Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-18
COURT OF INQUIRY
IN THE >cAsE~oF
GEN. WILKINSON.

GEN. WILLIAMSON.
! On Wednesday,, as!ies!s before noon,
/ the caurs was opened; wAen the Judge
!. advocate said, that having nation 10
ak Ike ~hichrequired delher aiion, he would
! move thar The cours should be cleared.
= ne ccssrt was accordingly cIeares and re-.
sa cleared for scar an hour On The
doara h ,iex opeaed, shs Jadge advocate
s. >,lowing decisios OF the court:
psr.s;.;,, the editor OF a public news.
,.n., = the &c, o. taking noses, it was
thought proper - consider whs'nsf the
da;I, nnb,ica,;on Of the proceedings was,
aa rot consist ,sns with the rules
~ -. =, ,ar,;;aI ada. :.sisuasion ct Just
ice rendered indispensable.
The rule 10 all uessj'ssy cca'ts 'es'ss''oe
evidence is, thar in order eHec'ual'y 10
guard aad preserve It's purity. no person
cited 20 appear as witness shall pc aiio >
ed "a be pressnt during the examination OF
any Of abs previous witnesses.
+, would Sc species of subsrnation and
AFFORD valid objection to testimony, II
witness, by hearing all that had been pre-
v;ously testified, should eaodei his evidence
bv thai of the witnesses before examined
|Isse Tyler p. 1901 YET who can say that
sh,s prsyious testimony would notiaAuenee
even we'll intentioned Witnesses: And Il
would cer,siaiy give consistency asd uni
fornalty 70 any combina,ic0 .ha, Hnpnre
witnesses nigat make, either tofersecsse
an accused person, or save criminal.
Hv the constitution OF The u. S.no man
! can he convicted Of treason without two
witnesses 80 each overt act; theProbs6ie
.o,ru,ion ct shis was otpteveutcomb'na
,ian, fos by examining two wSne sses TO
| snv one oct separately snd apart TO each O.
I ,hrr. eomhlnstiou wpsla be detected but
ia transcript Of the previous tesllmsny
rrre GU, Into the hands at succeeding
vi,uess. ,h,s wise provision ia the constl.
,u,;on would be rendered nagatory, and
the injury dose 10 the administrators OF
kins,jce would be the sams, whether the
eject would be in the nature OF mercy Or
( cruelty. -,
/ i, nigh, be said thasio crowded courts
81 is.,ice persons citedte be witnesses are
generaily presen, when previous witnesses
are examined; but to say nothing OF sns
nature af the case where owing TO hume
]. rous audisnce, the court csunot tell zoh:
are present, there is a wide difference be
tween wh2. may be retained IN the me {!
eby hearicg what is delivered, and having
tar copy which might be leafnedby heart
Eiodeed the chance Of inaccuracy 10 rsae "a
J fbering oral testimony is SO great, that tn
discovery Of combination Isnct merel
probable bus almosscertain by the coutu
sion such witnesses would be liable to.
Military courts GENERALLY set garrison
or csmps, aud ,nas1l ones always sis
board ships; under these circumstances
persons cited TO be witnesses are Away
. kept on, Of coars while previous witnesse
: are under examination; and where the al
dieDce happens to be numerous VI rom !
3 ny other cause their is possibility OF sue
: evidences being accidentally present, q
lodge Advocate expressly gives publ
:. waruiog for chem TO retire.
8 No wines. is allowed soyead his test
: mopy, aud SO cautious are courts and
! anxious 10 gard against sabornatloa 70
preliminary questions whether the "'tne
c has been instructed what TO say, ars som