Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

APPENDIX.

No. I.

TRIALS AND LAW PROCEEDINGS.

STATE TRIALS.

[blocks in formation]

THE indictment charged, that the

prisoners, with others, did unlawfully conspire, assemble, incite and stir up certain individuals against the Government and Constitution; that this took place at a meeting held near to Stockport, on the 1st of September last, at which from 3,000 to 4,000 people were assembled, under pretence of petitioning for a reform in the Commons' House of Parliament; and that the three prisoners having ascended a stage to harangue the people, derided the monarchy, recommended their going to obtain their demands with arms in their hands, suggested a National Convention, and stated, that if their petition was not attended to, the people ought to arm themselves against tyrants, and oppose force to force.

William Bolton was the first wit

ness called. He was at Stockport on the 1st of September last, and at3,000 or 4,000 persons were present; tended the meeting at Sandy Brow; a large stage had been erected, and witness saw five or six persons thereon. Bagueley and Drummond were on the stage. Witness reduced to writingwhat he had then heard. Harrison, who was chairman, spoke with great contempt of Government, and ended by making some religious quotations. Bagueley addressed them in favour of reform, blamed them for apathy, and eulogised Paine. "All the shopkeepers, he said, would be reformed, were the people only to make purchases from republicans." He recommended sending deputies and delegates from all parts of the kingdom, and rising in arms to repel force by force. "If you want a leader, (said he) I will lead you, and spend the last drop of my blood." He reprobated the people for abusing Buonaparte whom he eulogised, and declared he would lay down his life in the cause

of liberty. Johnson arrived, and spoke after Bagueley. He said the men at Derby were murdered, and wished for a sword long enough to cut off the heads of all such tyrants, as Castlereagh, Sidmouth, and Canning. "I will shoot (said he) whenever I have an opportunity; and if I do not do it, I hope the women will tear them limb from limb." He advised the men not to go to work again, and not to listen to the master weavers and manufacturers, but to burn the looms. The weavers had turned out, and were present. Witness saw the three prisoners before at a meeting near the same place; when they addressed the crowd on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, and abused and ridiculed the police of the town. They appeared acquainted with one another. Bagueley kept a school at Stockport.

Cross-examined by Mr Williams. -Witness saw no arms; was himself a stage-player, and kept a billiard-table. No one at the meeting durst contradict the speakers. Witness was a special constable; there were about 200 special constables. On the second day after the meeting, witness was examined by the Grand Jury at Chester with respect to what be had heard.

John Lloyd of Manchester, special constable, sworn.-He was at the Blanket Meeting, in Manchester, in March, and since the 3d of March 1818, knew the prisoners, who were upon a stage there, at a large meeting, addressing the people. Bagueley advised the Blanketeers to go to London to obtain their rights. There had been a preceding meeting near St Peter's Church, at which many thousands were present. He did not sec Johnson there. The speaker asserted it was no use to petition Parliament; other means must be resorted to. Johnson said that, on the 3d, in

the evening, they would meet with friends on the road, before they reached Birmingham. He had no doubt they would be strong. The meeting at St Peter's Church, with blankets, was fixed on at that meeting.

He took notes after the meeting. Bagueley and Drummond were taken up on the 10th; he saw Johnson also in custody. Other meetings were held in the country, and witness saw Bagueley and Johnson at many of them. These meetings were seditious. Johnson, at one of them, advised the people not to pay taxes, and to rise in a body against those who should come to collect the taxes. Witness produced the minutes of the meeting at Sandy Brow, Stockport, on the 1st of September 1818. Bagueley said he was weary of meetings for reform in Parliament. The people must recover their liberty. Towns and villages should choose delegates, draw up a petition, and arm themselves. He recommended a large house in London, to be called the National Convention, and advised the whole country to take up arms, and to meet for drill at 7 o'clock in the morning. They three would stick by the people to recover their rights. He advised the people to give up working, and then the Government could not be supported. Mr Drummond said, "Arm yourselves, and be unanimous; behave with civility and decorum; nothing but sword in hand will do-Liberty or Death!" Mr Johnson had advocated reform three years, and had been in chains under the late acts. Government had sent to the clergy to pack the juries at Derby. Derby. He then abused grossly Lords Castlereagh and Sidmouth, and Mr Canning. They had been confined in gaol and ruined. He railed against the Magistrates of Cheshire and Lancashire. Rather than live as they did, he would advise them

to rob and plunder, and for his own part would end his days on the gallows." The time is come, said he, when we must arm ourselves, and I am ready to lead even to-morrow morning." Bagueley stated he had waited on the Reverend Magistrate; but he had refused his assent, although the requisition was signed by many respectable persons. He end ed by speaking against his Majesty's Government.

James Coppack, of London, was at Stockport in September last, and saw a public procession of weavers, from 1,800 to 2,000, turn out the handloom weavers. He confirmed the statements of the preceding witness as to most of the particular matters, and as to the approbation of the populace being always given to the most furious and inflammatory declamations.

William Young, and R. Gee, both of Stockport, corroborated the testimony of the two foregoing wit

nesses.

John Horatio Lloyd, student at Oxford, was at the meeting, which was attended by 3,000 persons and upwards. He saw Harrison (in the chair,) Bagueley and Drummond. Harrison first addressed the meeting, Bagueley spoke after, and Drummond took notes. Harrison spoke of the doctrine of resistance; Drummond of the mal-administration of the Government, and of the increase of the National Debt only to support the Royal Family. Drummond con

tinued, "We have now not only one tyrant, but we have Commons, Lords, and Kings." Bagueley said, "I can do my duty, whether by sword in hand or otherwise." Drummond stigmatised the masters of factories, and called on his auditors to rouse themselves from their pernicious lethargy. This was the last time they would meet to discuss the question; the next time they must act-Liberty or Death! Johnson began in a violent manner, and spoke loudly. He talked of his long imprisonment, and said the next time they met must be with swords in their hands. "Oh!" he exclaimed," that I had a sword long enough to strike off the heads of all the tyrants in the land. Some I will name, Castlereagh, Sidmouth, and Canning."

The prisoners called no witnesses, but Mr Williams addressed the jury in their behalf. They were all found Guilty.

On Monday the 19th, the prisoners were brought up to receive judgment. They entered no plea in mitigation of punishment, but rather deprecated mercy, The sentence of the Court was, that they should be imprisoned in the common gaol for the term of two years; that at the expiration of that period they should find sureties for two years, themselves in L.500 each, and two sureties in L.100 each; and that they should be imprisoned till such sureties were found.

TRIALS FOR LIBEL.

WARD V. CLEMENT.

Court of King's Bench, Saturday, January 16.

THIS was an action for a libel brought against the proprietor of the Observer newspaper. The libel complained of appeared in November 1817, in the Monday impression of that paper, and was as follows:

66

:

Derbyshire Insurrection. We shall proceed to give our readers a more authentic, as well as a more minute account of the rise and progress of the insurrection, connected as it was with almost all the manufacturing towns in the kingdom, than has hitherto been published; from whence the public will be enabled to form a correct estimate of the real character of the danger by which the country was threatened, and the absolute necessity which was imposed upon the Minister of the Home Department to determine upon the appointment of the Commission at Derby. The sources of our authority, though extended over a considerable part of the disturbed counties, are highly respectable, and we can pledge ourselves for the correctness of every fact that we state."

"The 27th May, Birkin accompanied Oliver to Nottingham, and introduced him to the secret of the Committee assembled there, among whom were Haynes, Holmes, Grosvenor, Henson and Frank Ward."

Again," It is a singular fact, and may here be stated, that at the exe.

cution of the Luddites, who were tried at the Spring Assizes, the unhappy men confessed that a plan had been formed for insurrection and rebellion, and that old Ned (meaning Ned Lud) was to command. Some of the most desperate of these had been pointed out to storm the barracks, and perform other dangerous duties. Frank Ward, Grosvenor, Henson and Haynes were all appointed to command, and had proceeded to their several stations."

The damages were laid at L.5,000.

Mr Scarlett stated the case to the jury. He should, he said, shew a claim to a verdict upon the great principles of the constitution, and only touch incidentally upon other points which so naturally suggested themselves in a case where so much personal injury had been sustained. The plaintiff was now a ruined man. He had commenced life in a humble way in the town of Nottingham, as a journeyman manufacturer of lace, and by his integrity and industry became much respected. In a few years he found that the fruits of those habits for which he was remarkable enabled him to employ others. He became a master, and added to the favourable impression of his character by creditably supporting an aged mother, and a wife and children, to whose society he devoted himself. His anxiety for the prosperity of those whose avocations resembled his own, induced him to become a member of a society for assessing the price of work; and such

was the idea entertained of his integrity and worth, that the members elected him their treasurer, a situation which he filled to the satisfaction of all. At that unfortunate period of distress among the journeymen, the humanity of the plaintiff was discovered; for it was found that he had not kept pace with the more opulent manufacturers in reducing the wages of the workmen. The consequence of this conduct was the rallying round him of numbers of workinen, and the jealousy of those who had acted upon a more interested system. At length, those dissensions with which several parts of the country were agitated, broke out in a formidable shape; and here the propriety of the plaintiff's general conduct was exhibited. He exerted himself to the utmost to check the progress of those unhappy ebullitions. Government thought it necessary to interfere; for outrages were committed, which required the interposition of a stronger authority than that of individuals. Several of those who were presumed to have been implicated were apprehended; and as it was supposed that some might have been improperly suspected, a subscription was set on foot to obtain for the accused the advantages of an able defence-a thing the more necessary as, under such circumstances, a difficulty might arise in procuring an unbiassed jury. The subscription was made in the most open manner, and none of those who subscribed laboured under the slightest imputation of disloyalty for the part they had taken. The plaintiff was applied to, to receive the subscriptions. He refused; but on being pressed consented to perform the office, and acted in his new capacity to the satisfaction of all. It was worthy of remark, that of all who had been accused but one was convict

ed,-a proof that the plaintiff was justified in his opinion, and that his conduct was deserving of no reprehension. He, however, became an object of suspicion; and on the suspension of Habeas Corpus, his house was, on the 10th of June 1817, entered by ten or twelve constables, who, without a warrant, proceeded to search it from top to bottom. Indignant at the insult, he determined to complain to those from whom he expected redress; and by the advice of a professional gentleman, applied to the magistrates for an explanation. He was indeed advised to forbear; but he felt his own independence, and, with a boldness inspired by conscious integrity, persevered in demanding the cause of such wanton persecution. The event was such as might be imagined. The plaintiff was committed to prison. He asked for bread, and they gave him a stone. Soon after a warrant came down for his removal from Nottingham, and he was conducted to Coldbath-fields prison, ironed and chained. From Coldbath-fields he was removed to the county gaol of Oxford, where he remained till the 13th of November following, when he was released. But he returned with a broken spirit, to a mother reduced to extreme misery, and to a wife broken-hearted. His conscience was, however, void of offence, and he looked forward to increased industry for the means of dimiuishing the calamities into which he had been plunged. The jury would be surprised, that what had been kept a secret from the plaintiff was published to all England by the Editor of a Newspaper, which assumed to derive its authority from a source of unquestionable truth. The Learned Counsel believed upon his soul, that his client was wholly innocent of the crimes with which he was thus charged. He was not a

« AnteriorContinuar »