The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-10 00:00:00

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60CRIP.OF KING'S BBNCII,GuttnaaLL, Jan. 9.
8I(ORIGOR ti. THWAITIS AND ANOTHISR.
Tbls was an action by the person commonly called Sir
.1-Arteor M'Orrgor, but stylinf, himself in the pleadings
simply as "Gregor M'OreXer. against the two principal
proprietors of the publishedt for a libel. The artkle
complained of was p in that newspaper of the 14th
drOctober last.
The pleadings having been opened by Mr. RICHARDS,
The Court IN SIIRCISANT stated the case on behalf of the
plaintiff. He appeared fora gentlemen of ancient family in
Scotland, well known by the title of Sir Gregor M'Oreger,
whose name had been used by the public press with as little
ceremony as that of any man in existence. In early life,
he had been in military services, and joined the South
American Patriots in the struggle to obtain their freedotn.
Having returned in 1822, he turned his mind to a new
adientare,and having obtained a grant of a large tract of
the Mosquito country, invited persons whose circumstances
rendered them willing to emigrate, to share his fortunes in
that distant region. The country was described by Bryan
Edwards, in his work, written under the sanction and for
the use of Government, in the most glowing colours. [The
'awned Counsel here read along extract from the book to
lebich he referred, representing the climate of the Mosquito
country as healthful, its soil fertile, its rivers abounding in
Mb. and its shores with turtle.] So volute
tuctos, indeed, were the pictures given by several
authors f this territory, that a reader would almost
suppose o
it had been exempted from the general
curse, and that all things necessary to human support were
peered forth, without requiring the labour of man. An
old prejudice once indeed existed against colonization,
which a more enlightened policy had rejected, and which
certainly Mr. Scarlett would never attempt to revive.—
Lord Selkirk had proved by precept and by example, the
beneficial results of encouraging a superfluous population
to migrate; he had established a colony on these very
shores ; but he had excited the jaalousy of established com-
panies in the neighbourhood of his little state, and the issue
bad been war, which must have been decided in this Court,
had it not been terminated by the death of the noble adven-
turer. It had been the lot of the plaintiff to experience
simileannoyances; his project consequently failed ; but he
was not, therefore, to be censured. He had taken all due
precautions • he bad engaged a surgeon to attend on the
emigrants ; 'he had supplied them with tools for the cola.
ration of the soil, and bad shipped a large quantity of pro•
visions for their use. To whose fault the misfortunes
Which followed were attributable. he would not assert ;
perhaps he might be able to show from the witnesses which
the defendants threatened to examine. The settlement,
however, failed, and the emigrants leaving the spot, were
/mired at Honduras, under circumstances of some sispi.
dim and sent home by various captains: Oa the 13th of
October, an application was made to the Lord Mayor,
respectingtwe chililren;who had been brought from:Honda.
nil by Capt. Antrim, when directions were asked anduriven
respecting their future support. In the Morning Herald
of the following day, an article appeared purporting to be
a report of the proceedings on that occasion, far exceed•
lag in latitude all fair licence which could be given to the
public press on such occasions, and calcul sted to convey tol
The world the grossest calumnies against the plaintiff in
the most specious form. (The learned counsel read the
article charged as libellous, and declared that although it
wastruethatthe settlers bad beendisappointed, and had
sustained great misery, yet all the allegations imputing to
the defendant intentional deceit or fraud were wholly
groundless) If, said the Learned Coonsel, others were
deluded, Sir Gregor was no less so; if they sustained loss,
Ire-was the greatest sufferer. The defendants lid placed
two defences on the record; first, they asserted that they
had a right to publish the article, %manse it was a correct
report of what actually took place ; next, they asserted
Op the charges contained in the article were in fact true.
As to the first, he believed that the report was not correct
—that Mr. Prince and Captain Antrim never used the
Isnguege imputed to them; but if it were rbrrect, it would
be no justification of the libel. Granting that a journalist
had a right to publish all judicial proceedings in a costa
or before magistrates, still this right extended only to
judicial proceedings, and not to any scandalous matter,
foreign to the matter in issue, which any stranger might
choose to utter. As to the second class of pleas, his
client had ehallenerd them; he had put himself on his
trial; and he defied his accusers to fix on him any taint of
dislinnour. IVhen that justification had been attempted
and had failed -as fail it must—the Jary would not d.al
out damages with a sparing hand. The conduct of the
defendants, ind,cd, proved how inveterate their feelings
were towards the pla:wilf ; for on Wednesday last, when
this trial was expected to coma, they found room in their
piper, though occupied by their trial at Hertford, for a
paragraph coaled front a country journal respecting what
they called "The cruel and infamous Poycis Hoax." This
was the cane he should lay before the Jury. and he was
sure they would do the plainiff the justice he had a right
to claim.

The publicati or being admitted
falward Irving was sworn, a d examined by Mr. Poi-
LOCK-1 know the plaintiff, and was employed by bim as a
land agent in Edinburgh,. My business with the plaintiff
was, to make sales of land in the Poyais territory. Many
persons went out from Scotland in 1823; and some in
1822, in smacks to London. Others went in the. ship
Kinnersley Castle and the Skene. I have beard the
libel read. In my opinion it injures his character, for it
applies to him, end he is the person meant. The settlers
went out as lahonrers. • I made representations to them of
the nrture of the place they were going to. About 2;0
260 prisons in all went in the Einnersley Cootie sod
&roe, and sailed for Black River and Poyais.
Cross-examined by Mr. ScarthaTT-1 never was there;
the representations made to the settlers were from ;milli:
cations ; from a publication of Bryan Edwards—Wright's
" Memoirs of the Mosquito Shore," and " lienderson's
Ilonduras." I know Mr. Stranieways, and believe he
wrote this book (a book had helm handed to the witness);
some poetry, entitled, " A Physician to his Mistress," and
" Lines addressed t.) Poyais on leaving the Coast," %serf
also handed- to the nitness, who, after looking, said, in
answer to a spetrion from the Learned Counsel, " I have
seen three before; I believe they were In circulation in
Edinburgh in 1622, for the purpose of inducing persons to
settle in Poyats." • •
The flank notes of the Portia Bank were printed at Edin-
burgh for one dollar each.---I cannot swear how many were
sent 9M-1 think not 70,000. My
.husineakwas• to make sales
laidin Poyais ; there trite a great many made, and money
was rtTeiied fur them. Several hundred .pounds had passed
to the plaiMiff, but t think not thousand. I don't recollect
baying heard Nl`Gregor 'say he *ould have a theatre there;
thire might have bees some joke between myself and,Pickin,
who was Urder Secretary or Clerk to-Sir Gregor's Secretary;
and who understood aqd wasiond °Utile Drama. Mr. Pickin
went out in the Kinnersley Castle is :clerk in the Civil De-
partment, at 601. per annum. ' He was tender Governor Halt.—
' rece-ved some of the homieri of the Governmeot, and was
prompted to be a Knight of the Green Cross,. Those who re-
ceived honours wore greed coats, with buttons, on which were
engraved '• G." and acrown. I do not know of the plaintiff
having any license from his' iKest'y to become the Sovereign
of another country: .
Ateelami ned-I-The BMWs *deo Art letned.—There were
several minions of kereirof lin& Wl:indisposed of in royals.
Robert Swan sworn—Tiff Itoosipias Packet was in the
Downs oti of 'Dec. 18224.16 e sailed to On Black
Wyk' on fliOloignitn "rthe...territory of Piiyais,
arOurif ,
___,oofemigratol4, TN; Kifisersley Cast le and Skene
Iva' TtlispionisraploAkic.took out 50 persons.
ltcsiti,Scitti"ds WOe utildon in :smacks. There
_as. a saristoft on bosid..theareosel. who was. provided in
"ThIPII.°7' Sir °mines agoNt. tdr,flgilbie.• The vessel
berdilia•laistsix nmathe :1041Pristbsioti board. 1 was on
tho Mobitttito .dress. feu; Fibre:tiro :Vane 1823; The

Kionersley Castle arrived out io March 1823. The settlers,
for the most part, left the shots In July 1923. Some were
suffering, some not. Thera bad been a mutiny amongst
them. I know some of the settlers went to notational,
thence came to England. .
Crossetamined.-1 went to Honduran before I came to
England; I was in the Storekeeper General's Departntlnt;
I came bark, becadse all.the stores had been removed by
order of Colonel Hill; 1 was the last hitt two who came ,
from Honduras; there are none left at Poyais; 1 was ill
myself of the ague and fever, and several others ; I found
the remains of the chief town ; there were two h ti.tscs left,
belonging to two American Gentlemen, made of bamboo.
Mr. &lonelier. who was to manage the banking concern, is
now in America ; I was not attracted by the songs ; I only
saw one; I am now eighteen; I was before in a grocer's
shop in Glasgow.
Reexamined-1 saw some of the provisions afterwards
at Belize, in the cellar of Marshall Bennett, Esq. one of the
Honduras Company. They were taken in Mr. Bennett's
schooner, by order of Col. Hall, There were a fe.. walls
remaining in the ancient town, and plenty of bricks to
build new houses.
Mr. SCARLITT, for the defence, stated to the Jury that
he had no knowledge of Mr. Mac Gregor, or by whatever
title he went ; and he bad no motive for offering any die.
paragement of him ; in candour be nould say, that he
rather believed him to be a wild adventurer, the most
vivid imaginatinn, dazzled with the prospect of power and
sovereignty. The Jury bad heard from hie land agent that
he was engaged in Eilinborgh in selling land conveyed to
Mac Gregor by a Dative Pr;nee of the Mo,qui.o Shore,but
who that native Prince was, the court was ~ot informed.—
But if the pleintiff,in uphohlinghis speculationchaddesc..nd.
ed to artifices that he probably otherwise would net have
been guilty of, and then chose to attack those who expos.
ed them to prevent others being so deluded, be must take
the consequences. How Mr. Mac Gregor became first con-
nected with this Poyais country he did net know, neither
was it necessary to inquire ; but the dory would find him
with an office at Edinburgh, sending a mined r of :bank
clerks and secretaries, to this land dosing with milk and
honey. He held in his hand abo .k written by Tiuintla
Strangeways, K O.C. ; that was Knight of the Green Cro •,
with a picture of the Cacique of Pay tis in front, and
another representing a handsome town. The titles of the
author were K. G. C. Captain of the first regi.nect of native
Poyais Infantry. and Aid de-Camp to his Highness
Mac Gregor. The oliject of the book was to mak,- it epee'.
V at Mr. Strangoways being well acquainted, had beet en.
abled to compose a work on its beauties, the fettilitiy of its
soil, and salubrity of its climate. (Here the Learned
Counsel r• ad several extracts of the toot id! .te,l des rip.

tion from the book in goe.tion. But. resumed the Learned
Counsel, what turned out to he the fact in this delightful
region? This new government began when old
old ones often ended—by distributing various siwcires;
for there was a King without territory, a Cautsin wituout
trovs, and clerks without offices. The thief • ity lia I tu.o
houses in it; this was the territory hell out to S‘mtclitrieu
as surpassing their land of heathen and prate. There
were two justifications on the record :—ls'. All that the
defendants were charged with publishing had been null'
lished correctly ; and, My. that the facts voted had been
truly stated ; anti surely a faithful representatialf before a
Court of Justice, or before a Al agis•rate, could not he s alt.

ject of an a.,tion for libel. lle did not tun, ta use that
M'Oregor did not intend to compensate the. person, he hid
deceived; and if the Jury should come to *a decision to give
him damages, he trusted the lowest passible coin would
designate their vase of the injury hi hail suataiurtl. T:te
Learned tJounsel then called
Mr. John Prince-1 ant a Common Councilman of the
the City, and accompanied C ipt. Antrim on the 11th
October to the Lord Mayoe. The Mornia: lierali of the
14th October was banded to the witness, si ho pointvd out
various passages in the pn"graph complained of as
having been stated by Cap!: Antrim and himself. 'Ol the
following day Capt. Antrim called at in house, and said
the article was correct; and 1 believe the whole to be
eorrect.

Cross examined by the Comm Ix StRGRANT
stated by Capt. Antrim that the settlers were ninny of them
persons who had sexed from 201. to There might have I,
been more state.; than appears in the paragraph.
Mr. Hughes sworn--I was st the Mans' an If anti', with
the last witness and Capt. A •Orim,ton the 14th 0 !ober, and
saw the report in The lleraldof bat day, and t think it was
a very correct one. It was statel that Sir OrrAtory bad
taken the money of the thee ()Than children's parents,
and oivea them notes nn the Poyats Hank for thr nt.
Cross examined by Mr. Put.n.tnt-- I Clink the rep• rt is
very crlrrect. Mr. Prince, on seriag it the day alter we
were at the Mansion Muse, sail he was surprised at its
bring so correct.
Ann Baxter sworn—l am a widow. 1 ['cramp-allied my
bnsband, in January last, in the Kinner•lev Castle, to
Papas; and we took oar six children With nay husband
and two of the children are dead; they died there; toy
husband • was a mason in Scotland; he Wight land in
Povais, and paid 111. for it at the office in Klinhurgle.
There was no land for us when we got to Poyais; we
were ten weeks iu getting to the ark Inver; we found
nothing but hushes and stars; there were no white i nine
bitants ; nothing but the pale moon ; we a!l fell sick as
soon as we got out, and no on was there to give us a
drink of water. My husband an I children died at 111. -
of the agne an.l fever. There were 150 went out in the
Kinnersley Castle, and above 10 I dim, there.
Mr. Nash sworn--1 was introduced to Sir Gregor by a
fiend. I was at first his secretary. but I chiefly looked for •
eornetey of lancers. Sir Gregor asked tue to *rite lines ad-
dressed to Po)ais, whlsh ho had printed and circulated. There
was also some poetry eltitled •"ra, Pasais Emigrant,"
written by my sister.—They were priam es ballads. and
hawked through the streets to attract t..e uttontion of the vul-
gar. The greater part If Strange%ray's wqrk teas written by
111'Gregor. I gave the sheets to the printer's buy. St
w:s et that time in Jainsies. itefore 1 came fru is liar
M o‘quito shore, I gave in a formal resignation. and' called on
Colonel Ha (,who slid he had no money without 1 would take ,
the Pays's notes. Tke Mosquito King canto to the Mack
River, and prevented the settl-rs from remaining without they
would be subj.-et to him. Ile said he bad granted Isild to Sir
Urecw, but having broken his stipulation, the KM; revoi.eil
the grant. lie understood there were to be three {doilies of
Legislation; the Members to consist of such Yeomen stud
Barons as purchased land enough to entit:e theta to seats iu the
Legislature.
.Ir. Edward Law confirmed the testimony of the other
witnesses lfor the defence, and said he expected ite see
from the representatiOns made, public buildings and a
handsome town.
The case for the defence being concluded,
The COI/lOW' SERUSA!4T replied; awl
His Lordship, in-putting the case to the Jury, observed,
that the defendants had put two justifications on the record,
lit, that the report was true and correct, and 21.1, that the
facts stated were truly stated. The Jury would; have to
consider, whether the first plea, as his Lordship thought
it was, was not tree: if they so believed on that part, they
must find for the defendants ; he thought the act of fraud
respecting the Portia notes had not been proved ; and
therefore if the Jury thought' with him on that point, they
would find for the plaintiff on that part of the case.
The Jury almost immediately returned a verdict for the
defendants on the Ist plea ; and a verdict for tbe.plaintilr,
damages le., on nhe second plea. • -•- • •''
Sir Gregor Mac Gregor was in court during the whole
I trial.. . ,

flow STaanT.—Yrstei day a fbiirge.of a sine ni ar native
was made against a min of truth-manly exterior. named
Richardson. for. defrauding a Frenchman. named John
Daimon!, 91900 Laura, and also of.stealitag two skies; hi
property.—Rens tatirti.