Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-01-31
10 the Public,

= N the Gazette of yesterday publication
IL has appeared, under the signature OF Butts
S Cawood, calculated to reflect on r. H.
w. Fl. B. David Smedley, in elationto a
recent investigation before the Mayor, OF Ger
tain highly penal charges which had been
presented against them. Feeling conscious,
on my part, of The falsehood of the accuse
ton, that bad not wantonly and without
necessity contributed to wound the feelings
or expose The characters of men towards
whom. | have 40 hostility, and that had
not acted IN clandestine manner, to attain
an illegal object, il cannot be expected that
| will give sanction to the libel against me
by my silence. A statement of all the evi-
dence which was given before the Mayor
and of his sentence, would in themselves be
sufficient for my defence, and as B. & Z
have By their publication against me chal-
leRged investigation, | might perhaps be
justi6able in going every length necessary
for the development cflhe truth, but have
in view only my own justification aud do not
desire to wound their feelings without ne
cessity II therefore con6ne myself to the
general outlines of the transaction.
Before any Judicial enquiry had been
made, reports most unfaVordble TO the mer-
camille reputation OF certain description
of traders IN the town, had been in circula-
tion ithecame the duty of every one either
to put them down by proving their taSity,
or il true, 10 Tx the charges on those who
were guilty.-A clue TO the discovery was
accidentally acquired by me from persons
residing IN town Who gave evidence before
the Mayor. 1t Vas important to ascertain
the truth-the subjec, was serious-lhe in
formation might possibly be erroneous. The
first examination was therefore necessarily
private, sat not clandes.ine, nor at a late
hour OF he night The same experiment was
made by others--the result was the same
Nothing was done to impair the accuracy OF
the balanCe--the examination was made on
Monday evening the 18th inst.--the scales
were not altered. During the whole of the next
day tuesday, no discovery was made,
az Is 81 T.. insinuate. OF the absence OF
large piece of plaster, weighing upwards of
60 pounds, which they are pleased to call
the balance weight belonging to " FIX
lures erected with oil possible accuracy"
On the 18th, and not on the day after the
examination, the sale and delivery OF the
plaster was made. which led 10 the judicial
enquiry before the Mayor.
TIE result of this enquiry before magis-
trate whose integrity and capacity have been
always highly respected, was as follows -
fine was imposed on b. e. c.. for a viola
ton OF law, which that magistrate did not
consider accidental that proof was given of
more than one such violation--that there was
not only an inequality in the weights of the
scales Of more than 80 pounds, but that
further difference was produced by an ine
quality in the length of the arms of the beau.
Sentence OF condemnation was therefore
passed by the Mayor, not only on the scales,
but on the beam also, and they were accord
ingly destroyed by the proper officer.
This statement is not made with view OF
eliminating B. y c. but is intended as alrea-
dy stated, only for my own defence, nor 90
pretend to draw for the public any deduc-
ton from what has been stated
ian 2H ROBERT HUME.