The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-08-08 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

he rummer in which it was proffered, there appear to
me to be two faiths in the address. First, an a, comfit°.
.latiou was proposed in which the weaker parts- shoidd
vield to the stronger. Secondly—She who lad just
claims to the insertion of her name in the Liturgy, was
was required to give up those jest claims ; and thereby
'tick a proposition should never have been made to her
31ajesty by the House of Cominotia, w hose province it
was constitutionally to advise the King fapplausel, who
in an equally constitutional manner hoinill to listen
to, if not follow, such advice. flowerer. von all know
her, Majesty refused to art upon it—hut whether right
or at tong I shall not pretend to say. The consequence,
but , was, a species of trick, not eery ntifreiptently
resorted to—the inquiry was stopped, and the Green
Sag thrown under the table—Paugliter and applause :j.
7.1.1 r, as far as regarded the Hinter of Commons, but the
House of Lorde, I presume, took a different view of the
question; and as they are generally %opposed to be a more
cot:dying body, were requested to take it up—and they did
• (I.3ll‘hter !)—.-I.3killg it then for granted, that the
only mode of proceeding left, was by a Bill of Pains and
Penalties, I con conceive no Pleasure more out of the
ordinary course of law, nor one more objectionable and
'against all our notions of justice. than a general and
sweeping Bill of Pains and Penalties for the punishment
a.; a particular offence. The two most celebrated men
• aucieut and modern times have condemned it—Cicero
:rd Paley. Ido not, however, deny that such proceed-
ing; have been used in the course of our history—in the
course of the last century; but if we look to the latest
precedent., and see on what occasion they took place,
we can see how differently these parties have been'
treated, when contrasted with her Majesty, the Queen—
( Hear, hear.)—When the Bill was brought down against
Bisbnp Atterhurv, it was stated that
.persons of figure
arid family wanted to bring in a foreign force to assist
the views of the Pretender, and if the fact was so, a
cave of state necessity was made out. Bet how different
was that state uecessity from the present? Then, when
sr great a danger threateneih—them when a foreign
torce was invited to our shores—then, when the British
• was to be made the arena for di'cord and for fight,
--then, when impunity to the guilty might be revolution
it the state-a-(Applause.)—every charge against Bishop
Atterbnry WA, laid in the report, to which an appendix,
ri•ra.ning more thau 200 pages of evidence, was
alee t :—While in the present case her Majesty has to
meet charges for a period of six years; during which
s!:e made many journies to various countries, soh: re
spies beset her, or those who appeared as friends he-
•royed her: and has not been furnished either with a
Ilst of the witnesses against her, or the places in which
ft. ey charge her with improper conduct.—(Hear, hear!)
i:et extraordinary as this proceeding is, having been he.
tete the noose of Lords, an investigation having al•
ready commenced, and every probability existing that it
will come before the House of Commons, I shall feel it
my duty to attend to it with all the impartiality ut one
who is tidied upon to act as a Judge, and not let my
feeling as a man prevent air doing the State that justice
evl ich every na!ional question demands from one of the
representatives of the people.—(Cheers.) I say that
iestice demands, because if the charges are proved,
lowever dilS.ailt the task, to decide on the particular
Lordship of the case—however unfortunate it may be that
Ole Queen should be degraded in the alre in which we
Lee, end throughout Eerope.—still I hope I shall do my
duty in this case as well as I should do it in any
other that similarly comes before cheering)
—Mach has been said at various times of her Majesty
baing made the tool of faction ; but no such disposition,
Gentleinem can be charged on you or me. It has been
a.:41) said that the Frieuds of the Quern bade her appeal
t I the people in the streets—but such a calumny carries
with it its own refutation. The friends of her Majesty
have acted a different part. But, Gentlemen, if there
are persons existing alto incited her Majesty to this
nitasure, of in former measures, and so incited her for
tee purpose of promoting their ottn interests, and after
that foam' it hest to become the panders to their own
pate:ons for place or pension—if the defenders of the
Queen became the accusers of the King [cheers), and
t' ea talked of honour and conscience—if one talks of
r ever bring a public accuser, while be is one of the
advisers of a public prosecution—and another talks of
tringiag the impartiality of a judge to the decision of
a question in which he is one of the prosecutors—if
some men who took up her cause are now ready to con-
demn her, and preclude her from the couttuon advantages
remain-I. to a fair trial—if, I say, smith men exist, so far
from approving of, or assimilating my line of conduct to
Heirs, I shill always consider theist as the basest and
vilest of mankind fencers]. 1 am afraid, Gentlemen,
are already trouhreil you too long, and therefore I shall
row ronrlude be thanking you most sincerely for the
manner in which yon have been pleased to honour me.
I shall propose to you--
" Prosperity to the County of Huntingdon."

After this toast, which was drank with three times
three, the band played !harts of Oak.
Mr. I. B. KoopaK briefly adiressed the meeting. I
rise, gentlemen, to propose a toast which will be grate-
fal to us all, and which I am sure von will all drink with
applause. Without further preface, then, and as I know
nothing Irons me could add to the Noble Lord's charac-
ter as a Member of Parliament, a man, a landlord, a ,
neighbour, and a friend—one whose condescension to
us is not to be met by praise—l shall give von
(her Noble Chairtnau, the determined Patriot, and
the liberal landlord."
Lord Sos sae race to return thanks, and said, Oentle-
men, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I rise
with deep agitation to return von my thanks. I feel
kow unworthy I am of such approbation t but to know
that my political feelings are in unison with those of the
r npestahle gentlemen I see around me, affords me matter
of the highest gratification—{applause]—and the more
so, as I am influenced by the same feelings I was in
November last Gentlemen. I am sorry that his Majesty's
Ministers did not so alter their line of conduct as to get
my support [applause]; and I think our country has re-
cvlyell a fresh disgrace from their late political.proceed-
i-gs. I glorv, Gentlemen, in being a Whig---an tndepen-
nem W hig [ebeers], and if an administration, th on gh com-
posed of any al t friends, acted as the Tories hare
I would as strenuously oppose them as I do the present
Government [applause]. I am actuated by no factions
motive—and I yield to no Tory in the world, either in
loyalty to my King and country, or attachment to the
just rights and liberties of Englishmen. With respect
so the Queen. as I shall be called upon to act as in the
nature of a Juryman, it would he wrong in me to tres-
pass on year time be stating what I think ; suffice it to
say, l shall go to tire consideration of that great ques-
tion actuated by the most impartial notions, nei-
ther seeking fame on the one band, nor dreading
clamour es the other ; and if I hare health to attend
the ievestigation. I shall fearlessly, manfully anal con-
sulmatioesly discharge my duty (cheers). Afy Noble
Pripet has thrown est au insinuation against the House
Parliament to which I belong, and I heartily agree
to it [applause]. I regret to see the Upper House so
complaisant tw Ministers, but perhaps if there were a
few more independent men in the House of Commons,
the country woad mot be so bad as it now is [shouts of
applause and laughter). Really, gentlemen, your ex-
pressions of applause (site overpower me, and I must
conclude by /making all your good health. [at the cop-
clesion of this speech, bravo! bravo! resounded for se-
veral minutes].
The Rev. kir. Savrtasita, in proposing the nett Walt,

sail, that bearing as it did a relation to two Noble Fa-
milies, who had onferred such benefits on the country,
be had little else to say, than merely declare their names;
and the more s.s, as most of those around him were fully
aware of their many virtues. He then gave—
" The Houses of •Itossell and Cavendish, and may the
Aristocracy of the Kingd ever be foremost in support
of the Rights of the People" [applause].
The ICev Dr. Mat.vinr-1 ran scarcely think myself
of sufficient consequence to return thanks for the man-
ner in whit th:s toast has been received. Blot if a
knowledge of the one, and an acquaintance with the
constitutional feelings of the other, could justify me,
tor justification is already at hand. From the head of
foie of those Noble Houses I have received a letter, and,
without farther observation, I shall proceed to lay its
contents before von. The letter is from the Duke of
Bedford. in answer to the request which was trans-
mitted him, that he %could honour its with his com-
pany on this day. His tirace acknowledges the receipt
of the letter, and expreaaes hih regret at not being able
to profit of the invitation : he begs his excuse may be
made for his non-attendance, and observing that he can
not he insensible to the honour conferred upon his son
--adds his satisfaction that the persons oho matured
the independence of the county (Huntingdon) had
looked to Isis son as a faithful guardian of those inter-
ests confided to him. The note conclisiles by his (trace's
emphatically adding. "1 'mat in tiod you will never
he disappointed.'—Such is the virtuous and good feel-
ing of his lirare the Duke of Bedford ; and if my Noble
Friend could possibly degenerate from the feelings of
his family, his (trace of Bedford would be the first,
lam sure, to mark such a change as it deserved. His
Orare, however, need have no such pain, and we have no
am Is fear. The past will justify the future, and if without
wounding his delicacy I may say so—l can safely add,
that no one Member of that Illustrious House is
more thoroughly imbued with the patriotic principles
of that noble family than my noble friend. Likely then
as be is to be the faithful guardian of our liberties and
interests, I hope he may continue to the end of his
honourable life the houest representative of the County
of Multi iticilon —pond applause].
Many minr loyal and constitutional toasts %ere given.

SENTENuE TR'ENTY-TWo PRISOSERS
CONVICTED OF MGR TREASON!

STMT.INO. FRIDAY. Atc. 6.

The Court met this morning, pursuant to adjourn-
ment. and John M•Millan and Andrew Dawson were
put to the hir, when Mr. Grant (who with Mr. Cullen
was counsel for the eight prisoners whose cases were
this day to h.• brought before the Court), moved, that
their plea of Not Guilty, which they had pleaded on
their arraignment, origin be withdrawn, and that the
prisoners nitcht be at liberty to plead diiterently.
The Court having heard Mr. Want in support of
his motion, and the Lord Advocate having assented to it,
the prisoners were severally asked whether they wished
to withdraw their plea of Not Guilty of their own free
si ill; the prisoners bowed to the Court, and their
several pleas of tinilty were then recorded.
The Loaf) Anvoe %Tr then addressed the Court,
and alluding to the manner in which Mr. Brant had
expressed himself respecting the views of those who
hal discussed the prosecutions, he said, to show my
honourable and learned friend, that his expectations
on any point are not likely to he disappointed; and
seeing he has Judiciously recommended to chute two
men to plead guilty, whom I consider, as the most
criminal of the persons at your Lordships' bar—so I
agree with him in thinking, that reongh has been
done, and that I am now at liberty to arrest the ex-
tended hand of justice, and to hold forth that leniency
and merry to the remainder of the unhappy men
before the Court. In their fsvonr I therefore consent
to a verdirt of Acquittal. My Lord, when we recollect
the number of personsconvietesl, and now awaiting their
sentence, atnonntiftg, in this county alone, to no less than
22, and connected with various and distinct arts of trea-
son, connected nith the affair at Donnymnir,connected
with the insurrection at Balfron. connected with the
treasonable proceedings at St. Ninian's, and now these
last individuals, connected with the like proceedings
at CAnielon, I say, when in all these eases convictions
have been obtained, I hope it will he generally felt,
that we have done enough, and that if I were now to
persevere farther. I might be supposed to be influeaced
by a spirit, which I disown on the part of the Govern-
ment, and which I disown on the part of myself.

A J ury were then worn, and immediately pronounced
James Aitkin, wright, Andrew Burt, jun. James Burt,
James Aitkin, grocer, John Johnstone, and Daniel
Turner—Not Gel(.
The Loan Palm D:NT then addressed Andrew Burt,
and the other men who had been acquitted, and hoped
that they would consider and lay to heart what they
had heard in Court, and retutn to their homes thank-
ful for the proceedings that had taken place, and with
a resolution to become in future honest men and good
subjects.
James Aitken, Andrew Burt, junior, James Aitken,
John Johnston, and Daniel Turner, then bowed, and
left the Court. James Burt was again remanded to
prison, on account of some offence charged against
him in the sheriff-court.

Lope) Auvorarr.—My Lord President, I bare now
to discharge the most painful part of my duty, in
having discharged which, I shall rejoice, namely, to
move your Lordships fur the last sentence of the law.
The twenty-two remaining prisoners were then
severally asked, whether they had any thing to say
why judgment to die according to law should not be
pronounced upon them, and bowed to the Court ; and
the LORD Paestne.x.r, in a most impressive manner,
pronounced upon them the following sentence :--
Loan PRILSIDRST—Andrew Hardie, John Baird,
James Clelland, Thomas M'Culloch, Benjamin Moir,
Allan Murchie, Alexander Latimer, Alexander John-
stone, Andrew White, David Thomson, James Wright,
William Clackson or Clarkson, Thomas Pike or Pink,
Robert Uray, Alexandre Hart, John Barr, William
Smith, Thomas M'lrarlane, John Anderson, William
Crawford, John M'Millan, and Andrew Dawson—Yon
present a melancholy spectacle of two-and-twenty sub-
jects of this country who have forfeited their lives
to its jnstice a spectacle, I believe unexampled in
the history of this country, such at least as I never
witnessed, and I trust in God never shall witness
again. The crime of which you have been con-
victed, is the crime of high treason, a crime the high-
est known to the law, and the highest I may ven-
ture to say, which can be known to a reflecting
mind, because, in fact, whatever may be the motive,
which a man has in view, who engages in the crime
of high treason, we all must be aware that that crime

whether oltissately successful or not in itsprogress, if
progress it has, must produce unutterable misery and
confusion. It is impossible that treason can make
any progress towards success, without deluging the
country in which it takes plate, in blood and slaughter,
in plunder and devastation. All countries therefore,
and all laws, have considered the crime ofhigh treason
as the deepest which any subject can possibly commit.
At the same time, I am well aware, that fro, the de-1
lnsion which has been practised against you, and from
the principles, perhaps, which sowed you have iris-
bibed, yon may view this in a different light, and that 11
you may consider yourselves not us the victims ofjus-
tice, but as martyrs to liberty.
Some of you, fur any thing I know, may even glory
in your suffering; but remember this, that sentence of
death is now to be passed on you all ; and remember
that, whatever may be your own opinions, as to the
moral guilt of the cri►.►e of which you have been con-
victed, that all of you, at least, are miserable sinners.
All of you have vices and sins to answer for at the
throne of God : and, die when vou may, or fur what-
ever cause, those sins must be answered for ; and,
therefore, whatever may he your opinion of the guilt
of this crime of which yon have been convicted, re-
member that yeti still have the sins that beset human
nature to answer for at the throne of God ; and I en-
treat and conjure you all to look into your own breasts,
to recall the actions of your past lives, and to pray to
God to give you that repentance which leadeth unto
life, and which, alas ! the best of us have too much
occasion for.

Remember that repentance alone is not sufficient—
remember that you have to appear before a God who is
not only possessed of infinite mercy bat of inflexible
justice—that both must be satisfied by us, miserable
sinners, before we can hope tor mercy at his Throne ;1
and as we ourselves, alas' have nothing to offer, have I
nothing to plead in mitigation of punishment from that I
inflexible justice, which must be satisfied as well as his
mercy, let we entreat you to have recourse to that Re-
deemer who stands as a Mediator between our God and
us, through whom alone we can all hope for mercy. It
only remains for me now to pronounce against one and
all of you the last awful sentence of the law. In regard
to you, Andrew Hardie and John Baird, I can hold out
little or no hopes of mercy. You were selected for trial
as leaders of that band in which you were associated.
You were convicted, after a full and a fair trial, and
it is utterly impossible to suppose, considering the con-
vulsions into which this country was thrown, that the
Crown must not feel a necessity of making some ter-
rible examples, and, as you were the leaders, I am
afraid that example must be given by you. With re-
gard to the rest of you, I hope and trust that mercy
may he extended to the most, if not to all, of you ; but
it is nut to this Court that mercy belongs, and we can-
not guarantee it. It depends upon the mercy of the
Crown alone, a mercy which is never exercised capri-
ciously, and ought never to be exercised capriciously.
The Ministers of the Crown, standing in the elevated
situations which they hold, are bound to take into
view the interest-4 of the whole community, and not to
extend mercy to individual eases, merely for the take
of merry, if the interests of the country should in fact
demand your punishment. k hope and trust however
that the contrary may be the case, but let Ilse warn you
all, in the mean time, to avail yourselves of the short
time that is granted to yon, and to prepare for the
worst. The worst may come upon some of yon, and I
hope and trust you will be prepared for it, and at all
events you will not lire in future the worse men that
you have prepared to die.
The sentence of the law is, that you, and each of
you, be tnken to the place from whence yen came, and
that yon be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execu-
►ion, and there be hung by the neck, until you are
dead, and afterwards your head severed from your
body, and your body divided into four quarters, to be
disposed of as his Majesty may direct—and may God '
in his infinite goodness hare mercy on your souls.
I have only to intimate now, that a warrant will be
signed by the Court for your execution on Friday the
lith day of September.

The prisoner. were then taken from the bar.

Loan PaasioxsT.—gentlemen of the petit jury,
you are now discharged from further attendance. The
Court regret extremely the trouble and fatigue you
had on the former occasion ; at present I trust you will
not complain of any thing of that kind, and I am
sere the country must be s.stistied with your attention ;
and I do trust that the proceedings of this commission
will bare that beneficial effect upon the country which
was intended. great and abominable crimes undoubt-
edly were intended ; of that we have had complete
proof, by the convictions which have taken place of
so many. I hope and trust that what has passed in
the administration of justice here, and what has fallen
from the counsel os. all sides, will have a most useful
and beneficial effect, by saskfying the people, that,
whatever shades of differences there mar be, whatever
little petty grievances this or that order of the
community may have, whatever trifling alterations any
persons may think nec.ssary in the constitution, the
great and important principles of this constitution are
the best, the wisest, and the freest that the sun yet
ever slw. We may think some of us, that there may
he some grievances, others may think the constitution
may yet he amended ; but, upon the whole, we all
live happily, freely, and comfortably under it, as it
stands, and although those who think they have griev-
ances should not succeed in hating them redressed, al-
though those who think reformation to some degree
necessary, du not obtain it, still they have the satis-
faction of knowing, they enjoyed a greater degree of
liberty, as it stands, than any other nation, and as
much, I believe, as human nature in this world is
capable of enjoying ; for of one thing be assured,
that, unless we continue a virtuous people we are not
fit for liberty, and therefore it is that 1 say, that the
degree of liberty, which we at present enjoy, is, 1 am
afraid, as much as we are capable of enjoying with
honk to ourselves, and any attempt to give us a much
greater degree of it (I speak not of little alterations
or reformations) would, in fact, end in the destruc-
tion of that which we have. I have only to state the
sense which the Court have, with the counsel for the
Crown, of the activity of the magistrates of this dis-
trict, it is highly to their praise ; and I hope and
trust, that, from the highest to the lowest, they will
persevere in their endeavours to preserve-the pees of
this meet important part of the country I and, above!