The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-09-12 00:00:00

Times, has in some measure weskeoed the sees.

The anxiety of the public ism at the moment We be-
gin this article. most intensely awaiting the decision
of the Coroner's Inquest on the destkeit *tenser)
HONEY. Yesterday aftereowthe COstoxso un mod
up the evidence that had been adduced in thocamLend
delivered bit charge to thejniry ; and though no less than
94 witnesses had been examined, and much conflicting'
and perplexing testimony bad bees introduced, the
ConoNEa pressed the ;Jury to proceed at once to a de.
cisioa, and said he thought the question lay in a nut.
shell. From the views which the Coaortaa took of
the case, the firing of the Life Guards on the pail*
on the 14th of 'August appeared to be exerssable.-...
An attack, of s most ferocious nature, as be is re-
ported to have stated, bad bees • eommeaced oa the
soldiers, which they bad endered with great
forbearance for some time, until ill-usage bad estop.:
ratetll .them. They bad, in these circumstances, the
common right of all winkled to defend themselves
from the brutal attack thus made on men who were
brought there to discharge a Olt unpleasant duty.
It could not for a moment be imagined that they Were
actuated by any preconcerted malice against the
Crowd; and the malice which the legal acceptation
the term implied, and which constituted in sect)
ti/0. a ft-fagots offviee. Weis -1t- settled- auger is
owe man against another... and a determinatiom of
-revenge. These considerations with some slot
. .
,
renextons on the natural cOnstitatioa of ma* and
human frailty, were the -chief points the Coroner
iirged upon the attention of the Jury. As to the pre-
vise and important point for which the Jniywere con-
vened, the inquiry is what manner the deceased bad
come to his death, little appears to bare bees said. It
was admitted to be cestainly lig, and much to be
deplored, that lives bad been lost; but it was asserted"
that it would be Still More bard. if met, wider the
'circumstances of the Life Guards there were to
be condemned for sack an act as this, or have
their lives, brought into jeopardy. COriceraieg the
necessity of firiag, or the competency of those who
bad decided on it, or the regularity and legality of
that and every other proceeding of the Life Guards
'es the day in qaeetion, net a single doubt was raised.
The great omission of not reading the Riot Act, which
bad arrays been deemed an indispensable form to warn
F the people of their' danger, and to justify the military
[le resorting to extremities, was scarcely ever noticed.
The dispensing. with the. direction and even the pre-
mace of a Magistrate °maw occasion, wasaArsegarded
as affecting the exercise of military power: The un-
precedented andsrevehing eircumstaate of placing the
Magistrate and evelk the military under the control'
of an tadertaker's deputy, was never consklered as
worthy the least reprebeasioa. AR seems to hate
boss thought ea regk that was done with a view to
conform to the orders of the Lord Chamberlain ; sad
for the accomplishment of these, warnings of prudence,
the counsel of the Magistrate., and tlaisforms of law
were spurned, without exciting an eaptessionid regret
*et a tokeii:of displeasure. Mere then; re arrive is; a
•
point that is truly awful to contemplate. Whs.:vet
any measure may be adopted against the strong and
general feeling of thepeople.the.kast resistance may be
.made the plea for the introdnctioa of military forge;
the appearance of the soldiery arrayed *gaiast the
people will aggravate theirritation. assifikeesion in 7
suit or assault ; and tL least pretegt en the prin
ciple of self defence, lhive the solaisirj-,10414tut the
'restraints of lasi, at liberty team their armsaon*4 the'
ye- eple, not acCording to tbe rules of justice, but sec ord.
pig to their own Oescretion or the impulse of *ay
resentful passion that may be raised in their breasts.
It is false to my. that 'soldiers staid arrayed &guild
the. people in eirenmstances sigilr to the rest of liar
Mid, and that they hasothe same right to net in theil
'olio 'Seminal dirisaieTheitarms intheir beads wait' $
•or • •
fearful difference. 'fleet arms, ass *sweetie -to
tbees-by she ; sad thereto net allowed is wai
thee' bias as the law directs... On liesiand eats
_llO
'is . thaw ~.,:eaggested..bytbel
0, it ie lotebelpla.;ol4 4enelderatias, of. the
4;4111 Cara.. What thiitatlitialion will lie to
:f.
boo we Will napalm* to to. A cotraldetiittle

city which thes.„ wisdom of our ancestors thought
fit •lo take 'against misconduct in Jurors. 'The
early histoty of our law Is full of severe puoisli.
ments indicted on Jurors . for misconduct: pre.
ceedings of this nature hale of late years 'gone
Into comparative disuse; but we presume time are ••••
still means existing to remedy any grieereas-vlolation
ai a Jurerla fluty.". The object, of this intimation
Is rendered manifest, though engrafted. as it is said,
but generally and hypothetleallti 4. There are two.
modes in wbiyls a Juror may be perjured; me far
when through malignity, or toilful neglect, he datum
a false face, as if be, from such causes, declare' t
individual to be ideluified. who' is not identifiediell
any reasonable construction of the rhold evidence t
—the other mode is, when having reasonable faille
of knowing, by the instruction of the Coaoact,' Of
otherwise, that the case does amount in law only
to Justifiable Homicide; or at the most to Men.
slaughter, he from the'iriotives above-mentioned per.
silts in declaring, open his oath, that it is s con of . .
WilfolAltirder." In spite of these intimidations we trees
the Jury will maintain a firm and fearless seam of
duty, and pronounce a verdict in the cue before.
them according to their consciences and the trideson
they had heard:

Public events hare now risen to s crisis that mat, ~ •
that will speedily terminate, either in the cortsil-'
mentof military power vr is the subversioa of all
chartered rights and comititational privileges. Is
have, for many years, been maintaining a deadly 1
army, though all the world has been at perhaps*.
And why are the people, who are alreadysearcelyable
to live frail dayto day, thus to be bariened with. asi' 4
tranipled' 'down by, unnecessary taxes, in orating
aniatain an arnly for which the country has se astd?
Is it because the Ministers wish. and perhaps fait .
;necessary, to have a military force foe ever at hesis.
la order to forte the people to submit to their pi*
sure. whitiver that *seen may be? ,if this 4
the intention, the meson las, we are funned m
think, arrived is which it will be well Mintsten*
bole to themselves. roe, if they examine the paps
of Roman History they will fiati that monarchy ad
its ministerial supporters have oftentimes bum
&mint by the very means which they at first 00
necessary for the establishment of its dignity WI ths
' maintenance of its power. But we need not go bed
to the lima, of the Conan. Let as look arond- II
upon the nations at the must day. Have they ast
almost all of them been etridand by these means7-hy
means it a standing army ? Has not, in short, ftt
liberty of Europe been offeredvp at the shrine of U.
litary despotism? And shall we, with such meek
before our eyes, pursue the porno path, which led ere
neighbours to the precipice? Can we expect qtateff
super-human aid will, is the moment of destrectiv,
be afforded us, if we blindly walk on in the higiiivi
which we know conducted them to ruin ? . .
Ministers should not trust too mach to their nits
ewe over the arasye 4‘ They are (to use the itmft
of Mr. Pulteney,) a body of men distinct fret tlit
: people ; they are governed by different taws; t o
Mod ehedieoce and an entire submission to the 01011
• is
'of their commanding officer, is their *sly prieeltik 1
And that isreallythe truth ; after the event' 1146111
well
the few last week" hive brought (pith, there MIA'
in.** mind of any veanuabli. person, remain*
argument which could throw over it the 'islet .
of a dewbt. . May. we not sees a Sheriff
Ix
nes-lidos of his detyroot only tanked sad
ly theiiitheri„ bat owing his life tw-ifse i
a police officer; who, by striking down-the NNW
a soldier• hindered hint from discharging. its c'
.at the pima of a Magistrate? Aid 'habit 410.1
the couieottendes Which have. resulted from tics
Magellanic of tbe.laws of *twisty. gaff tide setreff•
the civil power of oar Coneelisitos? The stesdr
still at large. though it is almost morally i
that he could be unknown, Nor is this all: the
dine against whom a ,Istry of the country !ell_
' isleipelled. by tlsi Olden* which has bon raw
I* Hag ii is Cardin of wilful warder, are abatis
'k seiro- unspensation, for outraging the dictates oil!
i,ranisip and trampliag upon the cheittl.t.
viler, oT Englishmen I And will ItativPr
who have, /for .so Sony years,: held Mt 0°
siltation as the palladium ,or Illierty--.44
which they saloytd by mass of the esies; .
of power which ha bees maintained t
• the catkin &Mathias of oar Coastitutios by
cheek which *so off .ham 000: *64* iirt
Visor ? Will *ley enterprise peak editro4...4 •
=iii Oast siOuriptioa 'far ?awarding dalias_, was
araini the tined *sinusitis. tbitandialis .04
safery and glory of Eagland avowal:: weal

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