"My time is nothing; I only desire that the principles upon which the Court acts should be clearly understood." others to persuade Mr. Hunt to yield his pretensions; but faith, Mr. Hunt would not resign.Thence a controversy arose, Mr. COBBETT, adverting to and Mr. Hunt thought proper to what the learned Counsel had read a letter of Cleary's, in said with respect to the West- which the latter expressed his minster Election, at which the readiness to become the hangpresent controversy originated, man of the unfortunate Derby observed, that if Major Cart-people, who composed one of wright had been placed in the the nests formed by himself, and witnesses' box, as he should over which Oliver threw his net. have been, he could have shewn But whatever were the mists of that Cleary was not the person this controversy, or the provocaentitled to complain, as he was tion received by Cleary, he, actually the aggressor in publish- who was at the time in America, ing a private letter, improperly had no concern whatever with obtained from a treacherous it, and it was obviously unjust, agent, for the purpose of scanda-as a jury of honest men must lising a particular candidate at feel, that he should suffer for that election, and involving the conduct of others; yet him (Mr. Cobbett) in a quarrel Cleary, with the consent, or with this candidate. If Major rather at the instigation of the Cartwright had been adduced as Rump Committee, thought proa witness, he should also have per to inflict this suffering upon shewn that which the Major him. To-day, as well as on would no doubt have had the other occasions, complaint was justice to admit, that he had al-made of him for having called ways and decidedly disapproved the letter alluded to a forgery, of these political clubs, to pro-and it was urged by the Learned mote the establishment of which Counsel, that he had (as much Cleary was specially employed. as) been guilty of charging He disapproved of such clubs, Cleary of uttering a forged because he could not help re-note. But here he must ob garding them as so many little serve, in order to repel the imnests, over which the agents of pression which the Learned Government might at any time Counsel sought to make, that cast their nets. At the West- there was a very material differminster Election, alluded to in ence between uttering a forged this case, it would be recollect- note and a forged letter. The ed, that Major Cartwright and Learned Gentleman dwelt with Mr. Hunt were candidates, as the dexterity of an advocate well as Sir F. Burdett.Cleary upon the crime of uttering a was at the outset an advocate forged bank note, which was a for the Major, but he afterwards felony, but in candour, what joined the standard of the Ba-comparison was there between ronet and the Rump, and to an act which incurred the pe them he endeavoured with nalty of death, and the uttering * ces; but principles are the same The unjustifiable attack upon in all periods, in all regions, and my rights has caused them to every diversity of contingencies. rise up, not merely in detached Truth and justice do not change instances, but in numerous botheir nature according to any dies, in every part of the kinggiven longitude or latitude, ac- dom. Every city, borough, cording as the atmosphere is town and village swarms heavy or light, or the thermome- with the patriotic vindicators of ter high or low. Particular the Queen's rights, and of the principles may have partisans, nation's liberties. The rights but partisans do not make prin- of the Queen rise in importance ciples. Principles exist inde- in proportion as they are conpendent of party. Truth is not nected with the liberties of the less or more truth, because it nation. Liberty is the greatest happens to be rejected by one of all blessings; for without it great individual, or embraced no other can be permanent or by another. The people of this secure. Who would wish to country were once the slaves of have his property or his life deindividual authority; a mere pendent on the arbitrary will of name was the watch-word of an individual? union. They are now, happily for them and for mankind, more attached to principles than to individuals, and more enamour COBBETT'S GRAMMAR. ed of permanent and definite The fourth edition, carefully cortruths, than of fugitive and rected, and dedicated to her Maempty sounds. FROM THE INHABITANTS OF TEWKES BURY. testy, the Queen, of this work, which, as its title expresses, is intended for the use of schools I return my sincere thanks to the inhabitants of Tewkesbury and of young persons in general and its vicinity, for this loyal and more especially for the use and affectionate address. of Soldiers, Sailors, Apprentices and Plough-Boys. The defenders of constitutional liberty were never so numerous as at the present period. Sold by W. BENBOW, 269, Strand, Printed and Published by W. BENBOW, 269, Strand; Price Sixpence Halfpenny in the Country. VOL. 37.---No. 21.] LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 9, 1820. [Price, 6d. This has been a week of law, and, when the reader considers the full import of that awful word, he will not be surprized, that PEEPS and every thing else have been suspended for another week. RUMP CONSPIRACY. TO THE ELECTORS OF WESTMIN STER. For several years I have lamented that this great and public spirited city should, in a great measure, have been held in a species of bondage by a little knot of persons, whom I have, On the Trial which took place in for a long time past, called the the Court of King's Bench on Tuesday last, before the Chief Justice, and a common jury ; the subject of which trial being an action brought by Thomas Cleary against Mr. Cob bett. London, Dec. 7, 1820, Rump, and whom I will not, upon the present occasion, more particularly characterise; because it is my intention to address you more at length in a short time, and in a manner by the resorting to which I hope to convey my sentiments to you all, and to obtain a rather particular attention to what I intend to address to you. You and I are not only old acquaintances but old friends. Men in general, and particuSome of you have grown up to larly Englishmen, love fair play. manhood since the commence- My sole object, at present, in ment of our acquaintance; some addressing you is, to draw your of you know less of me than attention to the conduct and others do; but, as I think it pro- character of the RUMP and ofit's bable that circumstances may agents and associates. Here has render it useful, I shall here been a trial, recollect,gentlemen. take the first step towards a re- Here we have, not only Mr. newal of your acquaintance. Brougham's attack and my de Printed and published by W. BENBOW, 260, Strand. fence; but the charge of a Chiefster men; a jury of tradesmen, Justice and the verdict of a Jury. not one of whom did I ever beHere is, above all things, evi-fore see in my life, to my knowdence given on oath by two ledge, gave him FORTY SHILmembers of the Rump, and by LINGS! Wright and Jackson,two of their agents and associates. Bear in mind, too, gentlemen, that I put in no formal justifica Now, Gentlemen, I have to tion; that I called no witnesses; beg you to look well at this evi-sand that I had solely to rest upon dence, as you will find it in the the good sense and honesty of report of the trial. Read the the worthy men who composed evidence with attention, consi-the jury. der well who and what Wright As to the trial altogether, it and Jackson are. Look well at will speak for itself; but suffer the evidence of Adams in parti-me to remark, because the recular; and then reflect that this mark is of great importance as Adams has, for many years, been to public morals and public hapone of this little knot of persons piness; that the Chief Justice, in who have had the chief manage-his charge to the jury, while he ment of the political concerns of reproved my having stigmathis great and important city. tised Cleary as a forger, ob Recollect, Gentlemen, that served that it was impossible to Cleary complains that, in conse-believe that I could have given quence of my writings against my consent to the publishing of him he has lost the confidence the letter if I had been present and even acquaintance of nu-in England, and that if I had merous persons who, before, confined myself to the charge of thought well of him. He further breach of private confidence, I complains that divers persons should have been JUSTIFIED have, in consequence of those IN USING VERY STRONG writings, refused to have any TERMS OF REPROBATION. transactions with him, and even Now, remember, Gentlemen, to hold discourse with him. For reparation of which grievous injuries he prays for damages to the amount of two thousand to that of Place, Adams, and the pounds; and a jury of Westmin-whole of the Rump; and that that this decided opinion of his Lordship applies not only to Cleary and to Wright; but also it is an opinion which ought to wards me; but I must say, make Adams ashamed of him- and I say it with peculiar satisfaction, that, if I had been the brother of some of them, and the father of the rest, they could not have discovered, as far as I was able to judge from their self to the end of his life. -Gentlemen, look at the evidence given by Adams upon oath; look at the opinion of the Chief Justice; look at the decision of your honest fellow-ci- countenances, greater interest tizens the jury; and then reflect in my behalf than they did, By that this Adams has been one hints conveyed along to my of a little group of men, who sons, who sat one on my right, have been intermeddling in the the other on my left, they rengreat political affairs of West-dered me very great assistance, minster; and not only inter-in the cross-examination of the meddling in them, but even witnesses, and also in the mamanaging them so far as to be nagement of my defence. The the ostensible persons to de-truth is, they were Englishclare who should be your repre- men; and they very quickly sentatives in Parliament, and saw how base and how foul a who should not! I beseech set of men I had to contend ayou, gentlemen, soberly and gainst. It is not in human nacandidly to consider these ture to behold such conspiracies things; and if you do so consi-without horror. In the midst der them, I am satisfied that of this general feeling in my there will want nothing more favour, there sat Mr. Brougham, to rescue this illustrious city a solitary exception! He had from such a degrading political begun the day's work by reprejurisdiction. I cannot dismiss this letter senting me as a cruel, hardwithout availing myself of the hearted, unsparing, inveterate, opportunity of expressing my and implacable man; and I best thanks to the gentlemen of am sorry to be compelled to the Bar, present in court at the believe, that he quitted the time of the trial. Those gentlemen might be suspected of have Court, boiling over with mor ing no very friendly feeling to- tification under the conviction |