TRIAL* BY JURY. 
 
 ^l\ __________ 
 
 Stye ©Mp ©enutttt ©crfiattm Report 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SPEECHES . 
 
 OF MESSRS. 
 
 HUNT, WATSON, THISTLEWOOD, 
 v PRESTON, CLARK, 
 
 AND OTHERS, 
 Delivered at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, July 31, 1817, 
 
 AT A DINNER GIVEN TO 
 
 CELEBRATE THE ACQUITTAL 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BY AN EMINENT SHORT HAND WRITER. 
 
 INCLUDING SOME INTERESTING 
 
 PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO WATSON, JUNIOR, 
 
 AS NARRATED 
 
 By Dr. WATSON, 
 
 TENDING TO EXCULPATE HIS ^CHARACTER. FROM THE ATTACK ON 
 
 MR. PLATT. 
 
 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HAY AND TURNER, 
 
 11, NEWCASTLE STREET, STRAND; 
 AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS IN TOWN AND COUNTRY. 
 
 1817. 
 
 PRICE FOUR PENCE. 
 
PUBLIC DINNER 
 
 AT THE CROWN AND ANCHOR TAVERN, STRAND, 
 
 TO CELEBRATE THE TRIAL BY JURY, AND ACQUITTAL OF 
 THE STATE PRISONERS, 
 
 WATSON, THISTLEWOOD, PRESTON, and HOOPER, 
 
 Mr. Hunt (the Chairman) entered the room, accompanied by 
 the Stewards, and Messrs. Watson, Thistlewood, and Preston. 
 
 Mr. Hooper was absent through indisposition. About 100 
 gentlemen were present. An excellent dinner was then served up. 
 After the cloth was removed, the Chairman proceeded to give the 
 toasts as they were furnished to him on the list. 
 
 1. The English Constitution, the whole Constitution, and nothing but the 
 Constitution; which was drank with three times three. 
 
 2. " The Sovereignty of the People," three times three. 
 
 3. " Trial by Jury, and may its suspenders be suspended ;" which the Chair- 
 man prefaced by alluding to its relevancy to the business of the day. Drank 
 with three times three andgreat applause. 
 
 Mr. Sherwin then proposed the health of— 
 
 *' Mr. Hunt, the undaunted advocate of Annual Parliaments and Universal 
 Suffrage." 
 
 After the applause which this toast elicited had ceased — 
 
 Mr. Hunt, in addressing his fellow-countrymen, observed, that 
 he felt most gratefully the honour which had been done him by his 
 fellow-citizens in drinking his health, more especially from their 
 coupling his name with Annual Parliaments and Universal Suf- 
 frage, — ^principles he had adopted from the earliest period of his 
 life. Annual Parliaments were well understood; there were a 
 variety of complicated and conflicting opinions on the question of 
 universal suffrage. Some represented such a notion as wild and 
 visionary — that its advocates had no other object but the over- 
 throw of Government, and the bringing about a Revolution — 
 whereas, in point of fact, those advocates only wished to revert 
 to the early and better principles ot the Revolution, with a view 
 to the consolidation, not the subversion of the Constitution — to 
 make, in fact, the Constitution what it was in its prime, when 
 every freeman had a vote in his Parliamentary representation. 
 The opponents of this measure said this was impossible — then the 
 answer was, M Try it as far as it is practicable ; and why should it 
 not be as practicable as collecting heads for the army and navy, 
 and classifying the people for their onus of taxation ?" — (Cries 
 of " True ! Bravo!") — He would ever contend, that the man 
 who was liable to be called on in his country's service in the 
 field, and to pay his share of general taxes, ought to have a 
 voice in the nomination of that representative who was to 
 dispose of his liberties and property. — (Jpplause.J—Whexi the 
 
 A2 
 
 ■.mpnlet Collection 
 Duke University Library 
 
people claimed these original rights, they sought to regenerate, not 
 to destroy the Constitution, and if they once got them, there would 
 be an end to riots and disorder; and it would be the fault of the 
 people, when they had a share in the Constitution, if they were 
 not in the end really hapoy. These were not sentiments which he 
 had hastily taken up — they were those early inculcated in his mind 
 by the venerable Mujor Cartwright, and which his own maturer 
 age had fostered and confirmed. Nothing that he had ever heard 
 or read on this point had altered his opinion — that the law of the 
 land was, that no man should be taxed who had not a share in the 
 represeniation of those who taxed him. True indeed, in a state of 
 vassalage, it was found the people were not wholly represented. 
 But were the people now in such a state ? — Was it to be said that 
 they were now in the old state of vassalage in which a part of their 
 body was placed ? — Surely not. Why then withhold from them 
 that right which they ought to share by the Constitution and law 
 of the land — a position that no casuist could ever shake? The 
 Chairman then adverted to the particular occasion for which they 
 met, which was to commemorate the noble principle of Trial by 
 Jury, and, strange to say, to celebrate it, when, in point of fact, it no 
 longer existed, except at the beck of Ministers. — (Applause.) — 
 This great right of the subject was suspended by the removal of the 
 Habeas Corpus Jet, and Ministers were now empowered to incar- 
 cerate the subject in a solitary dungeon, where, and as long as they 
 pleased. For what he (Mr. Hunt) now said, he might, for aught 
 he knew, if a Dowling, a Reynolds, a Castle, an Oliver, a Drum- 
 mond, or any other informer was present, and told the Minister 
 what he said, be imprisoned, unknown to his family, ot indeed to 
 any body else but the Secretary of State, and his gaoler. — (Cries 
 of " No, you never shall !") — This was what some called the Eng- 
 lish Constitution. — (A laugh) — It was not the English Constitution 
 of their ancestors, who wisely adopted the Habeas Corpus Act as 
 one security, at least, in favour of the liberty of the subject. If a 
 short-hand writer, like the witness on the State Trials, heard him, 
 let him go to the Minister, and report what he now said — let him 
 treasure up the words of a public speaker, which fell in the heat of 
 debate, and then carry them, or rather volunteer to carry them, to 
 the Secretary of State. He (Mr. H) could make no distinction (as 
 some were disposed to do) between such a character and Vaughan, 
 who came forward and sold men to derive the benefit of the blood 
 money, or the general herd of informers. The individual (Mr. 
 Dowling) to whom he alluded, and who had ingratiated himself 
 during the Spa-fields meetings into his acquaintance, had horsewhip- 
 ped a Gentleman for speaking of him; u Let him come with his 
 whip to me (said Mr. H.) and I pledge myself I'll never hold him 
 over to keep the peace for his act." It was his misfortune in be- 
 coming acquainted with Mr. Dowling, in consequence of the latter 
 being connected with a most respectable public print. He then 
 thought him a pleasant fellow, and had given to him his notes; in 
 fact, he had completely unbosomed himself to this Dowling, in re- 
 spect to the conduct he meant to pursue at the Spa-fields meeting. 
 Mr. Dowling was welcome to them. He was also thrown in contact 
 with the infamous Castle. Oliver he had never seen ; but he was 
 never afraid to deliver his sentiments before a single individual or 
 
100,000 persons. The Chairman then declared that the statement 
 in the public prints some time ago, relative to a fracas and intended 
 battle between him and an innkeeper of the name of Morley, was a 
 scandalous misrepresentation, in addition to various caricatures. He 
 then reviewed the proceedings on the late State Trials, which were, 
 he was convinced, got up to prop up the system of Ministers. He 
 had heard the Attorney and Solicitor-General's speeches, and the 
 Judge's charge at Mr. Watson's trial. He heard the whole story of 
 the spies, and any man could see through the object of the prosecutions. 
 Lord Sidmouth said he knew nothing of Castle until after the first 
 meeting at Spa-fields. This, of course, was true — but might 
 not his Lordship's agents have known something of the spy ? — 
 (Cries of " To be sure they did!") — He was old on the list, hav- 
 ing by his own confession, been engaged for the Bank, in prose- 
 cuting men for passing forged notes, and afterwards for the Trans- 
 port Board, in enticing a French officer to make his escape, and 
 then betraying him to the Board. The Government said there 
 was a conspiracy — true, there was, but it was one against the 
 people, and not by the people. — (Applause.) — The Borough- 
 mongers had so far succeeded — they had suspended the laws, and 
 «ould throw into prison any man they pleased. He (Mr. Hunt) 
 must be supposed either a very bold or a very hardened 
 «an to persist in speaking his sentiments thus openly. He 
 had, however, always done so in truth, and in the face 
 of his country, and within the spirit and letter of the laws — and 
 he would ever pursue a similar course. — (Applause.) — He would 
 always speak the sentiments of his heart, even if his life were in the 
 scale, and exert his best endeavours to restore to the people the 
 English Constitution, the whole Constitution, and nothing but the 
 Constitution. — (Applause.) — His public career, they must know, 
 had for its object the support of the Constitution — were it other- 
 wise, and had he acted illegally, the Meeting must know he would 
 not be to-day addressing them. — (Cries of a iVo, no") — Now at 
 every meeting where he had attended, a Petition to the Prince Re- 
 gent, or to either House of Parliament, was not only agreed upon, 
 but actually received, read, and laid upon the table of Parliament. 
 There was no objection to them on the score of illegality or infor- 
 mality; they all asked for Annual Parliaments and Universal Suf- 
 frage, and were received, and of course pronounced constitutional. 
 — (Applause.) — The Chairman then called the attention of the 
 Meeting to the state of popular representation in the House of 
 Commons, where 154 persons (one-half of them Peers, and, of 
 course, by law excluded from interfering in such a case) returned 
 an actual majority of the Members of that House. — (Cries of 
 (i Shame!") — It was said, that none but householders should 
 hate a vote ; but where could a line be drawn ? A man 
 may not have a house, and yet have a large property ; and 
 no man would consent to have his own class excluded in the gene- 
 ral mass of representation. One of the Gentlemen, to whom the 
 dinner was given, was, they must perceive, absent. He alluded to 
 Mr. Hooper, who, since his preservation from the cluiches of the 
 Philistines — (A laugh and applause) — had been very dangerously 
 ill, who came to the Stewards'-room to express his thanks, though 
 he was too ill to stay to dine — (Applause),— The Chairman then 
 
congratulated the meeting on the prospect of a good harvest which 
 now presented itself. Twelve months ago they would recollect 
 how he was vilified for prognosticating what had since occurred, 
 namely, that from the terrible appearance of the the crops, their 
 quartern loaf, which was then about eight-pence, would soon be at 
 eighteen. pence. His prophesy had been unhappily realized — 
 (Cries of" We know it full well:')— He had now most happily a 
 different communication to make, with pleasure of the highest de- 
 gree. He informed them, that the result of his observations thil 
 year, as an agriculturalist, would convey to them, as it did to him- 
 self, as much pleasure as his former ones did pain. He never saw 
 such a prospect of a fine harvest on the face of the earth, as now ap- 
 peared throughout the country. — (Applause) — Where twenty crops 
 were last year deficient, not one was now. The, late rainy weather 
 had not bent the wheat, as was supposed bysomewhohad cursorily 
 looked at it, not with an intelligent eye ; the fact was, the stem 
 was only yielding to the superfluous weight of the grain it bore, 
 and a little fine weather would yield the largest crop ever known 
 within the memory of man. — (Continued Applause.) — As a man 
 and a farmer, he pledged himself to this, and he hoped what he 
 said would be circulated in the public Prints with the same avidity 
 that marked the circulation of his sentiments last year, when the 
 prospect was unhappily of a different description. He now de- 
 clared, that unless some extraordinary measure of the Borough- 
 mongers or corn-monopolizers interposed, the quartern loaf would 
 before Christmas fall to its former price. Looking to the value of 
 good food for the people, reminded him of what a General once 
 said — that with 30.000 men of his own picking, he would walk 
 over the universe. On being asked how he would pick them, he 
 answered, " From the three nations. — Give me 10,000 well-fed 
 Englishmen, 10,000 half-drunk Irishmen, and 10,000 half- 
 starved Scotchmen." — (Much laughter and applause.) — He 
 (Mr. H.) was one of those who saw no good to the Con- 
 stitution from the people remaining starved ; he had rather at 
 any time see them well-fed, and then considerately looking at their 
 situation, than in despair from a want of the necessaries of life. 
 He then informed the Meeting that this dinner would have sooner 
 taken place were it not for a sort of political intrigue that had 
 defeated the intentions of those who were anxious for it, by a 
 little junto. Two successive days for the dinner had actually been 
 appointed, and by intrigue the matter had been knocked aside. 
 Sir F. Burdett had been solicited to take the chair; some person 
 of consequence ijt was thought necessary to preside, and at the last 
 of these meetings, Mr. Bennett, M. P. was invited to preside, and 
 nine days after the invitation he sent in a negative. — Some Gentle- 
 men at length convened the present Meeting, being anxious no 
 longer to defer the celebration of the rescue of four Englishmen 
 from the grasp of an arbitrary Government. — (Ajtplause.) — 
 He animadverted in severe terms upon a paragraph in the 
 f* Day and New Times," the Editor, Dr. Stodart f« Dr. Slop, 
 you mean," several persons observed), had openly asserted, 
 it was a meeting to celebrate the riots of the 2d of December. Is 
 there any man in this room, he would ask, that had come to cele- 
 brate such an event ? It was a vile insinuation. It was a public 
 
7 
 
 meeting to celebrate the Trial by Jury, acquittal of the persecuted 
 individuals, and to do honour to the verdict of twelve honest men. 
 And, notwithstanding the combined powers of the Attorney and 
 Solicitor Generals, and the Judges taking twenty-four hours 
 strength to fix upon the minds of the Jury the guilt of the accused 
 parties, that day had not yet arrived when twelve men could be 
 found to perjure themselves to serve a political purpose. It was a 
 shameful political purpose ; and he' had no hesitation in say- 
 jng, that had the Jury have been influenced by the Judge's 
 charge, hanging would have been the order of the day. — Glory 
 be to that mode of trial ! for, notwithstanding the battery 
 of a Crown Prosecution, after a seven days* trjal, it still reared its 
 head, and twelve honest men interposed their shield to protect the 
 innocent.— -(Applause.) — If the gibbet had once been erected^ after 
 these trials, it would have reared its head all over the country. 
 The Ministers were, however, defeated, and there was not an old. 
 woman in the country who would now be frightened at the old 
 Story of the plots — Bugaboo was gone. — (Much laughter.) — Lord 
 Castlereagh deserved to be impeached for his conduct in this busi- 
 ness, and he (Mr. H.) pledged himself, that, if ever he got into 
 Parliament, he would within a very few days bring forward such an 
 impeachment. — (Applause.) — Lord Castlereagh might plunge him, 
 in a dungeon for these sentiments, but the day of reckoning would 
 come, be it ever so late, with his Lordship and the country. 
 It did appear to him, that owing to the Suspension of the Habeas 
 Corpus Act, a sort of panic had not only operated upon the feel- 
 ings of many great characters, but also upon other individuals. 
 It was, however, a great satisfaction to his mind to witness at least 
 100 persons meeting this day without the fear of a halter round 
 their necks. It was giving a tone to the country at large. No 
 rights were obtaiped by cringing. And it was only from standing 
 up and demanding with the hearts of Freemen, that they could 
 ultimately prevail. The Editor of The Day and New Tijnes was 
 now in mourning, and for two causes— one was, the immaculate 
 Lord Castlereagh's being bit by a Stutgard cur dog (Oh ! thatit 
 had have been by the English bull-dog !) — and the other, that a 
 Count De Morys, a Bourbonite and a Tyranist, who had been 
 one of the first to pull down the Imperial Guard, and a French 
 assertor of legitimacy, had been killed in a duel by a faithful 
 officer of ISapoleon. Doctor Slop, however, had no tears, no 
 moans for his suffering countrymen, who were incarcerated in 
 dungeons throughout the country. He had no lamentations for 
 the fate of a whole people. — {Loud and reiterated applause.)— 
 He was sorry, as well as surprised, that a Gentleman of the name 
 .of Wooler, whom he had never seen before that morning, and 
 who had promised to be here, and even to draw up a Resolution 
 or two on the subject of their Meeting, should have forfeited his 
 promise, and sent a note to th.e Stewards, stating, that in conse- 
 quence of a rumour in the city that he was selected to be Vice- 
 President, he did not wish to attend, being but an humble and 
 private individual. He (Mr. Hunt) had expected an eloquent 
 speech from that Gentleman, and his absence in this respect he was 
 afraid would prove a disappointment to the Meeting. He never 
 heard that Mr. Wooler was to have bean any thing else but a 
 

 8 
 
 j - 
 
 Tisitor, and, indeed, he should not have expected to hear the 
 writer of The Black Dzcarf complaining of being brought into 
 additional publicity — one should rather have expected that he 
 would have sought the opportunity if it really were off, red to'nfii. 
 Mr. Hunt, in concluding, was gratefully seusiblc of the honor 
 and attention that had been paid to him. It was the highest 
 gratification of his life in being coupled with Universal Suf- 
 frage and Annual Parliaments ; and till he was consigned to the 
 grave, he would never lose sight of them. — (Loud and continued 
 applause.) 
 
 The healths of " Mr. Richardson, and the other independent 
 Jurors on the late Trials," weie then drank with great applause. 
 
 " The healths of Mr. Weatherell and Mr. Copley, the able 
 Advocates of the Liberty of the Subject against hired Spies and 
 Informers." Drank with three times three. 
 
 Mr. Hunt said he should state the following fact respecting Mr. 
 Weatherell. Information of every description ought to be made 
 public. The acquittal of the four persons alluded to came with 
 double force, when it was recollected that Mr. W. had always been 
 a Ministerial man. He had supported Ministers through thick 
 and thin, and had even voted for the Suspension of the Habeas 
 Corpus Act. But his independent conduct and exertions upon the 
 late State Trials entitled him to the highest respect and gratitude 
 of his country, and it was his principles to act fairly by every 
 man. But mark the difference pursued by an opposition Banister^ 
 a professed friend to Liberty. — What will you say then, when a 
 brief was presented to Mr. Brougham, that he positively refused 
 to advocate their cause ? (Murmurs of disapprobation — Mr. B. is 
 a lime. server — no friend to Liberty ^ Sfc.) 
 
 The " Health of Mr. Harmer, the Solicitor, ,, was then drank 
 with three times three, " and thanks to hint for his professional ex- 
 ertions:" 
 
 Mr. Hunt said, that it had been his intention of coupling the 
 " Liberty of the Press' with the name of Mr. Wooler, but, in his 
 absence, he should, now propose the health of Mr. Sherwin, with 
 the Press, which was drunk with applause. 
 
 Mr. Shekwin, in returning thanks, observed, that it was an 
 honor he had no right to expect. It was too true, that our Liber- 
 ties had been grossly violated — that Ministers had gone to the ex- 
 tent of their power — but still it was gratifying to reflect, the Liber- 
 ty of the Press remained. He was not used, nor capable of speak- 
 ing in public; but neither pains nor penalties should deter him 
 from doing his duty as a public writer, and he should always be 
 firm and consistent — (Applause.) 
 
 Mr. Hunt said, that he was about to give a toast, which might 
 have been expected earlier — it was the healths of the four persons 
 who had undergone the fiery ordeal of ministerial persecution. He 
 had witnessed their sufferings during the whole of that trial, the 
 result of which was equal to the importance of the acquittals of 
 Hardy, Home Tooke, &c. : in his mind it was of still greater con- 
 sequence to the liberties of the country. The jury had displayed 
 great ability and firmness of mind — the eloquence of counsel had 
 not deluded them — Lord Ellenborough's charge had not altered 
 {heir opinions; and from their clear and comprehensive judgment 
 
9 
 
 upon the case, they had still preserved one of our dearest rights — 
 the Trial by Jury. The odium of that trial is now thrown back 
 upon the Ministers. The pop-gun plot in the North, in the South, 
 &c. is all blown up, and at the doors of Ministers these are only to 
 be found. Then let us, Gentlemen, as the instruments of this great 
 city, unite in drinking " The healths of Messrs. Watson, Thistle- 
 wood, Preston, and Hooper, and may their acquittal prove the 
 downfall of hired spies and informers." — The applause continued 
 for several minutes. 
 
 Mr.' Watson now rose, and stated, in a very impressive man- 
 ner, that five-and-forty years of his life had passed away before he 
 had ever addressed half-a-dozen people. He was therefore a 
 stranger to oratory, and those who expected it from him would 
 find themselves grievously disappointed. Thanks to a British Jury 
 he was now in the land of the living, and able in person to express 
 his thanks to his countrymen for their generous sympathy in his 
 cause — (Loud applauses.) — It was impossible to describe the feel- 
 ings with which he witnessed the hundreds of thousands of persons 
 who greeted him and his fellow-prisoners daily, as they passed 
 from the Tower to Westminster Hall, during their trial. From 
 what he then saw, he anticipated that no twelve men of his coun- 
 try could be found who would not see through the whole nature of 
 the prosecution. The result justified his anticipation. The pre- 
 sent Meeting had been long delayed, for the reasons mentioned by 
 Mr. Hunt, and he was thereby prevented, until this moment, from 
 giving vent to the feelings next his heart. He possessed no more 
 bravcrjr than any other man, but begged to assure his fellow- 
 countrymen, that at every moment of his trial he felt more 
 for them than he did for himself. — (Great applause.)— They 
 had, however, imposed upon him a load of gratitude, which 
 it was beyond the course of nature to expect he could live to 
 repay. His habits of life had been those of a private professional 
 man, who, from a humane consideration to the poor, had devoted 
 much of his time to the alleviation of their miseries, often when he 
 could have received a fee from wealthier customers. — (Applause.) — 
 Indeed, to politics he had traced the impossibility of the poor to 
 remunerate his services; for the war — that war, the object of 
 which, through the folly and madness of the Ministers, was never 
 known till its termination — had drained the middling classes of every 
 meaus to make themselves comfortable, or to repay the ordinary at- 
 tendance which a man in his situation was at all times bound to give. 
 He stood particularly indebted to the exertions of the Learned 
 Counsel on the late arduous trial, and to his solicitor, Mr. Har- 
 mer, whose services in this affair were unprecedented. Never was 
 there a case in which one solicitor had so eminently distinguished 
 himself. The multifarious circumstances he had had to investigate 
 were truly astonishing : — (dpplause) — These gentlemen were en- 
 titled to his thanks, and he flattered himself also, to the thanks 
 and gratitude of their country. He was never what was called a 
 politician, except so far as reading the Journals of the day. He 
 well remembered the .American war, and his feeling at the time a 
 brotherly affection for the assertors of the cause of liberty across 
 the Atlantic. As to his conduct rn late events, he confessed 
 that he had been mainly instrumental in procuring the first 
 
10 
 
 Spa-fields Meeting. His part in this business Ministers knew 
 well, for such a meeting was most obnoxious to them. His motive 
 in assisting to call this Meeting arose from his direct knowledge, 
 through professional opportunities, of knowing the state of the 
 poor, and their prodigious misery. His heart must have been as 
 callous as stone if he had shewn an insensibility to their situation. 
 Shortly before the first Spa-fields Meeting, he had met bis good, 
 and philanthropic, and feeling friend, Preston, at a meeting of 
 mechanics, where the use of machinery was inveighed against ; but 
 he (Mr. W ) disapproved of such opinions, and maintained, 
 that every invention that reduced manual labour, and afforded the 
 mind of man leisure to dwell on higher topics, and to cultivate the 
 mother earth, was a blessing. — Mr. Preston was so struck with 
 what he said, that he became a convert to his opinions, and en- 
 treated him to urge them at a subsequent Meeting at the 
 Bear's Head, in the Borough, which he did. His friend Preston 
 after this had had opportunities of seeing closely the state of the 
 poor manufacturers in Spitalfields. He (Mr. W-), on being inform- 
 ed of its dreadful extent, considered that such a state of misery 
 ought to reach the ears of the father of his people, and that for 
 this purpose a public Meeting was desirable. Ministers knew well 
 that this was the real object, though they charged him in his career 
 of benevolence with wanting to fling anarchy among his country- 
 men. Had Ministers properly investigated his character, they ne- 
 ver could have put him on his trial for High Treason. He never 
 was an Anarchist— but he was always a Briton, and to the last 
 hour of his life, he would remain a Briton. During his pursuits 
 in this course, many persons (some of them strangers) had called 
 upon him to urge him to drop his intentions ; they talked of his fa- 
 mily ; but he knew that he had a higher trust to look to — he meant 
 his country. — (Applause.) — Some of these people insinuated, that 
 Mr. Hunt was engaged with him in promoting the coming Meeting 
 — he disdained by implicating that Gentleman, whom he did not 
 know at the time, to prolong for some few years a declining life, 
 which at any period he would have disdained to hold upon disho- 
 nourable terms, — (Great applause.)- — His acquaintance with Mr. 
 Hunt was but of a few hours standing before the first Spa- fields 
 Meeting ; that Gentleman urged, that Parliamentary Reform should 
 form the front of the Petition to be proposed at the Meeting ; for he 
 said that if it were once obtained, Annual Parliaments and Univer- 
 sal Suffrage would soon follow. 
 
 This flashed conviction on his (Mr. Watson's) miqd, and he at 
 once assented. Between the first and second Spa-fields meetings, 
 A singular circumstance took place. The Treasury Journals at- 
 tempted to terrify the people from attending the ensuing meeting, 
 by publishing the intention of Government to call out a great array 
 of artillery and soldiers in the event of another Meeting taking 
 place — for what? — to terrify Englishmen—-( Loud laughter)— vain 
 and presumptuous hope ! These denunciations had, however, call, 
 ed forth the placard of " England expects every man to do his 
 duty,'' 1 and it was determined that the paper war should not be all 
 at one side. This was the whole origin and secret of that famous 
 placard so spoken of at the trial. During that trial he might be 
 said to have stood in as perilous a position as ever man held jn 
 
11 
 
 battle— he had no fear then, why should he have any now ?— 
 {Cries of bravo .')— He came now to an occurrence of a domestic 
 nature, where he must feel both as an Englishman and a father. 
 He had then a son in England ; but he was now, thank God ! in 
 a land of liberty. He was young and inexperienced, and likely 
 to be led astray. At the first Meeting, this youth, contrary 
 both to his and Mr. Hunt's advice, proposed an amend- 
 ment for a second Meeting, much earlier than they wished it, 
 which amendment was unfortunately adopted, but he urged, that 
 he was supported by 50,000 uplifted hands. Little did I conceive 
 what the result would have been. The day before that second 
 Meeting his son had, at his earnest desire, promised not to at- 
 tend — and judge his surprise when he (Mr. Watson) mounted the 
 waggon, for the purpose of keeping the people about it rather 
 than at the Merlin's Cave, until Mr. Hunt arrived, to find his coat 
 repeatedly pulled, and on turning round to find his son was there. 
 It was in vain to prevent his son from mounting up. He was pos- 
 sessed with a youthful vanity, and he had been boasting the preced- 
 ing evening, that he had addressed 50,000 persons. He (Mr. W.) 
 jumped down, hoping to prevail on him to retire after he had ad- 
 dressed the crowd. At that moment the crowd rushed between him 
 and his son, and he could not get near him before they all went off". 
 Who at that instant should come up, though on the trial he swore 
 he had not been near the waggon, but Castle, who in a sneaking 
 tone exclaimed, "Oh, Doctor! what is the matter?" He (Mr. 
 Watson) then went near the Coldbath-fields prison, where he was 
 escorted by a stranger, who said that his son was then in the 
 prison. Cattle again came up, and with a vulgar oath, de- 
 clared that his son and the crowd had ran off to the Man- 
 sion House and to the Tower. Imagining that his son had 
 been misled and gone wrong, with the anxiety of a parent, he fol- 
 lowed, with the intention of arresting his course. Castle said he 
 saw him in Little Britain — now, he pledged, on his honour, that 
 he never entered Little Britain that day, but passed on through 
 Cloth-fair. They (for a man and a boy were with him) went on 
 to the Tower and Minories, where they saw nothing; but on their 
 return, met the crowd at the latter place, where he received a con- 
 tusion in the leg from a soldier while pressing forward to get at his 
 son, which lamed him, and made him afterwards more easily taken 
 at Highgate than, they may rely upon it, he otherwise should have 
 been. His son was also hnrt — but so far from his (Mr. Watson) 
 being charged with treason for his conduct on that day, he rather 
 deserved the thanks of Ministers for the intentions with which he 
 went into the city. He had persuaded the people to disperse, on 
 seeing destruction around them from the guns being loaded and 
 pointed towards the streets. He admitted Ministers could not 
 draw au exact line of demarcation respecting particular persons. 
 He saw the cavalry aim at his son, and a board only prevented 
 his receiving a dreadful cut. They would recollect the evidence 
 of the woman who kept the public-house at East Smithfield, who 
 really said what he never uttered. The reason of his going there 
 was, that he knew a young man resided there, who had formerly 
 been an assistant to him in Staffordshire, and who afterwards got 
 into business on his own account. To this young man his 
 
12 
 
 son had twice gone into the country, and as he knew this 
 to have bpen his lodging-hous^, it was natural for him to ex- 
 pect, that when his son was in the neighbourhood lie might 
 have drop, ed in there. In the evening he met his 6on, in 
 company with three or four, who gave him some clue to what they 
 had been at. His son never mentioned one word about the 
 ■wounding of Mr. Piatt, which they must all lament ; and was it 
 likely that if he had committed such an accident, he would not 
 have consul fed his father on the critical situation in which he was 
 placed. While he was in prison he had received an anonymous 
 letter, opening a communication with a person who said that he 
 was present when the shot was fired, and that it was done by a 
 sailor while h's son was talking to Mr. Piatt. That letter was taken 
 from me b\ the Secretary of State, but it has since been returned 
 to me, and I have it now safe in my possession. Mr. Watson here 
 avowed his political sentiments to be decidedly in favour of the 
 amelioration of the poorer class, who did not, he thought, re- 
 ceive from the richer all the support to which they were entitled. 
 He observed, that he had witnessed in the agricultural and manu- 
 facturing districts, and in the greatest metropolis of the world, 
 poor men treated as mere cattle. It was from these circumstances 
 that the government of the country were not honest in their en- 
 deavours to relieve the condition of the people. It was only from 
 Universal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments that we could obtain 
 equal laws, equal justice, and got at the truth. He professed 
 himself a Philanthropist — he loved all mankind. And, notwith- 
 standing the perilous situation in which he had laiely been placed, 
 he would oppose the intentions of all wicked men in power. We 
 ought not to relax, through fear, to bring back those liberties 
 ■which we once possessed. — (Loud and reiterated applause.)— - 
 He had lived to see the integrity of the lower. classes, and to find 
 Walpole's assertion, "that every man had his price," completely 
 falsified. — The Minister of this day found that there were some 
 men who had not their price, and these were the faithful strangers 
 who had enabled his son to get to a happier country. They were 
 literally poor people — (Cries of li Bravo!") — who shewed that 
 they had as much honour as ever warmed the bosoms of the rich. 
 He should be an ungrateful man, if he ever lost sight of the sym- 
 pathy and feeling that had been expressed for his fate, from 150,000 
 ef his countrymen. Poor men possessed feeliog and honour as 
 well as the rich. — (Great Applause.) He had experienced the 
 worth of many friends, and his future conduct he trusted would 
 still prove to strengthen their good opinion towards him. Up to 
 the last hour of his life, he should remember with feelings of 
 gratitude, the attachment that had been displayed towards him at 
 this meeting. He could now only faintly conclude, with his 
 sincere and heartfelt thanks for the notice he had experienced, and 
 hoped that the people would not relax until they had procured 
 their just rights. (Loud and continued applause.) 
 
 Mr. Thistlewood rose to return thanks under considerable 
 embarrassment. He said, he was unused to public speaking, and 
 therefore he hoped they would forgive his addressing them at any 
 length. But it was a duty incumbent upon him, to clear the cha- 
 racter of Mr. John Hunt, 105, East-street, Manchester-square, 
 
13 
 
 from any imputation of having divulged the secret of his retreat. 
 He knew well the informer who had done it, and would name him 
 if they thought it expedient. He, however, should not nealecfc 
 the opportunity of informing the Meeting, that a requisnion had 
 taken place concernng the two Evanses, respecting a public meet- 
 ing in Westminster, and he hoped that they would all attend, 
 in order to afford as much assistance as possible towards those 
 unfortunate and oppressed characters. 
 
 Mr. Preston addressed the company with considerable energy, 
 observing, that he was-a true Englishman, but no orator. The si- 
 tuation of England put him in mind of the old fable, in which the 
 lion is said to have fallen in love with a fine lady, whose fripnds 
 said, that though he was very tame and kind now. yet, after the 
 honey-moon, he may become vicious towards her. Th^y therefore 
 proposed that he should allow his teeth and toe-nails to be extract- 
 ed before he got the lady. The animal consented to the operation, 
 but after it was performed, instead of getting the lady, he was 
 beaten out of doors. Such was the present state of this country. 
 The people had given up their strength, and lost their liber- 
 ties — (Laughter and applause.)— England would fall like Rome 
 and Carthage, if she thus tamely lent herself to her foes. 
 Notwithstanding he had been so persecuted he entertained no pre- 
 judices against any man. He had to express his gratitude to the 
 Jury ; and to the kind attention he had experienced from one of 
 the Stewards, in particular (Mr. West). His ideas flowed so fast 
 upon him that he could not give utterance to them ; but he had 
 only the ambition to state, he must always live upon good terms 
 with his own conscience. He was disgusted with the long speeches 
 in Parliament; forty years had passed away, and no modification 
 of grievances had been experienced by the people. He begged 
 leave to state, that he had taken a house in Clement's Inn-passage, 
 where every friend who came should have a slice of his loaf.— 
 (Applause). — He had put the names of his noble and independent 
 Jury over his fire-place, and would teach his children for ever to 
 lisp them. — (Great applause.) 
 
 Mr. Hunt gave — " May the real traitors be soon discovered, and 
 promptly punished." This was drank with applause. 
 
 Some gentlemen suggested, that there were persons present who 
 wished to make a reply to what had been said. 
 
 Mr. Hunt said, this was Liberty Hall, there was no Junta— not 
 one of the kuocked-up Westminster Meetings here to monopolize 
 the discussion to themselves ; and if any man wished to say any- 
 thing, even against the general sense of the Meeting, he was at 
 liberty to do so. He was always open to conviction ; and should 
 never consider himself too old to learn. In the mean time, how- 
 ever, he sheuld give as a toast — " A speedy abolition of the white 
 slave trade in England, Ireland, and Scotland." This was drank 
 with three. 
 
 The next toast was — " A speedy release to all those who were 
 suffering under imprisonment without open accusation, and a pub- 
 lic trial." (Drank with three times three. ) 
 
 Mr. Hunt gave the health of Mr. West, whose exertions in 
 favour of the persons lately tried had been so conspicuous. Mr." 
 West returned thanks. 
 
 
14 
 
 Mr. Hunt next gave the health of Mr. Hallet, and of the 
 Berkshire magistrates at Reading, to whom the public were so 
 eminently indebted for having resisted an arbitrary mandate of 
 the Secretary of State. It was our duty at all times to be as 
 ready to praise as to blame. The above magistrates had been ap. 
 pointed by the Crown; and their conduct in preserving the liber- 
 ties of the subject entitled (hem to the consideration of their 
 country. 
 
 A Gentleman rose, and expressed a wish that among the absent 
 advocates of Liberty over all the world, the health of Mr. Cobbeit 
 should be drank. 
 
 Mr. Hunt said this toast had not been noticed by the Stewards, 
 though no neglect could be imputed to them, and for that reason 
 he would not have himself proposed it ; but as the toast had been 
 proposed by a Gentleman present, his wish was that it might be 
 drank. He had been in the habits of intimacy with Mr. Cobbett 
 for fourteen years, and he believed no man, as a public writer, 
 ever deserved so well of his country, for no man ever made so 
 great an impression on the country, and he considered his absence 
 as a public loss. He, however, did not wish for private friendship 
 to supersede his public duty : but he thanked God that Mr. Cobbett 
 was now safe in the land of liberty, and this was a consolation for his 
 loss. A continuation of his work was now published in this country. 
 [ It was here asked across the table by several gentlemen present, 
 whether the publications alluded to might be relied upon as genuine ? 
 A satisfactory answer was immediately given from a person who 
 was in possession of the manuscripts, as received from Mr. Cob- 
 bett.'] — He had passed many social hours with him ; and, although 
 at times they differed in opinion, he considered it a blessing to 
 partake of his company. A greater friend to liberty did not exist 
 than Mr. Cobbett. In the annals of printing, no publication what* 
 ever had arrived at the unprecedented number of 70,000 copies 
 being circulated weekly of his Political Register. His merits and 
 demerits are before the public. No man had rendered greater ser- 
 vice to England than Mr. C. had done while he was in this coun- 
 try, he had no hesitation in asserting ; but, at the same time, he 
 was ready to admit, that we still possessed many public writers of 
 great energy and talent) but few men could hope to arrive at the 
 towering political eminence Mr. Cobbett had attained. In the 
 character of father, husband, brother, or son, no man rose higher. 
 The Boroughmongers attempted to publish works against him ; but, 
 he would ask, what had become of them since his departure to Ame- 
 rica? They also have brought charges against him as a tyrant over his 
 servants. He was certainly most strict and severe in regard to 
 punctuality, but no servants were ever better paid or better 
 treated than his ; and as a proof that he was not a tyrant, all hit 
 servants would, if they could, have followed him to America. He 
 was happy in this opportunity of proposing the health of his friend. 
 He concluded with drinking the health of William Cobbett, Esq. 
 (This was drank with three times three.) 
 
 Mr. Clark said, it was not his intention originally to have ad- 
 dressed the meeting, but the name of Mr. Cobbett, and the Public 
 Press, had induced him to offer a few observations. He would 
 challenge any man in England to possess a greater knowledge of 
 
15 
 
 political characters in England than he did. It was a sort at en- 
 quiry which he had imposed upon himself as a duty. Mr. Cob- 
 belt's character had not been too highly represented; but he 
 was sorry that he had withdrawn himself from this country. 
 Mr. C. wrote with all the facility of a Paiue; but we are losing the 
 value of his labours, in consequence of his pamphlet not appearing 
 for two months after the circumstances written Upon have transpired; 
 He did not think he would have been prosecuted. His absence 
 was a great political loss ; but he rejoiced in hearing of his safety 
 in the land Of liberty. He offered his thanks to the twelve inde- 
 pendent Jurymen, who had immortalised themselves ; but he 
 thought Grand Juries were too ready to find True Bills, without 
 nicely balancing the nature, cause, and probable effect. Good 
 dinners, and the prevention of their getting cold, had in some in- 
 stances of his own knowledge, operated more upon their readiness 
 of decision, than seriously investigating the cause before them. 
 
 Mr. Hunt then gave — " The due exaltation of Messrs. Castle, 
 R. Reynolds, Oliver, Vaughan, &c." 
 
 The health of the Stewards was then drank with three times 
 three. 
 
 Mr. Clark, as one of the Stewards; returned thanks to the 
 Meeting, add requested that the company would again drink the 
 health of Mr. Hunt. — (Thit was drank with loud applause.) 
 
 Mr. Hunt here read a description of Oliver, from a provincial 
 newspaper. He also observed, that he hoped he should be joined 
 in drinking the health of a person who had for so aiany years per- 
 severed in the cause of Liberty and Reform with the greatest ar- 
 dour and effect. In fact, his whole life had been dedicated to ren- 
 der his countrymen free and independent, and to further the cause 
 of Universal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments. He should propose 
 " The Father of Liberty, Major Cartwright," which was drank 
 With three times three. 
 
 Mr. Watson hoped that if there was an independent borough 
 in the kingdom, such borough would, at the next general election 
 appoint Mr. Hunt as its representative. 
 
 Mr. Hunt did not expect the honour of having his health drank 
 a second time. He was about taking his leave, and to congratulate 
 them in the good order evinced throughout the day. He could 
 never be insensible to the good wishes of his fellow countrymen ; 
 and he assured them from his heart, that every moment of his 
 political life, had been exerted for the benefit of his country. He 
 sought no other reward, but approbation. His ambition had never 
 led him out of his proper sphere in life; but the paw of the tax- 
 gatherer had compelled him to relinquish a number of comforts, in 
 order to preserve his independence. He certainly had a small pro- 
 perty to gratify all his wishes ; but he would even suffer that to 
 be reduced, so that his independence might remain unimpaired 
 He despised all factions — there is no distinction between any of 
 them — they were all equally dangerous to the liberties of English- 
 men. When property was lost, it was no matter to the owner 
 who had deprived him of it. As to the Opposition in Parliament* 
 he believed they were worse than the men in power ; they would 
 do any dirty work, and were wholly unworthy of confidence. 
 Not a single petition had come from any part of the country against 
 
16 
 
 the Ministers; therefore it was evident that the people cared not 
 who were, or who were not in power. Respecting the State Trials, 
 the pretended great friends of Liberty were silent. It was painful 
 at that late hour, to detain them any longer, but he was encouraged 
 to proceed. This great city of Westminster, to whom it was justly 
 due to state had not only stemmed the torrent of corruption, 
 but also burst the bonds by which they were held, in having 
 returned for their representative Sir Francis Burdett — a man that 
 ha-; defended your rights and properties with a spirit eqvally ho- 
 nourable to himself and your choice: but he could not pass over the 
 conduct of th" Westminster Committee — an assumed power, not 
 geuerally known to the electors at large. It was a secret history, 
 but it should be. developed. This little junto was composed of the 
 "Whig faction, and of whom, it appeared, that Mr. Brougham can 
 twist any ©f its directors round his finger, and Mr. M'Laurin as- 
 serts, he can return any man he thinks proper for Westminster. 
 These are the men that have prevented this public Meeting to cele- 
 brate the Trial by Jury from taking place before this day. No pub- 
 lic meeting or dinner could take place without their sanction. 
 He despised such dirty intrigues; and had purposely come to 
 town twice before that day, to take- the Chair, but was prevented. 
 Th? City of Westminster, Mr. H< asserted, had more public 
 spirit than all the cities in the kingdom ; but the citizens oiight not 
 to be under the restraint of such a junto. Letters had been sent 
 t,o this committee requesting them to point out characters worthy 
 of representing several places in England — but these self-appointed 
 persons- had stuffed them in their bureaus, and returned for 
 answers they were not acquainted with any characters capable 
 of fulfiling such a trust. Mr. Cobbett and he (Mr. Hunt) 
 might have been returned if such conduct had not taken pin cc. 
 Whether any good -would have' derived from their exertiou in the 
 capacity of senators he would net assert ; but this he would insist 
 upon, that he would not have suffered Lord CastlereagU, the up- 
 start Canning, or Lord Darlington to have stood up in the House 
 of Commons to grossly libel and insult the people of England. — 
 (Great applause) — He solemnly assured the Gentlemen present, 
 that he never would .accept of any place, pension, title, or gratuity 
 whatever. He. would not hesitate to ratify what he had just pro- 
 mulgated by an impressive formal oath. He would serve his coun- 
 try with all his strength and ability, though he Would never become 
 a servant of the .Crown. Whenever he deviated from those public 
 political principles, he hoped it might be the last moment of his ex- 
 istence. Mr. Hunt now took leave amidst great applause, and the 
 company immediately departed. 
 
 Hay and Turner, Printers, Newcastle-street, Strand. 
 
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