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possibly apply to your defence, if therefore you exhaust yourself, it is your own fault.

Defendant-I find I shall require more time to finish my defence, than nature will allow me without refreshment.

Recorder-What is your intention? Do you intend to do any thing more than you have been doing for this some time past? Have you any means of shewing you did not publish the libel?

Defendant-I do not deny, neither am I ashamed of publishing the work; but I intend to prove that it is no libel; if I prove the truth of the epithets charged against me.

Recorder-Yes it is, for what is true in some cases if published may be very mischievous, and courts have decided, that to publish what you now have uttered, language vilifying the religion of your country, and the word of God, upon what it is founded, is highly blasphemous and libellous.

Defendant-I have already proved that blasphemy is nothing less than cursing God; and if I vilified a hundred religions, you cannot make blasphemy of it; but blasphemy or not blasphemy, I can prove the truth of what I have said, if I am suffered to refresh myself.

Recorder-I certainly shall not give you any indulgence for that purpose.

The Defendant then read, 1 Sam. chap. xv. ver. 3 to 29, this is most singular and glaring, even in the same chapter we are told at verse 11, that God repented and now verse 29, he cannot repent, chap. xxi. ver. 2, 3; Did not David tell a lie, here, and one of the most attrocius nature; for he says, chap. xxii. ver. 22, that he knew what would be the consequence. What was the consequence of David's lies? why, read chap. xxii. ver. 18: here was murdering work by the lord's annointed! chap. xxx. ver. 1 to 19, here is a contrast! it appears, that the heathen did not slay a man, but the Man after God's own Heart, slew them all save 400 men, whom he could not catch; but how is this people come to life again, I read, just now, John chap. xv. ver. 8, that Saul a few years ago, slew them all, utterly destroyed them, 2 Sam. chap. viii. ver. 2, what cruelty, 4,700 horsemen : why here in 1 Chron. chap. xviii. ver. 4, it says, there were 7000 horsemen, chap. x. 18, 40,000 horsemen, here again 1 Chron. chap. xix. ver. 18.

ver.

it says 40,000 footmen, chap. xi. to 17, basely murdered! Now hear the last dying words of this Man after God's own Heart, 1 Kings chap. ver. 5 to 9, I am to be cast in prison for calling this man a murderer, xi. to 9. This also is a good man I suppose, xiii. to 25, so we find that the deceiver escapes, and the poor deceived, slain. And when men of God lie one to another, how are we to believe them? 2 Kings chap. ii. ver. 23, here were 42 children destroyed, although Jesus says "of such is the kingdom of God." Chap. x. ver. 6, 7, 8, those 70 persons were murdered by the orders of Jehu, whom Elisha the man of God annointed King of Israel, on purpose to commit this bloody deed. Chap. xix. ver. 35, Did God suffer this bloody angel to come into heaven again? The Defendant now said, that he found himself so exhausted, he must leave his case to the Jury, if not suffered to retire a few minutes; that he found such a dizziness in his head, he should, if he proceeded further, commit some error, which he did not wish to do, that he found such a pain in his head, he hardly knew what he said. Will you (to Recorder) allow me a short time, Sir, to refresh myself?

Recorder-If your object is to go on in the way you have hitherto, I will not, I will not hear you utter the most blasphemous and horrid expressions in succession, with which the ears of the Court have been assailed. You have added to your guilt, by attempting to shew the truth of your wicked assertions with regard to all the characters you have villified in the Bible, excepting two persons. I would advise you to proceed no further, I will not allow you to utter such dreadful language against that being whom I, and every Christian believe to be our redeemer.

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Defendant I have proved the truth of all I asserted, except

as to Paul.

Recorder-And our Saviour?

Defendant-Yes, Paul and Jesus.

Recorder-Is it not horrid, that you should have classed those persons with robbers, adulterers, murderers, and have repeated and justified the blasphemy you stand to answer for?

Defendant-I do consider Jesus to be the best of them; for he did no murder himself, he seemed to be an enemy to priests and hypocrites, like myself, he might have some qualifications which would rank him amongst the good and virtuous; but if this book

be true, I can prove that I have said nothing but what I can justify myself from the Bible; suffice it to say at present, that Jesus took an ass that did not belong to him.

Recorder-I will not hear such language.

Defendant-You wont hear truth, you won't give me time, I leave my case to the Jury. Here the defendant could scarcely reach the seat, through weakness.

The Recorder then summed up and pronounced the book to be a wicked, blasphemous, and prophane libel. The Jury found the defendant Guilty without the least consideration. The Defendant being asked what he had to say why he should not receive judgment, as in case of misdemeanour, replied, that he had been rendered incapable of making his defence, through his (the Judge's) inhumanity. The Recorder, after dwelling on the various circumstances of aggravation contained in his Defence, sentenced him to imprisonment for three years in Newgate, and to enter into his own recognizances in the sum of one hundred pounds for his good behaviour during life.

LIBERATION OF MRS. WRIGHT.

THIS heroine in the cause of free discussion, was informed on Thursday, the eighth instant, that she was no longer a prisoner, thus being freed from one out of her eighteen months' imprisonment, and her fine of one hundred pounds. It has been a lingering struggle on the part of Eldon, Peel, and Co. to yield even this; and nothing but the fear of Mrs. Wright's dying in prison has made them yield. She is a woman of very delicate health, and truly all spirit and no matter. On the arrival of her discharge warrant, she was not able to quit the prison; but on the tenth she ventured to leave, and the Magistrates very kindly ordered and paid for a coach to convey her home. The treatment which Mrs. Wright received in Newgate seriously affected her health. Committed by the Christian Judges Abbott, Bailey, Best and Co., to Newgate in the month of November, for daring to shew reasons why they should not pass a penal sentence upon her, with a suckling infant six months old, she, a delicate woman, was refused even

the use of a pair of blankets, and ordered to do as the other women did, lie on a foul and dirty mat, which was not two degrees better than lying down on the step of a door, in a cold and wet winter's night. It is but justice to say, that, in Cold Bath Field's Prison, she has been treated with a kindness approaching to paternal attention, by the Magistrates, by Mr. Vicary, the Keeper, and his family, and also by the matron, Mrs. Adkins, since her appointment.

Throughout the struggle in which Mrs. Wright has engaged, and she was engaged in the hottest part of all, her enthusiasm, her perseverance, her undauntedness, her coolness, were alike conspicuous and excellent. To me individually she has been a source of high gratification up to the present time; and whilst I regret that she has an emaciated health for her reward, I earnestly hope, that she will recover and some day receive that great reward from the public, to which she is eminently entitled.

R. CARLILE.

John Clarke begs leave to return thanks to G. W. P. of Essex, for the Commitment of his "Sovereign" to Newgate.

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 84, Fleet Street.-All Correspondences for "The Republican" to be left at the place of publication.

The Republican.

No. 3, VOL. 10.] LONDON, Friday, July 23, 1824. [PRICE 6d.

THE TRIAL OF WILLIAM HALEY,

For publishing No. 21, Vol. 9, of The Republican, before the Recorder and a Common Jury, at the Old Bailey Sessions.

THIS case was called at half past eleven o'clock on Friday morning the 11th of June. The Jury being called and having entered the box, the Recorder told the Defendant, that now was his time to ask the Jury any question, relative to their having ever been on a similar case.

Defendant-I will not occupy unnecessarily the time of the Gentlemen of the Jury, by putting the question to them individually-but shall ask generally, whether any gentleman in the box has ever served on a trial of a similar nature, trusting to the candour of the Gentlemen.

A Juror rose and said, that he had been a Juror on the trial of the King v. Carlile.

Defendant-Then, my Lord, I object to that Gentleman. Recorder-How long is it since you were on a trial of this

nature?

Juror-Four or five years.

Recorder I cannot see, then, Defendant, what objection you can have.

Defendant-My Lord I do object to that person?

Recorder-In a case of felony, the prisoner may PEREMPTORILY challenge twenty Jurors, but you are only charged with a` misdemeanour, therefore, you must give a reason. The trial on which that Gentleman sat as a Juror, was not for the same publication.

Defendant-My lord, it is absurd to tell a prisoner that now is his time to challenge the Jury, and on his doing so, to endeavour to evade his challenge. I challenge that Juror on the ground that he is not unprejudiced.

Here some conversation took place between the Recorder and

Which is only punished by three years' imprisonment.

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 84, Fleet Street.

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