The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-08-08 00:00:00

RIG!! TREASON.

MOST INTEREATINO TRIAL
PAIsLEV, AVINST I.

'lbis day the Court met in the lieorge Street Church,
Pais:rv, fur the trial of James Spires. weaver, Johnston,
Robert Lang, we aver, Kilbarehan, against ivl e
the Girui.l Jury had found true bills for high treason
The prisoners were brought from the gaol to the
church in a coach, escorted by a party of hussars, and
entered under the charge of two Police officers. At
nine o'clock the Judges and attendants came, and free
admittance was given to every person till the church
was , rowded. The Judges were Lord Justice Clerk,
Baron Sheppard, and Lord Pitinillv.
James Spiers was first put to the bar, anal the names
of ICU Jurymen were called over, and tit' same question
pot to them as at Dumbarton. After both the prisoner
ar! Crown had made a number of challenges, the lot-
to.; ;!..g gentlemen were chosen for a Jury
Sir it. Nhaw Stewart, of Greenock and Blitekhill, Hart
Foreman.
Allan her, of Ureenoek, merchant.
John AFNaugh, of Giro Park, near Oreenoek.
Hobert Hunter, of Kirk-street. Greenock.
James Coates, of Paisley, manufacturer.
Vaithew Roger, of Rupland.
Aleundes leiper, of Paisley, merchant.
tint in Browning. of Paisley, merchant.
timid Traill, of Paisley, dyer.
John Gibson, of Paisley, cotton-yarn-merchant.
Thomas VI right, of Paisley. perfumer.
James Wilson, of Paisley, silk-merchant.
As Hebert Lang was summoned as an evidence
aLrainst the prisoner, Mr. Want objected to his being
iu Court, and lie was taken out. After the Jury were
sworn, the indictment was read, and like the others it
consisted yf four counts, the overt acts were 19. The
Solicitor-tiesieral opened the case on the part of the
(',own, and briefly commented on the law of treason.
Twenty-two witnesses were eviiiiito.d. 'l he prisoner,
during the Midi...it rebellion, hall been chosen
and ult..' as a member of a a otonnittee who com-
manded a ni,:h nhieli went and II oppra the cotton-
works ig Johnston and the neighbourlncol, on the 3d
.1 April.
A witness of the name of John Freer, intimated to
the Court that lie had beet' confined for four Do,
un a charge similar to that of the pri,:mer, and at imbed
to he informed whether he was to be considered as stiil
to be a principal, ur if he ty as to be a wi:ness only.
The Court informed isial that it was a rule that those
ho were implicated, if called upon for widener, were
teu longer considered principals. lie doll gave his
eyidence, and n as il:seliarged.
The evidence closed on the part of the Crown at a
little passed I 4 o'clock, and the Court ni:jourtied till
next morning.

WerNr,PAT. kria'ST
The Court met again to-Jay at ten and the
UJUICS of the Jury having been called over, Mr. Sand-
f rose, and addressed than on the hchalf u:' the pri-
soner. '1 he learne:l gentleman, in the first place, de-
scribed the distinct* a knotilcilged by the most
taarised writers nn criminal jurisprudence between the
inert art of levying, liar to &throne the hing or put
him to death, and raising it to effect any general pur-
pose unconnected with his person or authority, lie
aroma tom the evidence that there were very sight
pounds for bringing in a ver.:ict of guilty, and em-
ended by describing the character of the recalpatort
proof to he adduced fur the prisoner. The evidence
f the defence was then broug t forward. lbe es-
nebemination of one of the witnesses for the Crown lasted
Cis-arils of two bouts, and in the :•nd it appeared by his
ir.fgat confession, that he (wi:ne s) 11'.1% %err mach
ili?licated in a treasonable art. About a dozen
exculpatory witnesses were reausin!•il, which ocenpied
the Court froei about eleven in the morning till fist, in
the evening, alter which 31r. Grant rose to address the
Jury fur the prisoner and continu.il s, caking until ten
at night.
Ike Lan Anvocate was then heard in reply ; . nil
after a charge from the Lord Jastiee Clerk of nearly
tsar hunts' dura:ion, the Jury withdrew at ten minutes
b,fore four in the morning, and returned Into Court In
ac hoer and twenty minutes, when the foreman Sir 31.
SL,w Stuart, said. '• We find the prisoner guilty of
toe 15th overt act in the first count of the indicta.ttit;
an 4 ntanitnonsly recommend him to uselcy, on account
of !iis former good conilurt.
The LORD Jorricx CLena stated, that if the Jury
found one overt act proved, they ought to find
eau'ty upon the count, provided the charge of treason
was in their oidnion substaatiated.
A Juryniaii —We cannot bud him guilty upon
that.
Mr. flitaxr suggested, that the Jury might inteml
to return a special verdict ; on which another Jery-
mut seed, e• N e consider this as a special verdict."
The Jury again retired fur a few minntes; and,
upon their return, the 15th overt act Wog read hem
the indilment, the Jury still adhered to their former
finding.
The Lean Cider BARON, who had left the Court
after the Lord Advocate's reply, was then sent for,
and shortly after arrived ; and being informed of the
difli. oily which had occurred, stated, that tile attention
of the Jury should be called to the charge in the
coutt!, and what were the overt acts charged in it,
and that the verdict of the Jury must be upon the
count, certainly with Warmer la negative such overt
acts as they thought wereenot proved : that their ver-
dict must be upon the tout, 'unless they found a spe-
cial verdict wherein they would desire to know in
point of law whether the facts made out the charge.
He trusted that they would understand him not to 1w
directing them what their verdict should be, lout
merely tellintt them the form. The Jury had in trt.t
found no verdict: it was only found that the prisoner
struck work, and induced and compelled otle..rs to
finite work; shereas the Jury must either find that
die !.risotter was guilty of corn! assing the King's
death, and that they found, that by that overt act
being proved the prisoner was guilty of a conspiracy
to compass the King's death, etc. or that the prisoner
was not guilty; because a man's striking work by
itself might not prove that he imagined the King's
death. Men might strike work in a combination
with a view to raise their wages; that was illegal,
but it was not high treason; or they might strike
wsrk la a manner that would b• a manifestation of
their compassine the King's death ; that t.ie verdict
mist be delivered on the charge of compassing the
King's death, unz way UT the other, desiring it