The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-23 00:00:00

LRICESTER.

(ftectvzo ruts mctima.)

Weeoasesv, Five e`Ci.eira.
The trial of Sir Francis Burdett, Which amid
on to-morrow matting, at the Castle, at nine
o'clock, is the entire triple of conversation net only
in this town, but it mites an interest, as far
we have been able to collect, for lei round tkii,
part of the country, of an unparalleled description.
The eharacter of Sir Francis is well known through-
out Leleestershire—the people are no stranger tp
his virtues—and his truly Englishman-like dial*.
sition, renders him beloved by all rank' and 'classes
of society. In the various traits of landlord, muter,
a good neighbour, and the common friend Of man-
kind, few public men can stand in competition with
the worthy Baronet. It cannot be a matter of sur-
prises then, that the trial of the above steady, firm,
and intrepid advocate in the rause of liberty, and
the defender of the rights and privileges of Eng-
lishmen, should excite sech an unusual degree of
interest! Who, is thus styled, in the information
filed by Sir Robert Gifford, Knight, the King's
Attorney-General, as" Being a seditious, malicious,
and ill-disposed person, and unlawfully and ma-
liciously devising and intending to raise and excite
discontent, distauction, and sedition, among the
liege subjects of ceir Lord the present King, and
particularly amongst the soldiers of our said Lord
tiiit King, and to move and excite the liege sub-;
jests of our said Lord the King, to hatred and
didike of the Government of this Realm, and to
insinuate and cause it to be believed by the
liege subjects of our said Lord the King, that
divers of the said liege subjects of our Lord the
King bad been inhumanly cut down, maimed, and I
haled, by certain troops of our said Lord the King,
heretofore (to wit), on the twenty-second day of
Aegust, in the fifty-ninth year of the Reign of our
Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of
God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, (to wit), at
Loughborough, in the comity of Leicester, unlaw-
Rally and maliciously did compose, write, and pub-
lish, and caused to be composed, written, and pub-
lished, a certain scandalous, malicious, and seditious
libel, of and concerning of the Government of this
Realm, and of and concerning the said troops of
oar said Lord the King, according to the term and
effect following. (that is to say)"—[Here the Ad-
dress to the Electors of Westminster is inserted,
which appeared in the public newspapers, written
I:intell:raucisßurdett.]--The information also eon-
' counts.
ftX stronoy reported here, that out CI the
tie -four Jurors, svliu have been reduced to at
tend upon this most important trial, that so great
a delicacy exists upon the subject, that bets bare'
been offered, the Oflicers of the Crown will be
compelled to pray a lake. We have also learnt
with surprise, that some insidious enemy of Sir
Fraueis Burdett 412.1 sent a printed circular letter to
all the Jury, threatening them with vengeance if
they do not acquit the worthy Baronet.

So much at ease does the mind of Sir Fntnc's
appear upon the subject, that he has been hunting
all the morning with the hounds; and his arrival
at this town is expected every minute. The hounds,
we understand, hunt the days every week in this
county.

Great numbers of the neighbouring gentry have
been coming in all the day ; and the amide to-
morrow is expected to display such an assemblage
of rank, beauty, and fashion, never be ore wit-
nessed. Several persons from Manchester and also
from York are on the road to attend the trial, as
witnesses in favour of Sir Francis Burdett.

It is also said, that a legal objection will be taken
by the Counsellor the lion. Baronet, which-, if not
over-ruled by the Judge, will tend to quash the in..
&closet altogether. But if the numerous docu-
ments are read, which,it appears, are highly essen-
tial towards making a justification of Sir Frascis's

liintior, and the body of evidence gone into, it
inlintality must prove a long trial. There are
abfryies a great many legal points to be argued ;
asuil • ease in which the liberty of the press is so
wok comerned, and also the right of commenting
peblic events, taken jaw consideratioo, it
will be a trial of such test import to Englishmen
in' general, as to be perused with the most in-
teresting anxiety.

Tots 4:ecru'. LBICISTBIL
The Hon. Sir Wm. Draper Best, Knt. has here occupied
the whole of the day in the Crown Court open the trials
of various prisoners, of no public ieterest whatever he-
reed their locality, eteept the foll•wieg usee•oetrago•
es, cad diabolical attack upon htunamity, iu the' alum
*traps. comudttcd by Joseph Scott, a chimney-weeper,
aellikelf. in this county, upon a female child (Ally
Aiglillikjeteshy four years and .-half obi. The particulars
*Sass torrid and disgusting, that a mere outline is
al-
`fsst toe mech. Tile chili is of The most leterestiog
ollawriptioa ; and, notwithstanding her very loader years.
4gisieged so mach senor, that the Learned Jades, wills-
Wag beeitadoo, let her take her oath. He wee COW
*aid ea tie clearest evidence; end a *eke case Dever
appealed In a Court of Justice. &atm: of death was
ilesndlauld, pronounced on him in the most irapsisoirc
imolai *hem the prisoner tried sat, "'Poll', af lank"
fart' re sae this time!" The Judge told Ma he met

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