The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-12-12 00:00:00

• 'HE STATESMAN;

Jobu Richards, of .186 tons. She bad idled from
Yonghell, in Ireland, with a cogs Of oats, and was
bound for London. The Adelleistration Of the Ma-
rine has saved whatever part of the wreck bar ease
on shore.
French Funds. Dec. 7.—Five per Cents. 68f.
20c. ; Bank Stock, 1,567 f. 80e.
Munrcw, Nov. 29.—The Emperor aid-Empress
of Austria will set oat from Amos to-morrow for
Vienna.
FRANETORT. DEC. 3.—The Prussian Minister,
Baron de Humboldt, is expected here on the 6th inst.
Lord Ciencarty will also arrive in a few days. Im-
mediately on the arrival of these Diplomatists, the
conferences will commence, for the regulation of the
details of various objects which have been discussed
at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle.
The States of the Kingdom of Hanover were to
open their Session on the Ist inst. Important changes
will take place in the Hanoverian army. The crea-
tion of some new regiments of infantry and cavalry is
spoken of.
It is asserted, that the Provincial States of the
Kingdom of Hanover will be henceforth convoked
every three years. There is a rumour of delibera-
tions being on foot relative to a new Constitution.—
The country of Spiegelberg (of which Coppenbregg
is the capital) will be immediately given op to
Hanover.

FLORENCE, Nov. 25.—The Archduke
latine of Hungary, arrived here yestetcla,
pedal Highness proceeds immediately to
Na pies.
The General of Cavalry, Osman Aga,
vice of the Viceroy of Egypt, has caused
sorted in tee Journals the estrect of a '
from Alexandria, the 21st Oct. which
intelligence of the captors by assault of Dervich, the
capital of the Wechabites, by the troops ender the
command of Ibrahim Pacha, son of the Viceroy of
Egypt. This event, which was followed by the total
defeat of the army of the Wechabites, and which en-
sures the tranquillity of Egypt, has caused the greatest
joy at Cairo, where it bas been celebrated by a gee
octal illumination.

PRICE OF STOCKS TH
Rank Stock
3 per Cent. Rol. 77iii
3 per Cent. JCntoals
91 per Cent. 8711
t.onsol• for Acc. 79jf 781 79
4 per Cent. 9141

IS I/AY AT ONE O'CLOCK
• 5 per Cent. Navy
India Ronde 80 S 2 SI
Long Ann. 20k
Exchequer Bills 17 20 16 p
Omnium

THE STATESMAN.

LONDON:

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1? 1818.

The trials for Forgery are not yet, it seems, at en
end. A dreadful series remain for juridical lens.
ligation. Twelve more are announced to take place
net week. These are the prisoners who hare been
allowed, in the present Old Bailey Sessions, to plead
guilty to the minor offence of having Forged Notes
in their possession. We learn that a Memorial was
yesterday presented to the Coed from twetve of
these persons, now in prison, having been convicted,
on their own pleading, of what has been called the
minor offence (viz. that of having Forged Notes in
their possession), requesting that they might be al.
lowed to withdraw their several pleas, and to take
their trial for the capital offence of uttering. They
were told, it is said, that they would not be allowed
to revoke their former plea, which subjects them to
transportation, bat if they pleased they might take
their trial for the capital offence, the indictment for
which was abandoned on the part of the Bank. The
prisoners, it is also said, are determined, on Monday
neat, to pot themselves on their trial for the capital
charge, notwithstanding the plea of guilty to the
minor offence, which now stands recorded against
them.

The subject of these prosecution., and the evidence
upon which Juries are called to sanction the sacrifice
of human beings, to preserve the credit of the Bank,
is one of such weighty and peculiar interest, that
we doubt not we shalt yet be enured for dwelling
upon it, and noticing the remarks which the come
mon feeling lute produced.

ID our Piper of nersdey,
controvertible principles of

- _
Odium, of Jams, as even
over. Our Readers have seen
have made, that even that Iv
bubble, has at length seen the
negated the system that has bs
Oe Monday last all that bad
prosecutions for Forgery, was erroneous in the
opinion of the Courier: then our disapprobation oil
the horrid system was said by this wise-acre to pro.l
teed from principles subversive of all social order.--
On Thursday this same defender of the blood-ce-
mented paper fabric, chimes in with public opinion,
and " condemns the misconduct of the Bank ! ! !"
We said en Thursday,—" If a prisoner is foend
:pilty, the judgment of the Jury must be right ; or
they decide to find the accused guilty on a wrong
judgment;"—end we explained these two species of
judgments or verdicts thus:-" A right judgment
implies, that the Jury know all the characteristic
marks or evidences of a genuine Note of the Bank of
England ; a wrong judgment implies, that without
being acpalated with the mystic marks of a genuine
; fed the prisoner guilty of passing a Forged
Now, the Courier says, " Whatever may
private marks by which an Inspector aster.
authenticity of a Note, still as the
is confined to his own breast, and
not communicated to the Jury, the
4
feat convict upon supposition,
not apes evideeee."-i—This is bat nybril
- z..

we have said, in other words :—A

judgment" is nojedgawat at all ; a " Verd
supposition, and out •pon evidence,'/ is

without the proof of testimony, without the evidence
of the senses ; mod implies either that the Jury were
not at the trouble to satisfy their Weds as to the es-
tore and degrees of evidence, sero4lNrey decided
by " an oracle instead of a Oits says the
Courier.—" Au Inspector looks at
the Note, and delivers an oracle hlstead of a fact ;
and upon that oracle a human life is forfeited 1. ! !"
This is literally the troth, and speaks volumes, con-
sidering who the speakers are,—the hired Arals of
the Government, the tools of the Bank, the apostles
of corruption. But the " Devils believe and tram.
ble"—aed the Courier, seeing hew Juries are now
resolved to act, unsays all that it hitherto said, and
holds up the Bank Inspector in the glimmering twi-
light of a Pagan Priest issuing 66 an oracle"—an
equivocal speech, that may be, or that may not be,
just as the parties interested in the event may he
disposed to apply its mystic enigma. Yet it new
turns out that " an oracle" from Threadneedle.
street hitherto guided Juries, for so unquestionably
Is the corollary which all men will draw from the
reasoning of the Courier. We congratulate the
Courier on its conversion to our opinions. The
Bank will learn& useful lasso* from this sincerity on
the part of its former supporter. It shows what re.
Hance the system has to place on its hired retainers.
We shall not presume to insult the common sense
of the country by further pointing out what are the
duties of Jurors; but we shall make some observa-
tions that necessarily result from the principles we have
laid down. Let any one of our Readers suppose he
is now one of a Jury in a case of prosecution for
passing a Forged Note. He carefully attends to the
indictment—he hears the evidence of witnesses, that
the prisoner at the bar did pass off the note in goes-
tion, and he bears the Bank Inspector declare that
the Note is a Forgery. Now the question be most
pot to himself is very simple, and at the same time
very appalling to an honest man. " Have I the
firmest belief that this Note is a Forgery ?"—for
every Juror must have the firmest belief on all
parts of the evidence, before be can pronounce
the accused guilty—that is to say, before he
gives his judgment of guilty. Ile must not only
hare the testimony of eye and ear-witnesses
that the prisoner did pass the Note reported to be
forged, but he must also have the evidence of his
own senses also that the Note is actually a Forgery,
else his verdict or judgment is unaccompanied (*kb
that belief upon which his decision ought to rest.—
Now, when 16 an oracle instead of • fact" is the
foundation of his verdict, his judgment may be true,
or it may be false. But as he has not the evidence
of Ms own senses that the " oracle," or Bank In-
spector, utters an infallibility, the evidence before
him is such as to leave room for doubt ; and as one
judgment may be contradictory to another, and as it
'is impossible for a man to have, at the Caine lime,
two judgments, which he perceives to be contradic-
tory, it follows, seeing it is impossible for him to
judge both to be true at the same time, that
he must pronounce the prisoner not guilty.
For that there Is an inward tribunal of the mind of
the Juror, cannot be doubted; and to this tribunal
the whole evidence of a prisoner's guilt is submitted.
--The mind, with regard to whatever is true or
false, passes sentence, or determines upon the evi-
dance before it ; but it can never be made upon the
response of " an oracle instead of a fact ;" therefore,
till a Jury shall have been put in possession of all
the knowledge, of all the infallible marks upon which
a right judgment should be grounded, their verdict is
the verdict of credulity, mod not of reason.
We do not here mean to impugn the verdicts of I
former Juries, who doubtless acted conscientiously;
but we mean boldly to assert that the Beek has had
the law in its own hands too long; and we trust that
the feelings of humanity will no longer be trifled
witb by that Corporate Body.

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