, with the int en.
tine of holding up his violent end as a warning to other refrac-
tory workmen. There is no other rational mode of accounting
for the minder. It could not be from outlives of private re-
venge !*.
f,r there has not been discovered the Most remote yes•
tage of e•,,i,i,0,., to lead to such a conclusion. What, then,
are' weto infer? The plain slid evident piestimption is, that he
was Murdered in pursuanCe of the infernal policy of these
Unions. •

Hits' (taring murder appears to have been perpetrated for the
lnaulll'st intent of strewing: to the world, and particularly to the
wntkmen thetnselves, ihat the trades' unions can exercise the
l'""*".1" a life and death' with comparative impunity, dta-
h"ii" schemes have been so deeply and secure!) laid that it
ha: 1i,'11,110 been found impossible to trace the haul which
the murder, or even the weapon with which it was in-
rtrled• The verdict of the jury has thiown a pviifotind
I,Ver • t sanooioary troosactioo, ‘diich Ihe facts ili•closcd
in evidenee do'uot enakle its•to penetrate‘ travint.i. been de.
clirred —and' no-VMe will fur a oioniein ..guest-ion the troth'
justice of the verdict—that McLean and his associates ale in
no wad voLneeted with the purder, the imi,tti9art4ill remains,