informed, that before and at the time of the to be printed and published a certain other printing and publishing of a certain other false, wicked, malicious, scandalous, and sefalse, wicked, malicious, scandalous, and ditious libel, intituled, " The Prisoners Petiseditious libel herein-after next mentioned, it • tion to the Right Honourable Lord George was believed and understood by and amongst Gordon,' and which said libel is also further his said majesty's subjects, that his said intituled, The Prisoners Petition to the majesty was then shortly about to cause to Right Honourable Lord George Gordon, to be transported divers felons and other of- preserve their Lives and Liberties, and prefenders liable to be transported by the laws vent their Banishment to Botany-Bay; and of this realm to a certain place in parts be- in which said last-mentioned libel is conyond the seas, called Botany-bay, to wit, at tained according to the tenor and effect folLondon aforesaid, in the parish and ward lowing: but we (meaning the said supposed aforesaid: and the said attorney-general of prisoners in whose names the said supposed our said lord the king, for our said lord the petition purported to have been written) have king, further gives the Court here to under- reason to cry aloud from our dungeons and stand, and be informed, that before and at prison-ships in defence of our lives and liberthe time of the printing and publishing of a ties in this advanced period of the world certain other false, wicked, malicious, scan- | (when many kingdoms and common-wealths dalous, and seditious libel hereinafter next affect holiness unto the Lord, and profess to mentioned, divers persons had been and take hold out of all languages of the nations, were confined in divers of his majesty's even to take hold of the skirt of him that is a gaols within this kingdom, under sentence of Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have death or transportation, for divers crimes by heard that God is with you); that the just the laws and statutes of this realm punishable punishment ordained by God for our treswith death or transportation; and that the passes of thievery is profanely altered by men said George Gordon, late of London afore- like ourselves; that his adequate judgment of said, esq., (commonly called lord George our offences, mingled with mercy, is not exeGordon), well knowing the several premises cuted upon us in righteousness; that the everaforesaid, but being a wicked, malicious, lasting law of his statutes is changed and perseditious, and ill-disposed person, and being verted to our destruction; and the true record greatly disaffected to our said present sove- of the Almighty is falsified by the lawyers and reign lord the king, and to the laws and judges (who sit with their backs to the words constitution of this realm, and unlawfully, of the living God, and the fear of man before wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously in their faces) till the streets of our city have tending, devising, and contriving to stir up run down with a stream of blood instead of and excite tumults, discontents, insurrections, righteousness, as it is at this day; just as if and seditions, as well in divers of his said the kingdoms and commonwealths at this admajesty's gaols in this kingdom amongst vanced era were still aliens from the comthe prisoners confined therein, and then monwealth of Israel, and strangers from the under sentence of death or transportation covenants of promise, having no hope, and for divers crimes by the laws and statutes without God in the world. How long, O of this realm punishable with death or Lord! shall these wbited walls of council, transportation, as amongst divers others of who sit to judge the people after the law, his said majesty's subjects; and also to (meaning his said majesty's judges) commanů insinuate, and cause it to be believed, that us to be hanged contrary to the law? They divers laws of this realm, whereby sundry (meaning his

said majesty's judges) tithe mint crimes are punishable with death, were made and rue, and all manner of herbs, by making contrary to the law of God and the rightful long charges to the juries with a show of justice power of the king and parliament of this and religion, and afterwards pass over judgrealm to make such laws; and also unlawfully, ment and the love of God by pronouncing the wickedly, and maliciously intending, design- sentence of death upon us (meaning upon ing, and contriving to excite a general dis- such of the said last-mentioned prisoners as atfection amongst his said majesty's subjects had been sentenced to death as last aforesaid), towards the administration of justice within and shedding our innocent blood (meaning his said majesty's realm, and to render his the blood of such prisoners as last aforesaid) said majesty's judges authorized to administer for expiable trespasses, which do not require the same suspected of an undue administra- our cutting off from the people (meaning the tion thereof, and by means thereof to draw capital punishment of such prisoners as last upon his said majesty's judges the general aforesaid). Surely then shall the blood of our ill-will, contempt, and hatred of his said ma- lives (meaning the lives of such prisoners as jesty's subjects

, on the said twenty-second last aforesaid) be required at their hands, day of January, in the said twenty-seventh (meaning the hands of his said majesty's year of the reign of our said present sovereign judges), life for life, banishment for banishlord the king, with force and arms, at Lon- ment : whoso sheddeth man's blood by man don aforesaid, in the parish and ward afore- shall his blood be shed; for in the image of said, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously God made he man. There is now but a step did print and publish, and cause and procure between us and eternity; it behoves thares

9

fore to be instant in speaking the truth, and contained according to the tenour and effect to demand speedy justice: the hangman and following, that is to say, How long, O Lord! the scaffolding of the new drop is already shall these whited walls of council, who sit prepared for our executions on one hand, and to judge the people after the law (meaning governor Phillip and military tyranny at Bo- his said majesty's judges), command us tany-bay (meaning the said place in parts be-(meaning such of the said prisoners by whom yond the seas, called Botany-bay) awaits us the said libel purported to have been written on the other; and in which said last-men- as were then under sentence of death) to be tioned libel is also contained according to hanged contrary to the law? They (again the tenour and effect following: We look with meaning his said majesty's judges) tithe mint concern and abhorrence on the bloody hue of and rue, and all manner of herbs, by making the felony laws, and the frequent executions long charges to the juries with a show of in England in this reign, under a nominal ad- justice and religion, and afterwards pass over ministration of justice (meaning that justice judgment and the love of God, by pronouncing had not been truly administered in England the sentence of death upon us (again meaning during his said majesty's reign), since the upon such prisoners as last aforesaid), and time our eyes have been opened to the ex- shedding our innocent blood (meaning the pectation of salvation, pardon, expiation, and blood of such prisoners as last aforesaid) for deliverance in this world through the divine expiable trespasses, which do not require our providence, justice, and mercy of God's holy cutting off from the people (meaning the inlaw in favour of our cases, and annulling the fliction of capital punishment upon such pririgour of our sentences, and in arrest of the soners as last aforesaid). Surely then shall perverted judgment pronounced upon us; the blood of our lives (meaning the lives of in contempt of our said lord the king, in open such prisoners as last aforesaid) be required violation of the laws of this kingdom, to the at their hands (meaning the hands of his said evil example of all others in the like case majesty's judges), life for life, banishment for offending, and against the peace of our said banishment: whoso sheddeth man's blood by sovereign lord the king, his crown and dig- man shall his blood be shed; for in the image nity. And the said attorney-general of our of God made he man;-in contempt of our said lord the king, for our said lord the king, said lord the king, in open violation of the further gives the Court here to understand laws of this kingdom, to the evil example of and be informed, that the said George Gor- all others in like case offending, and against don, esq., commonly called lord George Gor- the peace of our said sovereign lord the king, don, being such person as aforesaid, and again his crown and dignity. And the said attorunlawfully, wickedly, maliciously, and sedi- ney-general of our said lord the king, for our tiously intending, devising, and contriving to said lord the king, further gives the Court stir up and excite tumults, discontents, insur- here to understand and be informed, that the rections, and seditions amongst divers of his said George Gordon, esq., commonly called said majesty's subjects, and to render divers lord George Gordon, being such person as laws and statutes of this realm then and still aforesaid, and again unlawfully, wickedly, in force within the same, as also his said ma- maliciously, and seditiously intending, dejesty's judges employed by his said majesty in vising, and contriving as last aforesaid, after the due administration and execution thereof, wards, to wit, on the twenty-second day of the objects of detestation, hatred, and con- January, in the twenty-seventh year aforetempt, by and amongst divers of his said ma- said, with force and arms, at London aforejesty's subjects, to wit, on the said twenty- said, in the parish and ward aforesaid, wicksecond day of January, in the twenty-seventh edly, maliciously, and seditiously printed and year aforesaid, with force and arms, at Lon- published, and caused and procured to be don aforesaid, in the parish and ward afore- printed and published, a certain other false, said, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously wicked, malicious, scandalous, and seditious printed and published, and caused and pro-libel, intituled, The Prisoners Petition to cured to be printed and published, a certain the Right Honourable Lord George Gorother false, wicked, malicious, scandalous, don;' and which said libel is also further and seditious libel, intituled, 'The Prisoners intituled, The Prisoners Petition to the Petition_to_the Right Honourable Lord Right Honourable Lord George Gordon, to George Gordon,' and also further intituled, preserve their Lives and Liberties, and preThe Prisoners Petition to the Right Honour-vent their Banishment to Botany-bay,' of able Lord George Gordon, to preserve their and concerning his said majesty, and the laws Lives and Liberties, and prevent their Ba- and statutes now in force within this realm ⚫nishment to Botany-bay,' of and concerning for the inflicting of capital punishment in cerhis said majesty, and the laws and statutes tain cases, and of and concerning the adminow in force within this realm for the in-nistration and execution of justice within this flicting of capital punishment in certain cases, realm by his said majesty's judges authorized and of and concerning the administration and to administer and execute the same; in which execution of justice within this realm by his said last-mentioned libel is contained accordsaid majesty's judges authorized to administering to the tenour and effect following, that is and execute the same; in which said libel is to say, we (meaning the supposed prisoners

by whom the said last-mentioned libel pur- doors when he was not able to disperse them ported to have been written) look with con- within the doors of Newgate, to provoke his cern and abhorrence on the bloody hue of majesty's subjects to rise in defence of what the felony iaws, and the frequent executions he calls those injured subjects, and to oppose in England in this reign, under a nominal the execution of those laws to which their administration of justice (mcaning that jus crimes have made them subject. tice was not truly administered in England Gentlemen, the liberty of the press is what during his majesty's reign), since the time we hear much of, and I trust we all know it our eyes (meaning

the eyes of such prisoners is an invaluable privilege, which this country as last aforesaid) have been opened to the I hope will ever enjoy; but no country upon expectation of salvation, pardon, expiation, earth can subsist if any subject of that counand deliverance in this world, through the try is permitted to attempt to infuse into the divine providence, justice, and mercy of God's minds of its inhabitants an opinion, that the holy law in favour of our cases (meaving the laws of that country are contrary to the laws cases of such prisoners as last aforesaid), an- of God, and that therefore they ought to be nulling the rigour of our sentences (meaning resisted. If there is any man in this counthe sentences passed upon such prisoners as try who thinks so of its laws, in God's name last aforesaid), and in arrest of the perverted let him go somewhere else, let him go to that judgments pronounced upon us (meaning the country where he can find more happy laws, judgments pronounced upon such prisoners and more liberal notions. He ought not to as last aforesaid) ;-in contempt of our said remain a subject of that country to the laws lord the king, in open violation of the laws of which he thinks he ought not to submit, of this kingdom, to the evil example of all and to which he is determined, as far aś others in like case offending, and against the in bis power, to prevent every other man's peace of our said sovereign lord the king, his submission. crown and dignity: whereupon the said attor- Gentlemen, I do not wish by any thing I ney-general of our said lord, who for our said shall say to call for your verdict, without I present sovereign lord the king prosecutes in shall establish the proots I have to give upor this behalt, prays the consideration of the a basis that nothing can shake; but I cannot Court here in the premises, and that duc help reminding you of the horrid tendency process of law may be awarded against him which this publication bears upon the face of the said George Gordon in this behalf, to it. It is but seven years ago since the three make him answer to our said present sove-great gaols of this kingdom were sapped to reign lord the king touching and concerning their foundation, and every prisoner set at the premises aforesaid, &c.

liberty.* Counsel for the Crown-Mr. Attorney Ge

Lord George Gordon. That has nothing neral [R. P. Arden, afterwards lord Alvan- to do with the present charge. ley]; Mr. Solicitor General [Archibald Mac

Mr. Attorney General. All I say is, that donald, afterwards Lord Chief Baron]; Mr the history of that time would have taught Bearcroft, The hon. Thomas Erskine, Mr' any man (I mean not to apply it particularly) Baldwin, Mr. Law.

to be extremely cautious of any kind of public

cation which would, in any degree, lead to Solicitors - Messrs. Chamberlayne and the repetition of the same outrages. This White.

publication has for its object the very same [The Information was opened by Mr. Lare.] of it the language of holy writ; and the scrip

attempt; this

gross libel carries upon the face Mr. Atiorney General. May it please your tures of God are made use of to induce the lordship, and you gentlemen of the jury: people of this country to resist its laws.

This is an information against the noble Gentlemen, I will pass over many of the lord, the defendant, for a libel of as mis expressions in which it is couched (for it chievous and seditious a nature as any I can must be read to you in the course of the evipossibiy conceive.

dence), and you will have the information to If you have attended to this publication as compare with it afterwards if you should think it was opened by my learned iriend, you ob- fit. serve that it is supposed to be addressed to The pamphlet, after having begun with his lordship by the prisoners then confined quotations from scripture, states, that the in gaol, but that it never was so addressed by true record of the Almighty is falsified and any person but himself. The object of it is - erased by the lawyers and judges, who sit to intuise into the minds of those unhappy with their backs to the words of the living wretches whose lives or liberties were for- 'God, and the fear of man before their faces, feit to the laws of their country, that those till the streets of our city have ran dowa who pronounced the sentences upon them with a stream of blood instead of righteoushad no right to pronounce such sentences, ness, as it is at this day.'— How long, o and therefore calling upon them (instead of their calling upon him) to resist the execution * See some account of these transactions of those laws that they had broken: and as in the trial of this same lord George Gordon, far as he was able he dispersed them without for high treason, ante vol. xxi, p. 504.