The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-06 00:00:00

THE • STATESMAN.

•
meats. The Magistrates, he admitted, were entitled to use
, their discretion ; but when the pledge was given to the
approver, he was entitled to the benefit of it. They were
bound to receive the statement, and bad an undoubted
right to give their pledge npm their and if they incau•
tiously made a selection of an individual for
an approver, they most certainly acre to blame ;
, but their neglect or incaution, could .not be con,
tended, affect the approver. in this „ilk's they
may, he did not dispute, have acted prematurely and im-
properly, bat their baring acted as they did, had tirade the
cue out, sod bad got possession of 'the grand and Imßor-
tent fact through the evidence of Hunt upon the fwith
of their promise, which important, and absoluteljnecessari
declaration had, he knew, caused the assemblage of his
Lordship, the country, and the commission in the Court
that day upon an occasion, as appalling as it was awful, and
as it had its melarchisly precedents. His Lordship knew, that
all the offenders of the constituted -laws of this country
bad said, that no charge:of murder could stand, tinkle the
murdered person was
sikund, and, although a
rs
peon may be char with murder, yet
that charge must fall if tire body be not found; that
impnrtant proof in this case had been adduced on the
evidence of Hunt. as he on the faith, as he before ob-
served of.the magistrate's pledge, as the body was pointed
out through his instrumentality:in the pond. On the first
apprehension of the accused persons, there was only a
confused idea of a murder; it was reported somebody bad
been murdered, but nobody knew who, and although
every search had been made', • nobody" found, until
the magistrates offer to -Hunt, and be pointed
out tke body of a murdered man. The Magis-
trates did not attempt to contradict this in their
affidavits. - They knew not - whets the body was, and
were able to proceed upon the evidence of Hunt—with•
out which they never could have made the case oat.—
it had been said his client had not made full disclosures ;
but how, in the name of Heaven, could a man,
situated as he was, have done more?—His
client admits in the evidence which he has given
already, that be did nut communicate all the facts he was
'in possession of, and this may be easily accounted for: the
greet agitation, he laboured under at the time; but he did
it afterward", through Mr. Noel, kis Solicitor : it is true
he might have used some expressions out-of bravado, as is
represented, not consistent with his confession ; but this
was not sufficient to exclude him from the benefit of the
promise held out to him. The Learned Counsel thee went
on to show that the opinion of the public was in favour of
his client; and that be was, on all the grounds of justice,
entitled to speedo's.

Mr. Justice PARK said that he should not be guided by the
opinion of the public on oue side or the other. lie sat there
to administer justice, and strict juetice should undoubtedly be
done, no matter who the party were—he should on his part do
Ws duty.

Mr. Tttuutea■ contended and argued that Magistrates
should exercise their own discretion, and not be fettered. It
was on the faith of their proinose his client made the confes-
sloe be did, and surely they were bound to its performance.—
After a few other remarks, the learned Counsel concluded a
long and ingeolous appeat on behalf of the prisoner Hunt, to
establish his title to the promise held out by the Magistrates.
He hoped before he sat down that itwould be considered he had
done his duty as far as was in his power, and apologised if, in
the course of Me arganieuts. he had been too warm.
(THIRD EXPRESS.)

NEW LAW APPOINTMENT.

This morning at 10 o'clock, the Lord Chancellnr, ac.
cornpauied by several law officers, tie. attended at Lin-
coln's Inn Hall, for the purpose of raising to the degree of
Serjeant atLaw,William Alexander, Es q. one of the Masters
in Chancery, and Sir Robert Gifford, Bart.. his Ba,i,sty'
Atterneygeneral; preparatory to the former being Sworn
in as Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, and the
latter as Cbief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas;
which will take place on a future day.
The Learned Gentlemen-received the warm congratula
tiona of their Learned Brothers, upon the important situ-
itions they are abont to fill in the country.