The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-29
Xa0dfalI,A IrIal.

A correspondent asks: WAS WooDFALL
brought TO trial for publishing the letter OF
Juslus TO the King" Certainly he was. He
had two trials the verdict in the first having
been set aside, and a rev one ordered. The
trial Is one of the most celebrated in the whole
history of English law. lis results were OF
momentous importance to the liberty OF the
press In Great Britain. 1t led, eventually, to
Fox's BILL brought forward and passed into a
law twenty-five years after, viz: in 1871. By
this law in all prosecn lions for libel, the jury
are made judges of the law as we'll as the fact
which before they Were not. The following
account of this famous trial is taken from
WeOdfairs Juntxs, American edition, Phila-
delphia, 1885, note to page los, LIST volume.
tine letter TO the King was published 18th De-
cember, 1882
Yesterday morning, June 18th, NO. about
the ConrL OF hins's bench, a, GuIldha, the tina
OF ar. Woodtaii. the o,lgInal printer OF Junu.'
letter IN the Public Adr.rttSer of December 10
Only seven of tne SPECIAL jury attended, viz :
William hond, foreman Peter Caz 1let, Alexan
meyer, John Thomas and Barrlnston Busgin.
lyon shlcn the following hive Ia esnlen were taken
GGs ei w M Go s sz wam WHICH,
Wiiliam DAVIS. The trial was opened py MI
Nathaniel Crowder swors he bought the paper
OF ar WOODLANDS publishing servant, whom ne
Mr. Harris proved that the duty for the adver-
t,semsn ts and stamps pad 10y MI w oodlali,
anC d risfK ia elr John fieioihs proved os re-
ce,pt rom Mr. " ooaral, his concern IN ana lor
he publication and direction Of the paper by
Mr. " oodiaIl us,ng thus proved, Lord hanhheid
asllys ed ans charge 10 the jury The charge OF
Lora Mansfield Is too long Tor Insertion. The
suistance ol i. was. taat the jury had only TO con-
s,uer two L.ints: Whistler the defendant pu blshed
ms PAPER IN autstiO and wnat was he sense and
me an,ns OF ~ ninousu the Indictment CHARGED
ssious document, and althUus h TINS alleged char
a. ar Of II t,rMea the sole found Il prosecution,
he aid ne jury that was not a matter tor their
INCARCERATION. Inc Court alone were TO deter
Of uab Icatlon, and LleIeupon To render n verdict
OF kuIity OF not guilty, according TO the evidence.
If the paper really Contained no breach vi law, 1t
nj mi attic. waIds be moved IN arrest OF Ju0g
- Between steven and twelve The jury with
drew; at four ibs Court adjourned, and nine ths
BLOOMSBURY square, with their verdict, which was
su.lty Of pfinIins aud publishing only"
This verdict completely upset the scheme Of
Lord MANSFIELD TO get the matter entirely
unto the hands OF the Court. II gave rise to
Two distinct motions one by the counsel for
The defendant in arrest of judgment, on the
ground Of the amblg nous character OF the YER.
diet; the other by the counsel tor tue Grown,
10 compel the defendant TO shew cause why
the verdict should Ii OF DC entered up according
10 ths legal import of the words. The case hav-
trial should be granted. When 1t came on, the
Attorney General observed TO the Chief JUS
tice that he had not the original newspaper
by which he could prove the publication
Lord MANSFIELD briefly replied, " that is not
my fault, Mr.. Attorney" and thss terminated
The trial. 1t appears that the foreman of the
Jury, on the first trial, had put the paper into
his pocket, and had afterwards destroyed it.
The trial cost WoopFALL, from first to last
about 1i20, ($600) ALMoK, who was also
prosecuted, says 1t cost him f4Oo; a state.
ment altogether improbable, since he only
soid magazine, which he did not print.
having the obnoxious letter In It, This
Charge OF Aoro MANSFIELD to the Jury pro-
ouced profound sensation throughout the
Kingdom. The nation believed its liberties
threatened by the Court OF Kings Bench. and
became thoroughly alarmed. The press took
up, and JuKIus, uader his own signature
ana under others, and various other anony .
writers, appealed vehementIy TO tLs
ps'p'' reauons aud renonstrances poured
IN from nearly every con,,v so,,h - ~,
Tweed. The nation I'm s.o, a....s 49,
verge OF rebellion. LORD M.ssn,.,,s..
charge upon the table Of the Home 90 -.
as II 10 challenge discussion. Tia g,.., -
Lord CAMDEN. instantly accented m. 80,
Isnge. aud put six intsrroga,oriss to Ira
Manifold by way OF opening the dehs -
which were OF character SO direct and .o
ssarching, that the latter declined answsrtus
them. and thus fairly backed out. In tbs
House OF Commons, the great lawyer, SCAR
GIANT GLYsh, offered resoiu ton appointiDI
COMMITTEES 70 inquire into the " adm Il istra
ton OF criminal justice and the proceeding
Of the judges In Westminster Hall, partieu.
larry Ia cases relating 10 the liberty Of The
press. and The constitutional power and du.
t'ss Of jariss," This resolution produced 4