The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-03 00:00:00

THE NEWPORT INSURGENTS-SPECIAL
COMMISSION.

The judges returned to Monmouth on Monday, and on Tues-
dap morning proceeded to the court, accompanied by the high
sheriff of the county, and preceded by two of the 12th Lan-
cers, two metropolitan policemen of the A division, and the
different officers of the court. The 12 prisoners whose names
appear in the indictment, were brought from Monmouth Goal
to the court-house in the prison van, under an escort of Lan-
cers, the gaoler of Monmouth being assisted by four con-
stables of the A division. The prisoners were chained together
in two gangs, six and six, and excited considerable interest
and some commiseration among the spectators. They were
immediatelyconducted to the cell underneath the court-house,
and remained in custody of ten picked men from the London
police, Great Scotland-yard. The Lancers were then ordered
off to scour the adjacent country in all directions, in pickets
of four or five men, expresses having, we believe, been re-
ceived of projected movements in the hills, but the public
tranquillity was not disturbed.
Soon after 10 o'clock their lordships, Lord Chief Justice
Tindal, Mr. Baron Parke, and Mr. Justice Williams entered
the court, and silence having been proclaimed, the names of
the justices of the county were called over, during which
Feargus O'Connor, who had arrived in town early the same
morning, came into the court, and took his seat at the
barristers table, next to Mr. Thomas. The court was much
crowded.

The Attorney and Solicitor-general, Sergeants Ludlow and
Talfourd, with Messrs. Wightman and Talbot, appeared for
the crown ; and Sir F. Pollock, with Mr. Kelly and Mr.
Thomas, for the prisoner Frost.
The 12 prisoners, John Frost, Charles Waters, John Lo-
vell, Richard Benfield, John Rees, George Turner, alias
Coles, Zephaniah Williams, Edmund Edmonds, Jenkin Mor-
gan, Soloman Brittan, William Jones, and James Aust, were
then placed at the bar, and the indictment read. Frost was
dressed in black, and all the prisoners maintained a decent
composure. Frost, particularly, although looking as serious
as a person in such a situation should, yet was perfectly calm
and composed.
The prisoners were severally called upon as to whether they
meant to sever in their challenges of the jury, and they all an-
swered that they did.
The jury were then called over in the case of Frost, and the
other prisoners were removed.
Sir F. Pollock applied for his client to be accommodated
with a chair, on the ground of illness.
The Chief Justice intimated that, if at any time there
should be the slightest inconvenience, or the prisoner should
be tired, he might sit.
Sir F. Pollock then applied for the names of the jurors to
be taken from the alphabetical list by ballot.
The Attorney-general said, from the time of the 7th Wil-
liam 111. down to the present time, he believed the form of
proceeding now moved for had never been adopted. The
course had always been to begin with the names at the top of
the list. Proceedings of this nature had been conducted be-
fore great and constitutional judges, and the rule had now
come down to their lordships, and was such as he submitted
they would follow. If, however, their lordships should think
it would in the slightest degree promote not only the admi-
nistration of justice, but remove from it all suspicion, he
would pray that there should be the departure from the usual
course altogether.
Chief Justice Tindal having consulted the other learned
judges, stated that, if this application had been opposed, the
court would not have conceded to the objection, because, so
far from being injurious, it was an advantage to the prisoner.
The sheriff in ordinary cases had the right to take the list
fairly and impartially, and put their names in what order he
thought fit, and the usual course was for the names of the
jury to be called as they appeared in that list ; therefore,
there could not be any disadvantage. The sheriff had ar-
ranged them in a manner that the learned counsel could
hardly say that any person had been selected for a particular
purpose. Still, as no opposition was made by the attorney-
general, the court would .ellow the names to be called by
ballot.
The names of the jury-men were then called from the bal-
lotting-box.
Ten names were challenged by the prisoner, and one on
the part of the crown.
Sir F. Pollock objected to peremptory challenge by the
crown, and was followed by Mr. Kelly.
After some discussion, the challenge was allowed.
The day was taken up in hearing the challenges, and the
trial was to commence on Wednesday morning.