The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-04-20 00:00:00

;i~i~~a

LONDON, THURSDAY; APRIL 20, 1820.

" The (*mike fur which HAMPDEN fell at tht Field, and SYDNEY died on the Scaffold!"

TO PAIIEVIN AND GUARD! %NS.

ACHEMIST and lilt I'HUIST. whose business is
respectable. has a V 11'.1NI'Y for a YOUTH of good
morals and who woeld la this situation enjoy pe.
rubor profe4,ional adrantageq. sad whose domestic e.meforts
w•oild isoderate premium w ill be reinirml.
Ipplieitii.u. if by letter. post paid. to Mr. Walker. the-
nt'st, arr.. S. svuthatar•ton-street. Strand. sill be duly at-
troled to.

m 10118; he alblell it was necessary fur all those estates
t I make laws, which could not be altered hat by the
same conient ; that the Commons House WWI the House
of Assembly of the People, where their rights ou;ht to
be yr.decte,l. When the people asked tw their rights,
tlie threatened to make war upon them (the people).
Can, lie added, laws proceeding front such a source be
considered the laws of the laud, or is it lit he should
obey theist? This was oo the 13th August, I *as at
Manehester nest day, where there were assembled at
least one hundred thousand persons.
Examined by liarrisom.--31y name is Cowl er ; I
was witness on 31t. limit's trial at York.

.1N1) J. titan% the Public !or
tlir • it fit% ours. add solicit a eontinenetee of their pi-
treesce in the present Lottery. which begins NiXT
TIIt:INDAV. April V. when TWO PRIZIN of LOAM%
3 prr t i• it. Consols. are IlseJ for lbe Too Viasi-Damirs
auetbtre arc upwards of Ilitleapitals in the
Lotterl. nix.% Twesity other Capitals will be Drawn.

THE II enewstais
F iur Prises of ,t3.1,999
"A Two IO,UIIO -• ,
Re. te.. 1'..tic01.4 sod 110m1/1"
Tickets soil ti. Ares sr? ..riting by J. std J. Se% LWRIGTIT,
at their lortimnte Oakes, -1..!
:v. coNNltiu.; 1 3s. IhVII\RICLT ;
I. 1161.1341:1 : M. 01111W-vIRLET :
here Vie:. shared sad 4.1.1. in their riontrart jitsi e..tieluded.
Loll), a Prize of teU.UO:II. sad IS other Capitals.

CHESTER ASSIZES, Arius, Is.

SEDITION.
Tar It INIS r. b•KuI4IIN.

In ti►l.: eve it appear ti the Jery were sworn 6,•fore
he aw.tr- of it, and on Mr. ATToaxer-liENl:l:.►l.'l4
the elefetniant'it right to than age thew, if
he th..;l-11t proper, they were re-sworn with hi+ eon-

11r. M v:sev opened the pleadings by stating the
Itelictottent, which generally charged the defendant
with hasiag used at Shwkport, on the 15th of .lugnst,
e niain on-diatoms expressi tending to excite the liege
subjects of the King to insurrecloa, and to bring the
tloveroment of the eunntry, as by law established, into
hatred and contempt.
Mr. It eNToPM Clitorney-General for Ills •ster).—
ttentlensen of the Jury, my address to you on this ar-
ca oion shall be very short. The defendant, Joseph
Harrison, is described in the indictment as a school-
master. as you will have perceiver) from the in ietment
road by my Learned Friend, charged with using se-
ditious aspic. shins, calenlated, from their nature, to
bring the tiovernment and astlturities of the country
into hatred and rantteolopt. Besides this, the defendant
is eh:trend wills endeas touring to excite the liege sub.
jests of his 31ajesty to insurrection and rebellion.
lientlemen, I charge the defendant with uttering se-
di hots words to work these wicked purpotore; and if I
ant itistrueted ariteht, they were made use of at Stock-
port, within a few lo ides of the town of 3latichester, on
the evening preceding' that day which bail %1111-cy On
,ny ac. stunts, become NJ remarkable. To el* eel,-
tteti day I shall not now further auntie. The
3ta •istrato s of 31anchester, however, hearing, no
hioa 'rr he tshat means. that a meeting was advertised
to ht hell at Stockport on the et ening of the
15 h ut August, hying also aware of that intended
to he helit in that town o.n the nest 'lac, felt na-
turally s•alie sovici.iii of their I.eitiz e.,11111.01.11, and
they therefore sent the pers.n tslt . was their Seeretary
t • hear met rep rt to them what passed. Mr. Cowper,
the gentleman re .t upon the mission, attessiled the
Windmill Union Moon, in which the defendant uttered
the seditious words of which I complain. awl uttered
them front a pulpit ; 1 know nit if his sermon on that
turasi had much of religion ita it ;it certainly had
some polities noised up with plenty of sedition. tow-
per then took notes to refresh his memory as to what
said, and he nil tell you what has passed, whit h
is pretty ~early as li.tvc been already rea I to yoon front
the indietnient. It ie or two other persons also attend-
ed that met:tine, who dill tut take notes of what they
heard, I.ut who. eau still repeat ill you the substances
of some passages, which will mainly tend to etorrodoo
rate the testimony of Cowper. it I first pn.vt• the
it: tering of t•eilitiou• language, that will become the
first stiltieet for your consideration. It will tw for
you, as t4l that proof, to attach what credit you please
to the memory or the veraeity of that vs itness. Anti
having. disposed of this, it will be nest fur you to
consider whether the intentions charged are contained
iu the import of the words used ; anti for my part, 1
venture to say, I never heard of more sedition in so
small a e pass of est ressione. tientle::oen, on this
eweasion I •11 111 trespass on you no further; I shall
1:43 esidettre t • prove the uttering of certain words:
you are to determine their meaning, and upon the evi-
dence, 1 call upon von to pronoonnee your vrr6.l.
Mattlocw Cowper, examin -41 by Mr. Msesev.--1 ant
a public accountant at 3lanchester. I went on Sun-
dae, 13th of August, to attend a lecture, advertised to
Is: holden at the Unlink Stockport,
on that day. It was, perhaps, six o'clock in the after
noon when I went there: Mr. Ilarriton was preaching
to a large concourse of persons then in the rosin ; te.
fore I could get into the room his discourse had
lIICIICeII ; Mr. Harrison was in a pulpit nearly faring
the door; the discourse continued nearly half an hour,
it 'nigh, occupy threequ.srters ; when I left the room I
took notes of what I heard.

By the Cocur.—There might have been a thousand
people there, and from the heat many were ob:iged to
come out ; I saw one female fainting.
Examination resumed.-1 went on purpose so take
notes, and within a quarter of an hour afterwards took
minutes or what l heard; the first time I beard him
lecture WM to live soberly ; under that head he called
upon his hearers to ;Await' from the use of tea, spirits.
tobacco, and other excisable articles; that was the o .lv
sure way of causing the Reform which they sought for ;
"'rise tiovernment hal e starved the people, and there-
fore it is tit the people sherrld starve the Governme tt ; '
that terminated the one head of living soberly. Ibe
sett and the last herd on which he lectured, was It
live righteously ;he said the word rights:oas ap, lied
as well to the tick as to the iso .r—'o the gave:: ors rs to
the governed : he then proceeded to state the Constitu-
tion of the Lowery c Jusi•teta td l,ortas, am! t

Harrison.--I/id you there ackuuwleilge you ro1,1•441
your master'

ATTIIIINKT-f;f:Nrn •g..--I °Merl to that.
Witnallse-4aboaltl wish to answer it.
The Cut:KT.—lf you Wish it, it is better to do
Witness.--Th • person alludes too a rinse when I was
only 15 years old ; I was then in the service of f)aws
and Fry, at Bolton; in that ser%ire I applied a 311111 of
lii too my own us • whirl, hebontfell to my employers;
that ni.otp•y 1 repaid out of the first I could o• tttttt naml,
with compound int-rest, too the period n hen I pill
them; that, my Lord, is the ciremoistanee too which lie
31111,111; 1 Kultsquently kept one situation nine years,
till I commenced business for myself.

111- the rot:wr.---I alit how in business for myself as
a 'midi.. accountant.
By Barri...tn.—l was at the Windmill room; I Paw
no advertisement; hitt the 3lagistrate who sent m..•,
told toe there was one; I was never there Iref•.re ur
sinee ; never heard defendant preach at any other
time• ; I .1.. not know the test ; the sermon rumumenced
before I entered; defendant might hare said he pre-
ferred a monarchy to a republic ; I oho riot recollect
hi. saying he won I.! 41ie by the Cmastittithm ; I recol-
le..t hearing the defen.!ant dwell upon the nil. of
drunkenness.

William Shaw, examined by the Arvottxxv-6E:es-
1ta1...--1 was at the Windmill room when Garrison
preached, the 'resistor before the 3lanehester meeting;
he said he was very happy his townsmen hail refrained
from agitating; by so doing they would start; the
system that had 110 long starved them; he said they
would have a dark valley to go through--
By the Coray.---Was it May or pa
Witness.—To the best of my recollection it was
" you ;" the thunders will roll over your heads, and light-
nings flash in your fares. Ile said England had been
the Paradise of Europe, and he hoped it a sntill he the
Paradise of Europe again, and that it was a corrupt
Government. Ile slid not tuentiou any particular one,
hut my understanding was, it applied N England. I
did Lot hear any thing o ; I was obliged to cow
out. the place was so hot and rrowde,l.
Examined by Harriett.-1 ant sure defendant
said, " Starve di.. systrtu that had starved them:- I
am a labourer, in ilifferrot ettsployments, in a factory
and a f.sundry : la•t employment was nizlet-wweli-
ing: I was employed by the stagistrates to attend the
Win hnill-ro ; I ant a dis h irv...l soldier with a pen-
: I never fought at Malta; 1 lia‘e lodge I Ches-
ter, at the Split Crow, for nor night, nod ever since
at No 2, in flagman-buildint• ; I eldelly spent Ny
evenings at the Split Craw : I don ,t recollect ~a) 'tug
I coul clear 15s. it day. VII 'Wire of my exi-en.ys, bt
this job; Either drunk or sillier I inner ree.dleet say-
ing, so ; I gave notice of it hat I heard on the lealt of
August (Mon.la) to the MagiOT:lte‘ ; 1,410 not recol-
lert the text; I was is but a very short time.

George Ilrnnina, 4.9 6666 ines! by Mr. MAXI.CT--1 at-
tended the Winslinill-rsams at the lecture on the 1. sth
of !August; I attended I.y ~.der of the imoristrates ;
when I went in, I heard him (defendant) saying', " he
was happy that his townsmen hail refrained ft.rtu
drinking. ,ilnd if they would stick to that sy•irtn,
they would starve that which turves! them. They
had a shirk valley to go throng+, awl thunder us:glit
roll over their head and :Minting flash in boric fies;
all.l if they would !tick to that they wouhl their
point." 1 went with Shaw; I slid not know Mr.
Cowper was there.
Ex..mlnesl by :MI a I:o.tstirer, the •.4 MO
AS soy sane wuuid it., stork ;
have hero a suldicr in the artillery ; I have lets at
Malta. lint never fought there, nor ever levesl in a
draw-well to avoid the enemy ; I said all I hate to
say ; I slid not say Ilarrissm was like to take any harm
tr..iri this trial, nor that it might make a little Inn in
Cov.rt : I do not reeolltet where I W.l a 1111 the ;tit of
August ; on the !•th in the Istorniag I rannot say I
was at Ashton ; I • Wil'Ar I was nut ttrilling the
Baikal!. at Ashton Mos.. on that morning; I have
been a special runs:able : I ruler was PO king as nine
weeks behind with my pay.
Ke ed by Mr. AA% LE was not drilling
the Itaielleaht to my knowlett}e.
By Ilar.ilon.—Ns•r on the lsth, I do swear I did
not the Ittuaicals.

Here the case for the prostration closed, whi n
Harrison itninediately commenced his defence. 64%
fellows :--I stand before you, lien•lrusen, in different
circumstances to what I did the other day. The pre-
sent inilictaient is MOW ele.lible than that, but still
tends raffia r to perplex and confuse one not accusto:ned
to the law, deficient a. I thick it is, in not specifying
whether the words were spoken in my own house, , r 4.
a sermon, or ass private conve7sation. I was nut ern-
11.**.st.UP of uitering the language impaled to me, but if I
aid, it was with a es re iiitferent intention to that ..s
charged against me in the inilicra.est. I cannat a,:mit
it, but if I did, I still do not think it to be setiitiens.
Any thing by the common taw may be construed into
?edition, nor du I think l could read three ..uarrrs of
o y Ilibie, without having sth t I read so construed.
Lawyers can with ease twist and turn phrases and sr n•
fences. and give that siatps;io it.nocener and simplicity
all
a sere di!!ereat tuns,,eslit:sl not en,ploy a lawyer fur
co. % ant of Jur kgylie.t.. nave engage.; a sons i-
tor to i repaes.o. ;e 40 ott.erwise assist me: but
i,.ey hats staged, 'thee ailed for the Kefur.:.ers they
. of .

PRICE SEVEN PENCI

would lose business elsewhe-e. Hem e I ant oblige.'
hccunu• Illy laiWyer ALII attorney, unless th.-i
Lordships will assist me, according to the :Herrin '
principhe of the law, which makes them a Counsel t •
the defendant, or the prisoner, as I may now call u.• •
self. Ifithr no lonzer sate, Gentlemen, to preach th
Gospel, wi.!. such comments upon it as its trs.t [equate-
why then, I say, the good old days of Englami
gone; aye, li.•tttlemen, are Ceti for ever; and as lu:)_
:AS people can he found who iro about pickings up wha
a preaeher says for a fortnight's t•ood living at the .1
size., o, liringimg a little 'stoney to I hei r families, •
man can give his sentiments with secority in his u
in his pulpit. My late verdict, t:cntlenr•
may prejudice me u . •wl.at in your minds.; but s•
I cannot Maine the .Ittorney -I...tier:al, who only p•
formaul 'be duty impusini upon Mitt by his employer
lie did his work well, gentlemen, our can I blame •1• •
Learned Judge who went har•l aninst us, but he L'.,
been obliged to serve his cutployer•.
rhicf IVA ra r.N.—I mar he liable to err, lei
what I said I felt. I Lary n.. eo.ployers: I shall iris •
you every latitude in ys4ar defence, but I beg of you rt..
keep that within the hounds of deceuey and modes,-
'v.'s of a Judge tu,tst not thus lie falsay
.:ta•ed. Whatever I may have said, I said because .
felt it.

take the hint, my Lord, and win!
I sa'sl,
.1 did say, as well Ls your le•rdship, be .ati•••
I thought it. We'll pass on. Gentlemen, however
gothl the laws of England max be, we want the pcnre•
of using them. There may be bad haws; but if ther.•
In., they are void, serording to the doctrine of bur
1... Le. .111 laws must not be considered good beca:tv-
made by Kings and lissvernstiroits; fur you all re.. 0.•
I scr that EllipSOil and Dudley were banged with Vol.-
Bills ..1 Indemnity about their necks. A per ss
preaehing from Sabbath to Sabbath, three :hues achy,
gives room to men who, fur a few pence, will ea-r
on any wicked trades ; and if we are to be I
every trine we preach, better not do ao at all. I unv
take lip my Ilible.--(The prisoner here proceeded t 6
quote passages from the Scriptures, which lie mi 1
might he called seditious.) He then continued.—
Why, Gentlemen, all preached was a tonal lec:urts,
on Sabbath-day evenings. The popish. repaired ts:
• burr,' quietly, and returned so- hearts 111% at
rsjoirings to the Almighty. llentlemen, in the elz..•
roam, lam t grievously charnel, and is gull •-:
that, I 111,1,0-veil to lw punished;—that I must iii-pr..y..
It charges me with exciting 'several persons to ar.:o. • .
siver.sne the two Houses of Parliament, awl nuaLe in-
surreeiisms in the realm. Why, if this were Irmo I
deserve indicting, and its he found guilty. lint I
confident you will not be able to find nee guilty I.IP 164 V
one count in the indictment. tireat stress is laid aiwts
the slay, the lath of August, f.r siliich Mr. Hunt mini
others were indicted, as it there had been sonic ti
in my preaching to train, drill, and lit the people a 11..
heard me for some l•!ttralltdillary tratOlarlicts at 31.ou-
ehebter. With that lam wholly iniconnected ; I
ole2.iguell to go there. Hut on the ilay they met. I :..-
tended to go there, but arrived after it was ills
by the Prahres o' the cavalry. I would have t k t.,,
par; in th it meeting, because I had determined to ter
to go to any public meeting without an invitation.
you had any pro..f of this, I might have been inebi.lc.l
with that on which othe:s were tried; hut, lient:euse:!.
there is notiv.---My ministry, Gentlemen, is attended
ley 1004,r people, and people nit.% if 1 had ex( ited th •to
to insnrrertion, would uo longer kire listened to nse :
no, they would N4.4.til lien.l lose I,
1 do Itat kii.sw any one s.f :s more peaceable slispositi mui
I 11:111 self, for I rannot isolulgs• revenge ere,'
those who juju; 4. in,
.111 Who know tile, know I um
the reverse of what is alleged against me. lint, tient:i-
nsets, I would not have 'oil take this merely on thy
i.uying, and I trust the t"..nrt aitl leave n.l olsje:ii.•l
in letting tsar Wits: fern ant an esidetwe or two in my
favour as t•• these poiuts.
Stanley IN uulion. C3[3111;1141 by Ilarrison.---1 was at
the Windmil:.roono on tier l3th August, t.n lo in des
before service, alit after it was ever ; I observed ere-y
tiling very regular, as b.. di A place of WO $ tip ;
you (.larr:assi) preached I US of the Bible; roll ex.
hurt. d the pe not to g • t s public-house*, awl not
to spend thei.• aI to the destruction f their families ;
I heard w.th;log to encourage the I.cople to insurrec-
tion • r to starve the Government.

*f examined by Mr. lixscoN.—l am a weave 1
M•ln lis lot:ged with nie for seven or eight years.
a m:stake ; you are n.rt

the i erten.
John Burgess (examine.' by Harr:son), state.' that
he did nut conceive that the serloon but any thing t.►
do with po!itiet.
Robert clump by Harrison), deposteci to
the name erect.

Robert Wilkinson.-1 was at the room during the
whole service, it was commenced by Pinging a .1
prayer. We had a strut n from the Nth thiti—e-.
21-i verse. of Isaiah. irefentlant exhorted people to
trust in liod, an.: he 'hewed there was safety no where
else. Something was said about the I'omte:4ll6yd,
consisting f three watts, the King, L •riis and Cm:,
mons ; he said that laws could out be wade without
the I WO. nt uf all three estates. lie said the
Commu-.14 nOlt to represent the whole people. He-
fentiont spoke against drunkenness, and starving their
families ; defendant aid not steak, in my hearing.
mi.airst.obeying the laws of the land ; I do nut mil-
lett hearing defendi:nt say it was a corrupt Govero.
iner.t; hear nutlei:ig said which was at all calculated
to ex:ite insdrrectiou or rebellion. You (IL) ativisrd
them to put their trust in the Lord.
Coca, no you rail nest. Mr. Harrison ?
Har::son.—l do nut, my Lord, think it necessary to
call any re. I stall here close my eirtence.

Mr. BeNrstre replied ats. we length.
The ( LIE/ Jt %Tics Frotert.eU up the eve
to the Ju-y. Ant r haling rt ri I ver tit kuist'ne .t,
e 5..1.!, the first t)i•tg 3 till I% !zikle to co:midor is,