, 1896-09-05

" N'N'"' 81 tihysj
The Jonleson trial was brought t. = con.
CluSion ON tuesday. The Summing IN of
the Lord Chief Justice WIS poWe'tuI IN man
ner and comprchensiye in matter. The ac-
cu>ed we've to have the benefit If any doubt
that mlght exist; bnt II must he a real doubt
such MS w-uId Influence a man in ANY i'm.
portaut concern in life, and not a doubt
oonjuled mp. To constitute an oHcnce
Of the kind with which the prisoners were
charged, it was not necessary that The mil
itary expedition fitted ont TO proceed against
the dominions Of q friendly Power should
actually proceed. "lhe offence j. complete
if the person aids and ahets the preparation
with that mention In other waldS. the
offence il loading the pistol with intent to
use it for an unlawful purpose. 1t is not
the mere discharge that constitutes Ire crime.
The Lord Chief Justice went on 20 show
that, in f CT, the expedition started from
British territory, and to the evi-
d nee as to the facts of the Raid. Ultimately
he left to the jury a series Of questions.
which were briefly 90 We're preparations
for u raid made by the defendants? %
Did they aid, ebet, counsel. or procure such
preparation ? e. We're they employed in
the actual expedition a. Did The Queen
exercise dominion and sovereignty in pitsani-
Pitlogo?
The jury. after an hours deIiLeration.
returned affirmative answers to all the cues
tions put them. This The lord Chief Jus.
tice held to constitute a verdict Of Gully"
At first, however, the jury failed to base a
unanimous verdict Of Guilty" on these find.
ings. In The end. nevertheless, the disson-
tient j~uryman was made to see that sncl
a verdict was only the logical outcome of
the questions to which he had answered
Yes, and the verdict of 'Guilty" was
given with Il rider that tle state Of things
in Johannesburg presented great provocation.
At first counsel for the prisoners expressed
their intention to make II motion for arrest
of judgment, bnt after consultation with
their clients such action was abandoned. and
sentence was pronounced 10y the Lord Chief
Justice. Dir. Jameson was sentenced to
fifteen months Imprisonment, Sir John Will
loughby to ten months Imprisonment. Major
Robert White to seven months imprison-
ment. Colonel Grey, Colonel Henry White.
and Major Coventry to five months Imprison.
ment, all without hard labour.
The general feeling in the country is that
these sentences, though adequate. are by no
means too heavy. Consider what was the
punishment TO which these terms Of impli-
comment are the alternative. If DR.. jameson
and his associate~ had not been tried unde,
the Foreign Enlistment Act they might have
been shot on the field at Krugersdorp. They
have, in fact, escaped very easily. The
question now is whether Mr.. Rhodes and
Mr.. Belt were not also guilty Of an offence
against the Act under which the prisoners
were sentenced. and whether they ought not
now to be- placed on their trial. Mr.. Rhodes's
solicitor has very properly ANTICIPATED this
demand on the part of the public by an
nounclng in tine Press that he has written to
the Solicitor to the Treasury informing him
that Mr.. Rhodes is ready to come to London
aud take his trial. 1t is to be hoped in the
public interest that the Treasury will pro-
erute Mr.. Rhodes and Mr.. Belt. They NAV
have " perfectly good defence, but there ia
certainly enough prima Jacie evidence against