The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-06-16 00:00:00

s—
lot hive been dropped ; they are only sus. I
A The Defeedint, for the purpose of ye.
in,,, tog all prejudices against him, has favoured us
• • account of himself, in which he say, that I
was ever sOtUtith abused and calumniated as
een. I ant'itiit sure that he makes a very
distinction bet‘sresift the active and the pas.
:e, Mr. CobbOttZ the must calumniated,
st libelled man id' the whole world
k constant read& dint.. Cobbett's works;
r+; them are, doubll46, unknown to me; bat
ily have seen eihogh of them to be able
-. • tuna him not, the must calienniated man in
d. Indeed, it Nils not fallen in my way
sith any publications which so little prove I
'hot' to be a man " more sinned against
sine;,. and after what I have seep, I cer.
.nont sulneribe to his assertion is this
,r. The I)!tendant has certairsty bestow.'
nconsiderable praise on himsetti- for the ,
of repelling the abuse of others ; and 1
to admit it to be generally true as far as
.ve it. There was a part of the Defend-
w when his publicetion justified the charac.
yilty, which he has to.day put upon him.
t he must burrow from those publics.
.t 1 not from the present, to prove it. I
ot have touched upon this pleat, but he
melt personally to me, and says that I
. •, ot to be a loyal man. I tun obliged to say
, peelers *ed of no such knowledge: lam
„.;., say that from any means in my power I
uch knowledge as he ascribes tome. Hay-
• z "cd all former calumny against him, the
it admits that the article in intuition is
bad taste ; he wrote it in a hurry ; he
at he was writing ; but as to any wish to
affection in the minds of his Majesty's
it is ridiculous. 6' It is true," he says,
k with certain persons in the reign of
. that foreign troops ought not to be re.
o England ;" and he reads a passage from
olication, protesting against the introduc.
;:, of each troops. I don't quarrel with this opi..
to of tee Defendant : if he thinks foreign troops
-11, not to be received into the English service,
.
let him indulge that notion : it is of no conse-
quence to any one else what his opinion is. But
is this all ? Has he only set himself up as wiser
thin the legislittere?' lie states that the acts of
teat legislature were merely .acts of indemnity.;
!.wt the contrary is the ease. There were iitittily,
indemnity fur past offentes whieli it would •Ipst
6 cult to end out, and authorising his Majesty,*
rise, by the firs' act, 10,000,, and by efie tio,l
veld, 16,000 foreign lrooPs. • The numbers• ofe
the German Legion are' 12;060, and theriT-4ee•
livid than one thousand. of them now
cot ntry. The Defendant,- defending him.
belt*, little adverted to the inatier of the libel:
be stated his conduct and life jeserelly, and said
that the libel, was merely a eto4e ot. Pointing out
his dlsmetrobation of Loif Oiligekreagh's plan of
Leal Militia. Is there ally wdrd of discus.
io rie whole paper ? Ts there any examine.
tisee of the wisdom or propriety of the measure ?
no suggest any oilier m4ch may, have been
-a are pet% dentty edopit6f- -dem he think thee, was
ether, .or thee t eras ellereoeivesirseinieis
when our Cettlfart was threatened with inva-
sion, thra to glee the people a habit ;of -art*
before the danger falls ? !Ohm would
not lave discountenanced teverf.;,othet
of training the people ti
gnerally say,' 46 1:41 is wfl4 4,4 'Away; slid
would be the consequence:). I,lWhers- thismeasu
was the law of the lend, whenbijnoistrbed takes
place, when the mutinaece Wed. be is,
/leder court martial, whet! „lyre, sat- the t. : •
?nadirs had been sentenced to ta penishtnent;"
had been partly inflicted, when theseshete
bance welt over, the Defendatee,..endeeeenee -
light the flame again, by holdiagghentwittoecaramig
to disgraces for submitting to .theite just. veal
meet, and the German Legiotete odium for WO/
enpinyed upon the necessary service of quelling
this mutiny ; and to insinuate that. the soldiers-et
our army were driven into it by means mere tyran.
nieti than th~ conscriptions of Bonaparte. This
was the object of the libel ; and however the Wen.
dint may endeav,our to call your attention from the
Teal question by a history of his life, hie Lordship
will t•4l y.)u that the question you have to considers
h, *nether the object of this paper is that of
far, eats lid inquiry, or that of exciting die.
cocoa in the minds of those whom it concerns. I
shall jest call your attention to a few passages.in
Jae libel, and then I am sure you will have a per.
suasion which nothing can shake, that the objects
of the ft I are such as I have represented them is
h... As to the expression 46 they deserve it," 4c.
it not p!ainly ironical, and intended. to reprea
and tenet the men on account of their puniik..
wait ? Is it not the language of insult ? Does fie
not mean to nose them for having been so des.
telly a.. to submit to the German Legion ? I say,
t. 4, that the Defendant plainly meant to reproach.
the peoc,;l of Ely for not siding with the mutineers,
in that usage where he says, " 1 tio not know
what hoe% of a place Ely is," te. No man im.
Teel w• e: of sense or apprehynsion to Mr. Cobbett;
and Uri . ly man similarly bleeped 'doubt that this
was intended as f reproach .to the wit.
ecsses of this scene ? And what was the scene?
Why, tto se men whose duly it was to obey; of.
-.4ltict officers for obedience, resistance, , sur.
I't.`"‘sliele 'silo besetting them, for what theythought
'yr their arrear of wages. To quell this mutiny
s :orce uas procured from a neighbouring town :
tt.! remit; era were brought to a Court Martial :
tr iiietsc!ers were sentenced to a punishment,
ts. whel •of which was not inflicted. And this
MI eft called only a little mutiny among
th'; len : and only for a mere mutiny against
!,robably their' &twits, they were con.•
Le • 1,:t1 t, suffer this punishment; and indigna.
;1411!1.%t the German Legion tor inflicting it, led
Cob!: At into the libel in question. 'rho Ger..
mlst Legion: were trot sent for to inflict the punish.
tactit while the mutiny lasted, they were sent
for t., cep:tress that spirit—a very necessary ser.'
rue , atid I cannot think him a gOud loyal subject,.
'r tan.: understands the word loyal, who
such a paper- is this, in ordet to'ex.
o„„
..ernlllll Legion to the indignation of the

.• •

people, as foreigners. This was only a little MO-
tiny—[The Learned Attorney-General was We
told that the Defendant had called it merely
66 ilkorderly conduct" —it was not even a mu.
tiny then ! only disorderly conduct! The• paper
from which Mr. C. takes his motto, the Courier,
truly states that there had been a mutiny. It would
be wasting time further to skew the object of this
publication ; but I roust svy one ward by way of re.
pelting theDefendaut's calumny against those brave,
gallant, and loyal persons, who compose the Ger-
man Legion. There my have been some of them
found to have occasionally miscondected them.
selves ; but that their general ,conduct is such as
has been described by the Defendant, I have taken
pains to inquire, and I utterly deny. .Some of them
may have been guilty of little excesses, and it is
impassible to keep a large body of men free from
them ; • but upon the. whole, there never was a
body of men Of whom there was so little to atm.
plain. I have no doubt that every complaint against
them of every individual, finds its sway to the
Commander in Chief; and therefore this is an as.
certainable fact. From all those complaints which
have found their way to Mr. Cubbett, no doubt a
highly finished picture of their misconduct might
be drawn. These woutdrhowever, be-only parti-
cular cases : their general conduct is such as I.
have described. It his been stated to the Defen.
dant by a particular individual, whom he named,
that they were guilty of cowardice *at- Talavera.

I confess the asserlion surprized me, because
I knew, their conduct to have htvti directly
the contrary ; and that out of four standards
which were taken, three were so taken by the
German Legion. This must have been • rather %an
extraordinary effect of cowardice ; or else it mug
have been strange that they' who had taken three
standards should betray cowardice in tight. I
cannot hear each caltstnny of brave absent fe.
reigners, and not refute it; and this Ida in justice
to them; not that the cause requires It; for the
question for your •consideratien is not whether the
German Legion be brave or not; but that they,
being in the service of his Majesty, whether one
object of this paper be not to revile them for in.
flicting discipline upon his Majesty's native troops :
and I sit -down without the smallest doubt but
that you will be of opinion that the libel 'has -that
tendency."
Lord ELLENnononnu, Chief Justice.. the charged the
Jury to the following effect :—" You have been assembkd,
and are sworn to try an hiforination filed by his Majesty's
-Attorney-General, against William Cohbett, elturging him
with being the author of a libl, intending to injure the King's•
military service, and to represent that certain soldiers in the
Local Militia o ere treated with oppression. This is, the sub-
Stance of the charge and mischtef; and the question is, wile-
rebir this mischief be justly ascribable to• the libel in question,•
and whether it be of that noxious teodency. • The Defendant
has said in the course of, his defence, that' he has been i he sub-
ject of much calumny. Whether he has been so or no, 1
know not ; hut I am quite sure so•iu will divest your minds of
every prejudice against the i /efenditnt, on account of either
his actual or supposed conduct, and consider hint only upon
the demerit imputed to him ,:y this patch: too. The publi-
cation toot Its rise io .a passage of Tee .Coprier, which the
Defendant:took-for his motto. [Lord Elleahorisugh here :cad
OK pastier. It appears by this, that
-the soldiers Wachs.
ally been flied by a Cpurt Martial, f. r motley; hot theDe-
fendaat has staled.- this to have annianted, in Itl. mineeptten,
merely_ "Mitt squabble between 'Akers and mildleti, abobt a ,
tuarelling levee. But bow this can her,comitrued In bewther I
tbaa st win y, and that of the most deneyerous sorts roeffsfe
s7-cwiTalmillfinr aterimpeobseebah MOO MOsibo&
o rite le ', 7 re y was aot wittbetit ! drat,
you dwelt with to -match eaniestoess _epeeist* erets,sitillty trf
the foreign troops,whom •Mr.*ltartite appeared to think of
• 'no utility at ajl."j Althoogh• the Intrbductitio of- foreign
troops is certainly sanctioned by law,. yet ehery individeal
has a right to suggesCaorelteration in hat law, provided that
suggestion be made•in temperate and *Citified terns; he may
address himself to the sober reason of his country; that esis'
chief Will result from..,present measures; and endeavouri-
through the people,.to impress. the Parliament with the ne-
cessity of theit be changed. *l' am 'stire,•thallf such a
dtScussiou had been brought before a ;Dry, you weak' no
more have been inclined an ciiintrue it, titan any Judge in the
situati,a wheel I, unworthily fill,* would he to recommend
ft- you's° io construe it, a libel. But, Gerittethen, It is for you
' To consider whether this publication has& bad intention; and
Intention is principally to be boiled at by a fair coasideratioti
of terms. If intention be to be judged otherwise, a Defend-.
'ant wduld hover nothing to du, upon all occasions; butte say,
4* My mind was iatocief, but my ro slipped: the libel was
I ottngtarded ; acquit-me." 'Builitis nI not one random expres-
swot ibereis a •-coutiouiiji of the same thought (=dean ybu
• inkr 'from it any purpose but one? The libel proceeds:*
" Poor Geatleman I he little Imagined how a yew genies
„might find employment for sue% troops. Let Mr. Wardle
look at my motto, and then say whether the Genus soldiers
are of no sae." The " employment" bete talked of must
have been that of chastising the mutineers; and the words,
" useful earrloyment" are evidently used in an irunteal end
calumnious sense. " He little imagined that they might bet
made the means of compelling Eoglishmen to submit to that
sort of discipline' which iv so conducive to the producing 'in.
them a disposition to defend the country at the risk of their`
lives." This is partly ehaige, and partly sneer. I was at
first doubtful as to thd nic•ming of the former part of it and
attended to what was said an both sides, leaning:lf at II; tO
that of the Defendant, who appeared bore asdiefilmal 4, ps t
der. But the words of his defence leave no ,
,kip
mooing, for iii the course of it, you remember ' 'to' have
said*" f should not have said so much aboultheAlehbal Le-
gion, if they had not been brought So flog
,thelmcliValf.tay
own coantrymem"' That part about the ' risk Olives la
tamer. Is this not deturally calculated to generate aildrest is
the army? Has it not the tendency to lommiall-theliakt ands
• ties of military ellairdinttion, and to renew OlatioSl And.if
so, it most be understood to have beat intended Id do so.—,
ELordlllenborough then, proceeded re read 'tee Ilbel.,frem
the words" five 'hond4red 'to " frees.") Now what is the
fair meanie g of titlipits,age-1 Is it es hortetioin or advice .to
'lay on vendthment; or is not ibenteintiglo reproach the mu-
tineers or submitting to be punished with arms io their hands ?
[Lord Elleuborough then iced Woe the words " 1 do not
knotr." to "at the time." Dite,aorthis appear to Convey
an imputatihb against the itatabieuits of Ely for sefibring the
tounishment to be intrietede? In,witat manner can this be pal-
liated or explained? The Defoliant admitted that, it *as a
piusioame article, and written 111 bad bate. If it were only•
so, the reprobation and dimantillitilke of Ike, practice onoild
be enough to require- But cast sentielehts like these profeed
from any other Impose Woo to hold tbrGovernment and Cct-
dilution isp•to eiauempt i [Lad Elienboroogh guns ••tead
' from the • words "'This occurrence," to' the end.) 'filth.
rallude teeny publication, on the native tif tiatlrtenek
o7reigertiment, there IS only, one that has came under my tie* by.,
-an American of some distiooloa amt writer; but ldr.„cobbetp
•I
himself explains his allutimi to have been to Mr. Rotree4 Mr.
Villiers, and Mr. Hunt. They may or may not have crtst•
the, imputatiOns on Bonaparte t the weed" apply to thnse
persens,• whoever, they' are. But the object of this para-
graph, hp to se, to the English people, " You h av e not ,a
✓oot to 'complain or Bonaparte t -look at home." This is
the scope of the-Publication,' tual.was it not Its tendency
to injure the ;military keels* ?.. It ia for you to say, Whe-
ther these are words escaped lei baste Rips a man, other-
wise Writing 'temperately,. bur Whose seal overshot his
discretion; or whether they are the words of a men, who
wished to dissolve the uoius of the military. aloe which; at
all times, but most especially at this time, the safety of the
kingdom rests. If this latter be the easel sorely the Defeo.
dant will ateritedly fall %We, the description of that se&
iAtom person which the information charges him with being.
iiq .*eslike the present, the law requires me to sale my °pi-
llion to the Jury; and whore t have held a diferent opinion to
Hat which I have of the present case, I have not withheld It
from the Jury. I DO PRONOUNCE TIIIS TO Bk. A
MOST IN EASIOUB LIBEL!" -
. • The Jury, after consulting together five minutes,,
without reti)ing [torn the box, • pronounced the
Defeodaet GUILTY I Tile - trial lasted from
nine o'clock in the moroisli till half peat twelve.

TKK STATEBMd

TO TAB HONOURABLE THE CONISIONS OF THE.
uNIrED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN IN'
PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.
The Humble PETITION and Reatonora•sicz of the
IlLscroas of the ancient Town and Bornngh of Snore•
WA convened by the Authority of the High Hadar,
Suswer
TrilAT your Petitioners feel deeply interested
JL and alarmed at 'the extraordinary proceedings of your
Honourable House' in the imprisonment of Jona Gat.c
JON ssinnd in the forcible entry and seizure of Sir Fa A NCI%
BIINDEVT in his own house ; because, in t'..e first case, they
humbly conceive, that contenopts which are punishable by
prompt imprisonment, can only be construed as arising nut
of those over-acts, which obstruct your proceedings; that
supposed libel goon your Honourable (louse without such
Acts, may be safely referred to a Jury of Englishmen. con-
sistent with all those privileges of your Honourable House,
which may form part of the Common Law of the land, and
consistent with the honour, dignity, and independence of your
Honourable Howe. They humbly conceive, that soch con-
clusions are well warranted by a recent case of libel,' in
which the Monarchy was represented as a goodly tree, from
which the branches of the Lords and Commons right be
safely,loppad,off, and that still, the Constitution would re--
main, all which was referred by your Honourable House to
the Verdict of a Jury.
• That in the latter case, your Petitioners were sadly re-
' mindful of the arbitrary proceedings of Military Govern-
ments on the Continent when neither Police Magistrates,
nor Crown Officers, could and precedents to regulate them in
enforcing your autiorlty, the Minister was found ready to
advise his Majesty', Government in employ its arms, and.
however, yoor Petitioners were rejoiced to see their coun-
trymen return from disnstroos eipeditions, and the pestilen-
tial shores of Walchereu, they •contoeive the Monate& the
British soldier was tarnished whets his valour was improper-
ly directed against 'unarmed Citizens.
That your Petiti..uers have Long been convinced, that the
only sure and effectual Remedy for our Political Evils, is a
substantial Reform in Parliameht, by a more eking Re pre-
'emotion of for People ; nee twavineed; tisk one or the
ra lical defects of those ancieneGusematents which were
overturoed by Power, or subverted by popular Fury, ante
from Ignorance of the rues of •RepteSelblallOO that a late
Statesman; many Years ago nt the head of his blajesty's Go -
vernment. declared that Reptesentation u asthe true Principle
of the British Constitution; that to reform it • Wen not twits-,.
'novate, but to recover. •
Thot we humbly co uceive alterations in the fteplitiiitaiiok
of the People, by extending the right of voling,dre tam-
•tioned by your. Itooporahle House, as at Shorebzto, Critlts
lade, and Aylesbury, where bribery is proved against the
Electors. Refarillinnfe,-but not where seats are ptiechilsed •
as pebliely,as at 'idea Ally,. at the bate mention of which oar
antestors Would have started with indignation; and ootwith-
stundiattfie Right Hon. Spencer Perceval and Lord Castle-,
• reagh sere detected in the traffic, they are still sitting unim-
peached of Members of your Honourable House.
We trot* your Petitioners have always manifested a readi-
ness to deftiodihe King and Country with their purses and
their swords; and they trust that the Public Liberty, which
was acquired and defended by the best blood of our ances-
tors, may Ite preserved inviolate, and trammitted unimpaired
to the latdlt 'posterity ; and that you will restore that confi-
dence to their feelings, by the release of Joh@ Gale Jooesand
Sir Francis Burdett, and by a speedy Reform.
. And your Petitintiets will ever way,

Wu have- received Letter ty: from Dr. Mtinsa, which
• shail:apPear in oar Paper of Mund'ay, if possible.

THE ST4ITESMAN.-

..4.94vPQA/i
IIaTURDATI: ft** la, 1810.
Tuts mOrnhig arrived' • 'mail from Lisbon, and
one from Gottetiliiik . The following is the prig-
cipel intelligence they bring :—Mr..Casamezon
le gotte from : 4isbon, to, 41.igiers ; and it is said,
teke 6 large aunt of tamtey,-to purchase peace
ketwomi,ehe Afgettee 'and P6itogal. 'L;.lfOra
Nei- st;4!4', virlo.l.l.4iiiii '. keed.querters speak
Of 114 JINGO arm? .filliag is iterfecthealth
welt Priiibieietivand the. Portuguese army belief'
,
ha a- vary cemplete Mite : An ' official Letter or
._. , 4
•Coutit:l4tim • ROSIN states the.that late CROW*
rat* arSwins*.dind of an apoplexy : Aid.'
ter, dated Banks of, the Maine, May 24, says :
' " They talk welt here alto interylJw', which it is laid,
will take place In two mumbo between two Monarchs, In a
town beptitging, to the Coefederation of, the Rhine."
• 11LWERICA* Papers (Norfolk. Gazette) to the
12th.of May, hose reached' *ust.`.., They Contain
some of the official dotomMits laillbefure coegress •
on I.the',eriiof fts ri.sini.Abe.moit interesting pot.
thin of these rulatO,,ettiothe ' differences betwiteen
franca and the limited States. The letters of
,General ARIIIIIT*OII6. ithOWl"' that at no time was
therehhOstnallest ireeieet of the French Govern.
meet abdting its, thifigait troikas severity -of. its
eistakercial *Crepe. t:, . i'e..- . '..
4.,:. • t .t. ..Ormalaliles.-.. ~, •
; IF* !lait given the Trial of Mr, -Covert! at
Mitolt.langehi. for, la fact; it la one of the mold'
impottint that has eier happened‘ this csuntry.
' • • lei:keit that ire•fiare no ioumho comment en
(fitli,the maisier 40:Coold,wish. There It one
. .. ,. .
ON howeveroeblektre•think ought not to be
lerefloakedi ettieairt itee thirl RfOildliiii: the preseere
ofiltheit atistr# ififi:#4.u. 'will ejliiilo. to fir woo.
'Ai ' '44(altioVAiltik:reieisidtn eti mufti:
?kiibiks
• • ~.. • • , _
_-..1,, , ,
9,,,,,44,..(t0tence. It ..1$ part :of tie principle of
lagliekjurleprudeneelo give all facility *to the
accused, to the meaneofitleideace. ' Mr. cos.
Mat thought he could idea) •bbotrel4 by pm.
clueing . the. Ittguntebta of '5t.441.1.4:, lii theit
float*,
.. ,
,14. Petilluivat, madelociervly witill•Visair
401teti
fit the counice. This, wo,should inolginsi,
._ . • •...,
fair coasidemtion to purse the.; ury. ' Are'
.atitielse-4iguntente of lliembere sef,Parliament, Is,
Ofisitlrfihe exariiPteied the authority of Members of i
,'faiiaMent to be usedras a prooftcythe Jury that
Alit Defendant thinks he is doilte eight, in any
peetioulir course he bait:. taken ?' There scarcely
COW be . i more reasonable or .candid proof
le be offered to a Jury, of the innocence et the
;writer=s intention, than. one -Of' this kind;-1
and upon what principle 'of laW it is made
inadmissible, we are quite at a , loss to .boat:
prebend. We wish thia MARI to be underatoothr,
Why is proof, that goes to rebut the allegation!df
the malice of the Writer'i intention, to be ',hut
out? How is swan to deiepd himself) tillis,proot
is to be taken away from. him ? „Every ant a*
the Use Mr. Constar could have made, in hie jos.%
tification, of his quotations from Members of Par.
llarneut ;:titill ire lattelii'the* law `coishi riot hermit
him to pursue that count.