The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-22 00:00:00

there meet to die-Has public buainess, th ongis
Athens a great part of the people Isere co •
slavery. lint where were the slaves of Enxiimiu"P"!, 's
man here could meet, and discuss public tneasates`k.l.7
then was collection of people so assembles'. It; '-‘,l
there was no danger in Attires, because they w a5",,4,l.
;1
habit of meetin O. S. were the !online of this coaa"tese
habit of meeting. Number, therefore could not nuti
was latvfoil unlawful if perfect order wasprevirkiPirelo;
bail a right to assemble in nanoloom oho could d05:1.7
the amount of those numb, • ? Who could shut tk
There was no gate. Who could shut th, ba • “..el,44ter!
was no barrier. Vo'lin could crotot Coma, lad till
their number.? foes, entertaining those
gether with Mr. Moorhoose, went I.) the atomise
! Athens had its Demosthenes. Low ant poo.tits
always interestinx. litre was a meeting
was to be a contest of law and politao betlees
Orator Hunt (he meant no offence to Mr. 11un9,16
mosthenes of England, and the Manchester ~ •
Poor Jones took tire at this idea, aped thonebtVrlie'
flu
be an orator too. He spoke, and wasp() du:ketosis
gnonto
gP,VierliCiillicatl:lC(.lletivifriife.i
He delivered the behests of the committee, and pr„l,Pi:
expected to mount to a higher .;there in Jiseumn,....
lie law, and descanting on pnlaie trim-races. irel,l4
however, verified the old adaoe, Out " a ruble
not to go beyond his last." 1:noler them. c's
the story would consider it as alrunst to t.• ta: re
ear the defendants Moorbonse and Jones. lI
read a narrative from Mr. Moorhotise himself, ro-:'
would shoot hi* knowledge of law and poweisgM
position. The Learned Counsel here reed a
losorlionse's, in which he denied a Itnooviede
of the defendente, and stated the peaceable rondo! ,r
the people on the it;th, giving an account of bison
cnuoi.lesilleLt nseuarclyh-htai!n;,i;
tzpeperaacres innittitilehLtmis
L.
tern clime,,
would leave it with confidence to the Jury.
Mr. Hato said, he had to address them on the pan;„
the defendant !Saxton. It was not till the third ass's,
the trial that his name was mentioned in the pras;.,..!
inns. It was then mentioned by a police-utlicct Moo.
oleavoured to connect hint with riotous conduct. To,
the Connael for the Crown should hare moved Lis e.
quitted The case with regard to him W3l still•itsre, g
jh had
yi.n !
fie seas silo:4l7i
than it night, to im•l000le all the defendants. Time•
originatedHois prosecution bad no desire to isspico,
persons Wl:tt 11:•Te not active and intirstrieln if (Tr
venino, the meeting. They did not want to
those too this conspiracy srhu had made no effort no _
tomb the public peace. Even in this
temper of the ruserittur, he had great caused slate
in condo:ling the defence. The tt.super of the rem:o
—the al.or:u that hail been spread—the perigee 0„
bed loom *owned against all the defendants, lead* t.l
belief that they ought to be itunisheil whethretito
not, iuspireol Lion with anxiety. Ile trusted, hescc,
this 'blare would be free from prejudice. Thrtiostso
place for the trial hail been determined OA, auit
administration of public justice might not salt he be
from blemish, but entirely unsuspected. the Jan
would determine on the justice of each litchi-Heal cos
and if he email chew broad and palpable distiaciimu.
Ithe Jury wmll.l not overlook them. They trod' alionT•
that this wits a IsININI case of conspiracy, sea if io•
could shew that his arts were not bail in themetives
or acts of riot, lie would trust for the aminittalof hit
client. The inolictmeut contained three (Merges: go
first was that of conspiracy to overturn tbetimentmost:
this was the heaviest charge of all, sad little short of
treason. They were accused of bringing as immense
mass of people to Manchester, in order, by %diet* ei
physical force, by intimidating banners and tags. II
prove their power and inclination not onir to hillside.
the tioyernment, hit to prodnee ',aerials and mss
fusion. The nest charge was that of :=lsso
!ding, without conspiracy. roe third, • fir
conspiracy and sedition, stated a ease of not cad tuna
only. These were the three charges. Now as is the
coospiroey. A case of conspiracy was seldom preyed:a
its origin, and the acts firm in aid of proof Malik
of a broad and palpable character, which M colt
proved the criminal design, hut ninth Akashi MUM!
the fact itself. lie meant to say, that it was seams
casual or incidental act which con'ol prove a coaspitr.
it must he proved by strong evidence. Now, appply .
this to Saxton. it diii nut appear that he was Imes o
Hunt, or any of the others who were indicted with has. ,
It could not therefore be concludeol that be 101 leo
in concert with them. It did not appear that Soon
was at Smithfield, nor at Hoollock's Smithy. It eat as
proved that he was at Dinninoliam at the election dtk
legislatorial attorney, or hail any ronnectionwith it: ioo
was not even mentioned in any one of the transaion
till the Ilth of August ; he was nut at Whitt-rot PP
dill he take any part in the rircnn:Maner% of what Mr
red at that place. It was mot his wish to go is
question of the illegality of the meeting, lout it so
teniptiug to any man who recollected what manned
within Hie last three months, when his Learned-Prim!.
Mr. Searlett, had statiol in one of the Houses of heir
went, that his mind was not math up as to the Irgalf
of the meeting of the 16th of August.
Mr. Jostice lissLer.—You may discuss the redo
of legality on legal grounds, but not by argeartMerts
ad homing/N.
Mr. lints said he did not intend to urge the pint
opinion of his Learned Friend, or to say anything wild
for an instant retold wound his feelings; hnt he 4
wished to show that the opinions of mane pot os
were not made up upon this question threimostbille‘
He did not agree with foie Learned Friend in seoepeits
which he hail laid down. lie (Mr. Holt) weehl NOP
into the question .if how many might meet, and Ardor ,
att the people of Ft neutral had aright to meet
in one piece, for every right depended on the
'J
olene.% end justice of it. I t should be recollected's!
when these public meetings lorgao, in ISM *1 uteri
not considered as illegal. Immense assemblies er.
tohueltilininteBrripTieuit'sisunatui'll 'til'olewPraPrilAhro2.
peace of the metinpolia, passed an Act—for
Tc
pot down all such meetings? No; but to per!!!ww...
assembling within one note of Wesconitistor "7'._
nat.nlacoitastifreawrolir,it
the sitting of Parliament and the Courts of Jeetee.7.
that the right to meet was only restricted tea parts
.7,
spot, the general right being left as before._ls4l:
Omar meetings were then illegal, who was it Net
were not so declared ? Fur, without nteene.ef "Zi;
any personal ionput:itinn any when', he sell: tr
if those meetings were those wheel', 1
to advise the Crown had been guilty, of a
bad
r_,:
mt
neglect of that dioy. His Learned Friead loarwai
of Athens, but the question was not of
Athens, but of meetings at Manehester, at ihne.
Indio:sou, anal other places. It w.as to this be itermario
r.tessed
i
meet anal discuss proper *objects; sod ill.""Lttlat:fo
fronttti ntoa: the
uctht self.
att rwillirfee'ultf:rtuer°lndEgr.3:l*clYt after
w caosmi Itaehretioritligh telt° geiltiTT:
which he lotlongeol (Norfolk), be had no donr.,
question of not repealing, bat increaain...
shpt
the importation of corn was prop:4l4.W 7,7,. r
there would be thousands attending at the stmor
such discussion. The people at Nastiest 01
tended, had an equal right to meet sod ,_how
of reforms ; but it was said, 'hoot thismotesirsjaw.
bled in soilit ry array ;he he orr moter,s ao"
gularitv of their march should oat bo Olarrtio
as military array. His Learned Feed sow',