ABSTRACTS OF STATE TRIALS. The Trial of Henry Hunt, Esq. John Knight, Jos. Johnson, John Thacker Saxton, Samuel Bamford, Jos. Healey, James Moorhouse, Robert Jones, Geo. Swift, and Robert Wylde, for an alleged Conspiracy to overturn the Government, &c. by Threats and Force of Arms. Before Mr. Justice Bayley, and a Special Jury, at the York Lent Assizes, 1820. This morning (March 16), the trial of Mr. Hunt and the other defendants, indicted for a conspiracy on the 16th of August last, at Manchester, commenced at York. At nine o'clock Mr. Littledale read the indictment, which charged the defendants with a conspiracy to alter the legal frame of the government and constitution of these realms, by force and threats, and with meeting tumultuously at Manchester, on the 16th August last, with 60,000 persons, armed with sticks. There were several counts, varying the form of the indictment, but in substance implicating the accused in a conspiracy against the state. The jury being sworn, Mr. Scarlett proceeded to address the jury. The jury must be aware that the charge arose out of transactions which took place in the month of August last, in the county of Lancaster. The par ties were accused of having convened a meeting at Manchester, VOL. LXII. the object of which was to excite fear and terror in the minds of his majesty's subjects; this was the short description of the crime alleged against the defendants. The circumstances which occurred at the time of the meeting were matter of evidence, and would throw considerable light on the projects of those who took part in the proceedings. The individuals who appeared before them as defendants were singled out as having been among the leaders of those who assembled at the meeting alluded to. It was undoubtedly the privilege of the people of England, stating the proposition in a broad and unqualified manner, when they suffered under any particular grievance, to assemble at a meeting, and to pursue the lawful mode of address. But let it be imagined that the bulk of the population met together to discuss public affairs, and to take into their own consideration such measures as they might deem proper for the alteration of the existing order of things-it was evident, as all power and right were derived from the people, that they would in that case resume their original functions, and the government must be for the time dissolved. He would now proceed to notice the different individuals who were charged in the indictment. Of Mr. Hunt it was unnecessary that he should say any thing, because his name had appeared so much 3 I of late connected with these transactions, as to leave no doubt on the mind of any man as to his character and avocations. John Knight had formerly been in business; his occupation had latterly been that of an itinerant orator. Joseph Johnson was a brush-maker, residing in or near Manchester, and he believed was also in the habit of attending public meetings. Of John Saxton all the description which he had was, that he was some way other connected with the office of a paper called The Manchester Observer. Joseph Healey was an apothecary. James Moorhouse was a coach-master, residing at Stockport. George Swift carried on the business of a shoemaker at Manchester. Of Robert Wylde he knew nothing but that he lived near Ashtonunder-line. Samuel Bamford and Robert Jones were individuals in humble circumstances. The jury would find, by unquestionable evidence, that these or they were not bound to obey any laws enacted by the parliament as it was now formed; and therefore, for some reason, which the mob in their enlightened wisdom had found out, calling on them to pay nothing towards the revenue till such a parliament was assembled as they conceived it was proper and fitting they should have. The learned counsel then proceeded to detail the circumstances of the 9th and 16th of August, particularly adverting to such as seemed to connect the defendants in a common design. The learned gentleman then proceeded to illustrate his observations, by pointing out the situation of Manchester, and the different villages in its neighbourhood. This, said he, was the position of the town of Manchester--a town containing in itself an immense population, second, perhaps, only to that of London. Manchester was persons were connected in some sort of secret design. To begin with Mr. Hunt. It appeared that some time in the month of July, in the last year, a meeting took place in Smithfield; he knew not by whom it was assembled, nor was it of any consequence. It created, however, considerable alarm in the metropolis. Resolutions were passed at that meeting, inculcating on the minds of the people of England, that the time was come when some extraordinary and unprecedented measure was to be taken. It was known that Mr. Hunt was the person who proposed these resolutions, among which there were two in viting and recommending the people of England to resist the payment of taxes, declaring that divided into twenty-four townships, and was far more populous than other parts of the kingdom. That population consisted for the most part of the laborious and industrious order of persons, although there certainly were many who possessed much wealth and property there. The very nature of such a population rendered it necessary to observe more than usual precaution when they were assembled together, without any definite object. But, in addition to the danger which might be apprehended from a meeting of inhabitants, it was found that greater evils might be apprehended from the influx of vast numbers of strangers. On the morning of the 16th of August, it- · appeared that bodies were seen advancing towards Manchester from various places, some of them at the distance of 10 or 12 miles from that town, and the sequel of their conduct answered to this beginning. EVIDENCE. Tho. Tiddler (1st Witness).-I keep the Red Lion, three miles from Stockport. Mr. Hunt came to my house with a servant on the afternoon of the 9th of August last; he baited his horse, and dined at my house. I know Mr. Moorhouse. He is a coach-proprietor and auctioneer at Stockport. Moorhouse came immediately after in a post-chaise with his brother, and inquired for Mr. Hunt, who had just left my house; and after stopping five or ten minutes, he went off in the direction Mr. Hunt went, towards Stockport. [The Cross-examination, which went to intimate that Moorhouse had no connexion with Hunt, but as a horsekeeper, was unimportant.] Henry Lomas (2nd Witness). — I kept the White Lion, at Stockport, on the 8th of August. Late on that night Mr. Moorhouse and Mr. Johnson came to Mr. Hunt at my house; and also early on the following morning, when they were joined by a stranger and a crowd of persons. I saw sir Charles Wolseley, and at a late period of the morning of the 9th of August, Parson Harrison joined them. Such crowds were not customary at Stockport, except when Mr. Hunt was making his speeches. They went (or some of them) into Mr. Moorhouse's house, where chaises were getting ready in the yard. [The earlier cross-examination of this witness, had the same tendency as the cross-examination of the last, and was equally unimportant. Farther questioned, he stated as follows:] I am one of the yeomanry, and was called upon in that way to attend the meetings; the same cause led me to Manchester on the 16th of August. I was in the Cheshire yeomanry at the dispersion of the Manchester meeting. I had on my uniform, and had sword and pistols. I saw marching in array, except among the yeomanry and soldiers, no invasion of Manchester; but I saw flags and ban no ners. I was at St. Peter's-field betwixt one and two o'clock, and remained perhaps an hour, or an hour and a the people running one way or another. half. I saw nothing particular but The Cheshire yeomanry remained still; they cut nobody, though I saw some people down. I cannot say who cut the people. The Stockport troop had nothing to do with the dispersion of the people. When we got to the ground, the people were all running away, except a few. I saw nothing to call for the interference of our troop. Mr. Justice Bayley explained to Mr. Hunt, who cross-examined, that what followed the meeting of the 16th of August could not affect his case. The charge against him was for a conspiracy entered into previous and upon that day, before the dispersion. Michael Bentley (3rd Witness).—I live at Newton Norris, near Stockport, and was there on the 8th of August last, and saw Mr. Johnson there in the evening of that day in a gig with Mr. Hunt, going towards Stockport. Cross-examined.-I was at St. Peter's plain on the 16th of August. I was stationed behind the hustings, and did not see the people commit any illegal act before the appearance of the military. I think there were about 50,000 or 60,000 persons, but I only saw one or two who were a little rough. I saw the Stockport people advancing; they did not alarm me. I saw no arms with the persons who behaved insolently; I saw nobody cut that day. I saw one constable hurt; he was pressed down in consequence of the people going from the cavalry. 1 heard a few words of Mr. Hunt's address. He said, "if any people break the peace, they must put them down, keep them down, and make them be quiet." By the Court-I cannot judge how many of the people Mr. Hunt could make hear him in so large a concourse. Mary Cadman (4th Witness). I saw Mr. Hunt at Stockport on the 8th of August. Cross-examined. I had been a servant at Moorhouse's: he was a good religious man, and used to read the Bible very often to his family and servants. Went to the meeting on the 16th of August. There were a number of women and children there. Samuel Morton (5th Witness).-I lived near St. Michael's church, at Manchester, on the 9th of August; saw a crowd near my house on that day; Johnson, Hunt and Moorhouse came on a large piece of ground near the church, opposite the sign of the Church public-house. Hunt and Johnson were in a gig, and sir C. Wolseley and some others in a chaise. There was a large collection of people, about 1,000. Mr. Hunt got on his legs, and addressed the people. Among other things, he began making allusion to the Manchester magistrates; he compared them to nine tailors on a shopboard. This, witness supposed, was for forbidding the meeting, which The (Mr. Hunt) said was a legal one. He encouraged them to be firm and come forward, and no doubt they would prosper. He advised the people to be firm; he (witness) saw several placards forbidding the meeting. They were up in several parts of the town. They were signed by nine persons, five of whom he knew to be magistrates. Mr. Hunt told the crowd there would be a meeting on the 16th, and to come forward then. There was a loud huzza, and cries of "We will, we .will.' Mr. Hunt waved his white hat; Johnson was by Hunt's side; he waved his hand a little. They then went off to Johnson's house. There were many thousands moving about on Monday the 16th; he saw them from Withy Grove: he saw Mr. Hunt, Johnson, and others, he believes, in a carriage. There were people after them five or six a-breast. They kept step very well, like soldiers: he could not tell the numbers, but it was nearly half an hour before they passed, and they continued moving all that time. They had a black flag with " Liberty or Death." These were the words, or similar-" No Corn Laws" upon another. There were several other flags with caps of liberty at top. One had Hunt and Liberty" on it: he saw them come opposite to Mr. Murray's house. Murray is a constable. Murray was very ill at that time, and in his bed-room. They hissed opposite the house. They also shouted out, that they wanted some White Moss Humbugs. They were halted at that time. The carriage had gone on, and was not then in sight. The town was very tumultuous, and, for myself, I was alarmed. The witness underwent a long and desultory cross-examination, directed, though not very successfully, against his credibility,-being asked, How long have you been in York? I have been in York since Sunday. I saw the procession of the candidates in the city; saw the bands of music and the flags, but was not afraid. There was no black flag there. His opinion of the difference between the two meetings (that at Manchester and the election at York) was, that the one looked like war and disturbance, and the other like merriment and rejoicing. [Some approbation was here manifested in the magistrstes' box, which Mr. Justice Bayley strongly reproved.] There were some of the people in the York procession_drunk. The sober procession looked more like war than the drunken one. Did not see a flag with a bloody pike on it at York; nor a flag with the motto-" We will conquer our enemies." Had been discharged from Lancaster gaol under the Insolvent Debtors' Act, and had not since paid any of his former debts; but he had acquired no funds to do so. James Standrig (6th Witness).-I saw Mr. Hunt on the 9th of August at the bottom of Blakeley-street, Manchester. He had just then got up in his gig to address the people. There might have been about 1,000 persons there; he heard Mr. Hunt say, that the first thing he heard of the postponement of the meeting was at Bullocksmithy. There were nine signatures to the paper, which filfilled the old proverb, that "nine tailors make a man ;" he also said something about a notorious quorum. He was astonished at any one being sent to Liverpool to know whether the meeting was legal or not; he knew himself that it was legal; he also said, that there was another meeting to be held on the following Monday, but witness did not hear him say whether he should attend it or not. Here the placard from the magistrates warning the people not to attend the meeting of the 9th, was put into witness's hand, and he said he saw similar ones in Manchester. Cross-examined.-I did not take notes at the time, but afterwards wrote it for a man who was employed by the police. John Chadwick (7th Witness).-Lives at Manchester, and is a shoemaker; he went on the 9th to meet Mr. Hunt; he met him at Hardwick-green. There was a gig, with Mr. Hunt and Johnson in it, and a chaise with sir C. Wolseley, Parson Harrison, and Mr. Moorhouse in it. There appeared to be about 300 people coming in with them. The crowd increased as they went along; he heard Mr. Hunt say in a loud tone, "Shout, shout, shout." He repeated that till he got opposite the Observer office. There they stopped, and Mr. Hunt whirled his hat, and the people near him shouted, and the others joined. They appeared to understand him; they then went on to Johnson's house, and shouted again; Mr. Hunt said, "three times three." This was opposite St. Michael's church; he then told the people to come on one side, and he would tell them his errand to Manchester; he then drew his gig on one side, and said that he had been invited to Manchester by the Manchester committee, and that he and his gig, and his political Bob (his horse) had set out together; he had come as far as Coventry, where he saw the Courier newspaper, which stated that the Manchester magistrates had put down the reformers at Manchester, and that he (Hunt) would be afraid to show his face there, as they would make him smell gunpowder. Afterwards, he said, that he had seen the proclamation at Bullocksmithy, and such a proclamation never came from a shop-board of tailors: he also added, that he would have the Courier to know that he was not afraid of gunpowder: he then turned to the Stockport people, and said he hoped to see them all on the 16th, and that they would bring as many of their friends and neighbours as they could with them. Witness knew where WhiteMoss was; on the 15th August he got there before day-light; WhiteMoss is about five miles from Manchester. There was a great number, about two or three hundred at first, but they kept increasing all the morning. They came from different roads; witness went there from curiosity; they fell in ranks like soldiers when the horn was blown. This was about day-light; witness also fell in. The people fell in to the companies belonging to the place they came from. Every company had a person to command it; they then marched about the field for two hours; and when the word was given to fire, they clapped their hands. The words, "make ready, present, fire," were given as if they had guns; and at the word "fire," they clapped their hands. They afterwards fell into a large body, and made the spectators fall in also. I was at the meeting of the 16th of August, and the first person I saw was a man I had seen at White-Moss. I saw Mr. Hunt go on to the meeting afterwards from Johnson's house. Johnson, Knight, and a person they called Car lile, were with him in an open-topped chaise. Some of the people walked in ranks near it, but the rest walked irregularly. They shouted as they came to Johnson's; and also at the exchange, and opposite Murray s house they hissed hard. There was a woman on the coach with the coachman. She carried a flag. 66 I do Cross-examined.-There were about three hundred persons at White-Moss when I got there. There were some scores, who did not fall in until they were forced. They said to us, you must all fall in, for we'll have o lookers on." I left them about seven in the morning, and went home. not recollect any other words used but "march" and "counter-march;" when they said "march," the men walked up the field. I think when they said "counter-march," they marched back again, not backwards, but to the place from which they came; I did not see them raise their arms in the attitude of firing; I did not see the people in the carriage hiss or take any notice of Murray's house; any person who should state the contrary, would state what is false-If any person was to swear that the people marched by with Mr. Hunt, four or five abreast, in a riotous manner, they would swear a falsehood. I saw no swords, pistols, or bludgeons. When the cavalry came in I was rather alarmed, but not be fore. Peter's-field was full of people, who were all standing peaceably. I went to White-Moss, as it was well known in the town that drilling was going on there. James Murray (7th Witness).—On the night of the 14th August, I went to White-Moss with John Shawcross. We left Manchester on purpose to go there, and reached it by day-light. Hearing some persons |