The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-04-28 00:00:00

several Aldermen.

The prisoner, Arthur Thistlewood, was then placed
at the Bar, and the Clerk of the Crown proceeded to
call over the list of the Jurors. From the number of
persons summoned, this was a work of considerable
time, and it was after 12 o'clock before the Jury was
sworn. Twenty-three Jurors were challenged by tha
SOLICITOR-OZNZRAL for the Crown, and twentv•siz
by Mr. CLiwooo on behalf of the prisoner. 'lb.
Jury• was rompo‘ed of the following persons.

Alezasder Barclay, Foreman. Dickinuoa.
Thomas Goodchild, JGoris:Vdsrard Shepberi,
Thomas Suffield AldemaY, John Fowler,
James Herbert, William Gebbs Roberts,
John Shooter, John Dobson.
Samuel Grainger, William Cooper.

As soon a; the above Jurymen were sworn, the
Lord Chief-Justice ANNUTT rose, and observed that as
several persons were charged with the commission of
the crime of High Treason, whose trials it was pro-
bable would occupy a considerable time, it was thought
necessary, strictly to prohibit the publication of this
or any other trial until the whole were terminated:—
This order was indispensably necessary, and he trusted
it would be attended to.

The indictment charging the prisoner wiAs compas-
sing, and contriving the death of the King, and the
subversion of the liovernment, as by law established,
was then read. It was of unusual length, and occupied
a considerable time, _

Mr. BOLLAND opened the case on the part of the
Crown, by bristly stating the nature or the disferrut
counts in the indictment.

Kr. Arraanstassitaat, tilts rose, and spoke to
the following let
May it pilot your Lor
Glare—Yon .1. aasasiabled
to discharge a duty of more than ordiiary importance;
you are assembled to decide upon guilt or inoocence,
as it respects a charge which mast, in its consequence.,
invoke the life or death of the tusfortanste person who
stands charged with it. Upon such an occasion,
Uentlemen, it is satisfactory to me to know, that it is
unnecessary for me to ask you to bestow the greatest
attention upon the case before you, and still leis ne-
cessary for me to impress upon you the necessity of
coming to this investigation with impartial and un-
biassed miuds. I confide to your attention, and rest
assured that you will consider the case as it deserves.
lientlemen, in reviewing other offences, however great
the degree of turpitude which marks them, we gene-
rally find that there has been some motive which
might inspire the crime and urge to its perpetration ;
but the case now before you is an exception to this
remark; it is one in which we can trace no reason
which could hare prompted the prisoner to perseverd
is his designs of murdering persons whom he did not
know, and against whom be could not po•itde feel
any animosity. I will not trouble you, lienlierrien,
with many observations upon the offence with which
the prisoner it charged,because I wish you to form your
opinion entirely upon the evidence which I shall lay
before you. '1 he charges against the prisoner are
f .ur in number, and three of these may be briefly
stated as imputing to him the crime of compassing
and undertaking the death of the King. In proving
this charge, it will not be necessary to show that tl.a
blow was actually and decidedly aimed at the life of
the Sovereign, because, if it was aimed at the forum of
liovernment which the law es ablishes, and recognises,
it must in its consequences tend to produce the removal
and subversion of the King. In these cases, then,
if sufficient is shown to prove that a plan was form eal
and acted upon, which had in view the subversion of
the authority of the Crown, or which, iu its conse-
quences must lead to that result, the charge must ha
considered as established. tientlemen, important as
is the duty which has now devolved upon yuu, I do
assure you that mine is no less anxion.l ; for though
I purpose merely to inform you upon the nature of the
charge and the e%idence with which I mean to stappos t
it, yet it is any duty, as standing between the public
and the prisoner, to state fairly to you the tic's con-
nected with the case, and to draw your attention t 1
those which strike me as making materially against
him. lf, in performing this task, you shall think that
I am not sutliciently borne out by evidence, and if vUi
think that my observations and inferences are ISA
fairly drawn, you will of course give the benefit of
such doubt to the prisoner. But if, on the other
hand, you shall find that those observations and io-
ferences fairly rad naturally arise out of this far 1
which I shall lai before you, it a- ill then be y...ur duiv
to allow them to have a just and reasonable weight in
influencing the opini n which you shalt lont t.-eti•
tkmen, having said thas much, I shall without further
premise, call your attention to the facts wl:i .11 I Ives,'
to support iu evidence. The prisoner, I hastl.w.t.,.4,
who is now charged with attempting the death of the
King, anal the overthrow of the tmerrnin .nr, has t—.a
for some time (as well beivre as .1 the tinge tr:tre t• .e
discovers
number of persons.
who appear to Fusee inrc.ri.h'‘
of his da signs was made) cqnneered w•tt.
1 *
acted hurler Ws guidance. At rr, sent, hewevur, 1

of the