The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-06-07 00:00:00

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

We are glad to find that the. Coroner's Inquest co
Simon Byrne, the unfortunate prize-fighter, who was
beaten to death, on Friday last, at a place called No
Man's Land, in Hertfordshire, have done their dutv,
by bringing in a verdict of Manslaughter against the
parties concerned. The verdict is Manslaughter against
,the survivor and seconds, as principals in the first de-
gree, and against the umpires, referees, &c. as pi inci-
pals in the second degree.
This is as it should be. The profound reasoners who
trace the bravery of the national character to the dis-
graceful and sordid butchery, of the prize ring may
complain of it; but those who regard bravery as a vir-
tue, and trace it to moral and intellectual sources, and
to feelings creditable to human nature, will rejoice at' a
verdict by which the patrons and disciples of the Fancy,
as it is called, are classed amongst offenders and subjected
to the penalties of the law.
If those who believe that courage is of the same kin-
dred with mercy and humanity, and with the highest at •
tributes that ennoble the character of man, find any
fault with the verdict, it will be that it does not go far
enough—that it ought to have attached the name of
murder, not of manslaughter, to the worse than brutal
act. However, as the consequences of manslaughter
may reach even to transportation, it is possible that
justice may be done, the feelings of the country satis-
fied, and its reputation somewhat redeemed by the result
of the present verdict, should another jury, in the last
resort, concur, with that which has pronounced on the
preliminary investigation. Another circumstance worthy
of remark, and only to be remarked with applause, is
the censure passed upon the local Magistracy for allow-
ing such an outrage to take place. The fight was well
proclaimed; the scene of action was well known; indeed,
to the disgrace of the county, it is the favourite theatre
of such exhibitions. The Magistrates, therefore, should
have been aware of the design, and being aware, should
have prevented it. But the remonstrance of the Jury
will not be without its effect.

It is ludicrous, and at the same time satisfactory, to
observe the consternation into which the different game
of prize-fighters and their abettors were throWn by the
verdict, which, the account states, a noble lord rode ex-
press to convey to London. What a dignified undertak-
ing for a lord But the middle and lower classes do not,
even between them,-monepolise all the meanness that is
to be found in society. The unfortunate wretch wholost
ibis life had, it seems, killed his man also. M'Kay, the
Scottish champion, as he was called, fell by the hand of
Byrne. What a sport for civilised people—for Christian
people—to see two fellow-creatures, without any provo-
cation but that which the spirit of gambling-and robbery
mparts, beating each other to death, amidst the applaud-
ing yells of gentlemen amateurs, whO look to pocket
something by the science, besides the mere gtatification
of a refined taste.
We hope that the result-of a proceeding swell begiin
as the inquest above alluded to will give the science itself
a death-blow.—Morning Herald.

Of all the cases which have yet come to our knowledge,
as to the unconstitutional proceedings of ministers, with
regard to t.l4a_late elections, the case of Liverpool out-
herods Her Cd. A wretched faction of that town thinks
proper to propose for its representative a man, whose
strongest recommendations are, that he is an Unitarian
in his religion—ahhost, if not altogether, a republican in
his politics—and that he has resided for a great portion
of his life in the United States, identifying himself with
their interests and habits, much more than with those of
his own country ; Lord Sandon and Mr. Ewart being the,
other candidates. The loyal portion of that most lova'
and most important town, indignant at the attempt t°,..
foist upon them a man in every respect' so unworthy 0`
their support; give that support to Lord Sandon, and the
republican candidate is rejected by a large majority!
Galled by their defeat, a certain clique, well known for
their clamour and cabal on every occasion, think fit t"
petition against the return; but when the time arrives
for entering into the usual recognizances, they fail to do
so; conscious that, before any impartial tribunal, the,
petition must be declared " frivolous and vexatious," and
themselves be saddled with the costs. So far the ease
was in accordance with the usages of Parliament and th:
constitution. But a heinous crime was committed.
man who would have gone the whole length of ministers'
in their sweeping measures for the destruction of tile,
country, was rejected ; and, instead of him, the people 0'
Liverpool thought proper to return as their representa:
tive a man whose character is without blemish—agains;
whom no one has dared to raise the voice of accusation (3`
reproach—a man whose only offence is, that he is a sciol3
of a noble stcck,know'n for its attachment to the truest
terests of the country, and that the son does not disgrace
the sire.
The petition contained an allegation that a sum
fifty pounds was expe •ed irsbri • . among 11,000 voter',
of .whom 8,000 voted . that •ccasion ! . This was th
`
charge—but it failed in and neither fifty, nor fice
sjt
pounds could be shown b .• y evidence that could be a'
duced, to have been s. xp• ded. so
`4 Member of th • ouse Commons was found ro
1'
fit an instrument of the wretched party, as to move till;
notwithstanding the parties had not dared to give t'a,
usual recognizances, a committee should be appoint'
at a great expense to the country, to investigate t 0
matter in the petition; and a minister of the Crown s'sl,
found, so lost to every sense of what .is due to the 00,
stitution, as to support this audacious demand. A Ce.,.
mittee was granted, and waded through a mass of as, les
famous perjury as ever disgraced the Old Bailey, "ts;',l,ss
was as thoroughly rebutted as was ever a grouna"o.,
charge overthrown in the world.. A clause was, 11°10,
ever, smuggled into the resolution appointing the 0960
mittee, authorising them, in the event of a systeol3,4,•
course of bribery and corruption being proved, to haler
the power of examining into the proceedings of foro4
elections. We defy the ministers and their revolutio";s,
friends. of Liverpool to show that five pounds was t it
pended among the whole 8,000 who voted, (exeltilio
might be on their own side,)—and yet in the face (f tl
I
fact, the same parties now come forward, to demall"
breaking up of the frame of society in Liverpool, bY
disfranchisement of three or foUr thousand freemen, cfn ,i
think the institutions of the country worth presercl,"pl
and who prefer to be represented by a man who wihoo.
in maintaining those institutions against the revolatl,,,
ary faction which-is assaulting them. It is preciselytroe
cause this is the feeling and the course of action of t.,!,,ag'
freemen that they are deemed by the ministers of Ps/
land unworthy of holding those rights and privilegeod
rights inherited by birthright •or apprenticeship, er
never derived by purchase ; nor at any time by gift!'
cep for some essential public service rendered by t"
dividual. 'Fete
Charges are made against the Corporation of ,
pool. Well would it be for England if all her cor,rejog
tions—(and we will not invidiously name anY)--ac`t, '
that of Liverpool does. They publish their acceoni
joit
nually, and distribute them gratuitously to the in.
ants. The whole of their large income—with th 011
ception of about £2,000 per annum expended in ilteto,l
entertainments and for the support of the magi,' 50,
office—is employed in the construction of doe
public works and improvements in the town of escr`e'vert,
scription ;. and, to render those works more
and advantageous, they have borrowed half ayl'is
sterling on the security of their revenues. This
Corporation of Liverpool • lati
The spirit of persecution--the infamous visa
f 1
the soundest maxims of the constitution--whieriPt fc
the proceedings of ministers against the anei,espig,e
men of Liverpool, about to be exhibited again tilikistalli
is without a parallel in the worst periods of our Ptioas;i:
and we cannot doubt that, if there be any
.tbecio
remaining in the popular branch of the I egislatbreW
tempt will be stigmatized as one of the most (la' tile
attacks that a wicked ministry could make 11P°
se.
berties of their fellow-countrymen. wea
With one and the same breath almost, these, well,yd
their tools decry two places which have returne_utoti°io,
opposition to their views. In 'one case they d'd ogsli
'immense extension of the franchise—to 'ear 00:01
_ corruption. In the other case they demand. aileelii
- contraction of th6.frapchise from 1.1,000 to be.t%:_diais•
8,000,—t0 guard against corruption ! Guar'