: 187] 27 GEORGE IH. Trial of Lord George Gordon [188 If there is a man who can entertain the Were any of these pamphlets sent to any idcas that this noble lord would have you persons in Newgate !-Yes; lord George suppose he does, I am sure he is not a fit sub- Gordon sent three: one directed to me; one ject for this kingdom; I believe for no other to my brother Thomas, on the debtors side; upon the face of the earth: for it would be and one to Mr. Villette, the ordinary of New. impossible that government should subsist, if gate. such notions were admitted to be disseminated Is that the pamphlet (handing it to the witamong the people. ness) which was directed to you ?-It is; I God be thanked! this libel did not attain wrote my name at the top of it. its end, and I hope and trust there will be al- Do you know the hand-writing of the di. ways vigour enough in the government of this rection ?-Yes. country to resist any such attempts, aud to Whose hand-writing is it? --Lord George keep that peace upon which depends our Gordon's. prosperity, and which if we keep among our- Have you seen his lordship write?--I have, selves I believe we may long be a happy and One of the pamphlets is directed to Mr. Akera flourishing people. man; I saw lord George Gordon write that in his own parlour. His lordship often wanted EVIDENCE FOR THE Crown. to go in to the condemned convicts: I told John Pitt sworn.-Examined by Mr. Solicitor from Mr. Akerman or the sheriffs. He fre him I could not let him in without an order General. quently asked me how he was to apply to get Were you employed in the gaol of Newgate admittance into the gaol: I told him he must at any time in December last?-Yes. apply to the sheriffs, or to Mr. Akerman. In what capacity ?-As turnkey to Mr. Did you at any time go to lord George Akerman, Gordon's house? ---Yes, I did, on Friday the Did you about that time receive any pamph- 26th of January. Jets respecting the prisoners in gaol -Yes; Relate what passed then. I knocked at but I cannot say the day of the month when I the door; the footman that brought the three received them. I received three pamphlets pamphlets came down and opened the door. from lord George Gordon's servant. I asked if his lordship was at home : he said Did you receive them in the month of De- he was, I said give my compliments to his cember?-I cannot say that it was in the lordship, tell him my name is Pitt, and that I month of December. come from Newgate ; that I should be glad Did you know lord George Gordon?-I did. to speak with him. His lordship sent for me Lord George Gordon. He has known me up stairs. I told him there was a sad piece many years. of work about these pamphlets: he said, Pitt. No, I have not known you a twelve- 'Don't you mind it; I am ready for them, month; it was in the latter end of the year let them begin as soon as they will. I sat 1786: lord George Gordon came into the tap- down, and had a glass of rum and water. I room; it was before the tap was taken away. looked behind me; there I saw a pile of Is that a part of the prison ?-Yes. these pamphlets. I said there are some of How often had his lordship come to you them here : he said · Yes; has Mr. Akerbefore the receipt of those pamphlets you man had one?" I said I cannot say that he spoke of?—I dare say he had been there half has. He said' Will you be so kind as to a dozen times. take him one?" I said I will; will you write What was the object of those visits ?-He your compliments upon the back of it? His used to come in and say · Don't you think lordship then wrote his compliments to it is cruel that so much blood should be spilt? Mr. Akerman on the back of one of the Don't you think it is very hard so many pamphlets, and gave it me: he gave me one should suffer?" I said I could not help it, nor he neither I believed. He said “No man Did you ask his lordship any questions re* ought to suffer death without he spilt specting the two persons you mentioned, as · blood.' dispersing these pamphlets ?-I asked him You said you received three pamphlets where they lived, and then he wrote down from lord George Gordon's servant : did you their directions. receive any more at any other time?-On the Look at that paper ?- This is the direction; 4th of January, when we were moving the I saw lord George Gordon write it. prisoners for trial, I met a woman in the pas- The following exhibits were read by the sage with some pamphlets. I asked her Associate : where she got them; she said I might get enough at the door. There was an old man • Lord George Gordon's compliments to there: he told me he had those pamphlets to Mr. Akerman, January 26, 1787,' written deliver from lord George Gordon. I asked upon one of the pamphlets. him to give them to me. The Address of the persons who delivered the Did you afterwards receive any pamphlets Pamphlets. yourself?-Yes; from lord George Gordon, Mr. Mowatt, at the hat-maker's, Long's at his own house, court, St. Martin's. 6 or two more. Mr. De Fleury and Miss De Fleury, at we have infested the streets of the city, we 'Mr. Tashmaker's.' I desire you to tell me whether any conversation I ever had with you was to stir up the prisoners to any violence of conduct, or whether it was not after I had told you and your brother that I thought that the felony laws were too sanguine, and also that they had not had their effect by deterring people from committing thefts in all parts of the kingdom, and that you said also that you was tired with seeing of bloodshed?-I never said any such word. If I must tell the truth I was always glad to get away from you; I often made use of many feints; I would not hold you in discourse. You said I said let them go on. Do you think I meant the prisoners or the king's servants to go on?-I can't tell who you meant. You say I made use of those words?—Yes. Whether you were not sent for by government about these pamphlets?-No. Did not somebody come to you on the part of government to inquire about it? Yes. And then you came and told me there was a deal of inquiries about this pamphlet? -Yes. And then I said let them go on, I am ready for them?-Yes. It did not relate to the prisoners you see?I can't tell what it related to. [The libel read as follows.] The PRISONERS PETITION to the Right Hon. Printed by Thomas Wilkins, No. 23 My lord; we the prisoners whose names are under-written, galled with fetters of iron, and appointed to death in England, or condemned to perpetual exile and arbitrary government in a barbarous country abroad, where the remainder of our lives is determined to be made bitter with hard bondage, most earnestly intreat your lordship to hear our sighs and groans, and to let the distresses of your fellow-creatures, whose afflictions have found no profit, help, alleviation, or benefit of the clergy, penetrate to your compassion, and incline your heart, and direct your will to preserve us, if you have the power, from the dread execution of the doom and sentence pronounced on our trespasses. We are not so shameless of face, or hardened, as to say that we are righteous, and have done no sin; for verily we have sinned, we have been guilty, we have deceived, we have spoken falsely, we have way-laid the unwary in his footpath, we have arrested the traveller on the highway, we have robbed, we have committed iniquity and wickedness, have done violence, we have caused the terror we have erred and set bad examples, we have by night, we have occasioned distress by day, led a rising generation astray, we have been suffered to grow up as a plague to the people, for their sins, as a pest in their play-houses, in their churches, in their courts of justice, and at their executions; our young ones also swarm and nestle in their avenues; even the king's companies are dishonoured by thieves and plunderers: we have departed from the commandments of God, and refused to keep his laws.-Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, that thou bestowest graciousness, confession, and repentance to sinners! We are neither so ignorant or so presumptuous as to imagine to escape the just judg ments of God in this world, for our public wrongs and offences against our neighbours, by a mere confession of our faults with penitence and contrition; for in our present humiliation and mourning before him, for our trespasses of thievery, the thoughts of our rent hearts are not proudly set against the lawgiver, to require one jot or one tittle of mitigation of our own deserved punishment from our rulers, or to change or alter the decree of his appointed law. The law of the Lord is of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. perfect, converting the soul; the judgments With righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. from it. For the Lord is our God, the Lord Kings shall not add thereto nor diminish is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver: may his will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and his kingdom come quickly in our days! But we have reason to cry aloud from our dungeons and prison-ships, in defence of our lives and liberties, in this advanced period of the world (when many kingdoms and common-wealths affect holiness unto the Lord, and profess to take hold out of all languages of the nations, even to take hold of the skirt of him that is a jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you), that the just punishment ordained by God for our trespasses of thievery, is profanely altered by men like ourselves, that his adequate judgment of our offences, mingled with mercy, is not executed upon us in righteousness; that the everlasting law of his statutes is changed and perverted to our destruction, and the true record of the Almighty, is falsified and erased by the lawyers and judges (who sit with their backs to the words of the living God, and the fear of man before their faces) till the streets of our city have run down with a stream of blood, instead of righteousness, as it is at this day; just as if the kingdoms and common-wealths at this advanced era, were still aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the 1 covenants of promise, having no hope, and tences of benevolence and justice among the without God in the world. How long, o ecclesiastics and kings, the punishment of Lord! shall these whited walls of council, theft still continues, throughout the greatest who sit to judge the people after the law, pari of Europe, to be capital. Puffendorff command us to be hanged, contrary to the also, and sir Matthew ilale, two arrogant law? They tithe mint and rue and all manner lawyers, both presumed to sport the same of herbs, by making long charges to the heathen opinion, puffed up with human juries, with a show of justice and religion, i learning and the wisdom of man, that it and afterwards pass over judgnient and the might be lawful on all occasions to refer to love of God, by pronouncing the sentence of the decision of earthly legislators to judge death upon us, and shedding our innocent (instead of God) when crimes required the blood for expiable trespasses which do not : sanguinary punishment of dividing the soul require our cutting off from the people. from the body. These are they who have Surely then shall the blood of our lives be devoured Jacob, their sins are as scarlet, the required at their hands, lite for life, banish- people's blood have they shed like water, ment for banishment, Whoso sheddeth they have defiled the royal law of liberty by man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; their forcible entries with heathen institutes. for in the image of God made he man. Wherefore should they longer say, Where is · There is now but a step between us and our God? Let him be known among the éternity, it behoves us therefore to be instant heathen in our sight by the revenging of the in speaking the truth, and to demand speedy blood of his servants which is shed. Let justice: the hangman and the scaffolding of the sighing of the prisoner come before thee, the new drop is already prepared for our O Lord! according to the greatness of thy executions ou one hand, and governor Philip, power preserve thou those that are appointed and military tyranny at Botany-bay, awaits to die! us on the other; we are accounted as sheep We look with concern and abhorrence on for the slaughter, as men of death in the eye the bloody hue of the felony laws, and the of the law of England, copied from the laws' frequent executions in England, in this reign, of Draco, written in blood, the Athenian laws, under a nominal administration of justice, the Heathen laws, the Roman laws, the Goths since the time our eyes have been opened to laws, the laws of bloody king llenry the 1st, the expectation of salvation, pardon, expiation, since whose reign the stealing above the and deliverance in this world, through the value of twelve-pence (which sum was the divine providence, justice, and mercy of God's standard in the time of king Athelstan, eight holy law, in favour of our cases, annulling the hundred ycars ago) is at common law regu- rigour of our sentences, and in arrest of the larly death. Which, considering the great perverted judgments pronounced upon us. It intermediate alteration in the price or deno- would be blasphemy to compare the laws of mination of money, is undoubtedly a very the nations with the laws of God, or to set up barbarous constitution; and made the humane the rebellious judgments of men against the Sir Henry Spelman (above a century since, decree of the Almighty. The Lord is a God when money was at twice its present rate) of judgment, blessed are all they that wait for complain, that while every thing clse was him. Save us, O Lord our God! and send risen in its nominal value, and become dearer, enlargement, that we may give praise unto the life of man had continually grown cheaper. thy holy name, and be made stedfast in thy From such horrid and blasphemous prece-commandments and perfect in thy law : dents of heathen legislators, as well as from hide not thyself from us in times like these, the unreasonableness and inefficacy of the but cause us to return unto thee, 0 our King! practice, many learned and pious men in and we shall return; renew the days as of Europe, like sir Henry Spelman, have ques- old, when thou broughtest thy people out of tioned the propriety and lawfulness of in- the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, flicting capital punishment for theft. The and talkest with them from heaven, and system of satisfactions proposed by sir Thomas gavedst them true statutes and judgments, in More, and the marquis de Beccaria, at the which all the nations of the earth shall be distance of more than two centuries, were blessed : restore thy righteous judges as at much nearer an obedience to the infallible the first, and thy wise counsellors as at the law of God, than the sanguinary statutes of beginning! any of the christian kingdoms are at this We shall not be contradicted in asserting, day. The pride and stubbornness of the that plunderers and thieves of all ranks, hearts of the kings, their ecclesiastics, and denominations, and ages, have been increased, sycophants, have continually despised the instead of diminished, by substituting heathen lawgiver, and blasphemed with Pharaoh, cruelties, in England, in place of the mercifal saying, Who is the Lord, that we should obey | punishment of God's appointment; even as his voice to let Israel go? We know not the the plagues were multiplied and came up into Lord, neither will we let Israel go. Thus the courts and chambers of Pharaoh and bis notwithstanding all the remonstrances, suf- counsellors, who were hardened to destrucferings, and protestations of honest and good tion. Nor have these sinful commutations nien for many ages past, and the false pre- of his judginents and statutes, these pre sumptuous perversions of the sure ways of ment, and redeemed them in wars from the the Almighty, who seeth the end of all mat- power of the sword. Yea, he has even exters at their first beginning, nor these mis-tended the covenant of his mercy and peace chiefs framed by laws, availed England in in this world, and accounted everlasting our days. God is just in all the rebellions, righteousness to well-disposed individuals plots, tumults, discontents, corruption, revolt and their families who like the harlot Rahab, of colonies, fires, dearness of provisions, have showed kindness to his people who lift factions, loss of trade, grievous taxes, felo- up and rejoice in his laws in the midst of the nies, murders, perjuries, evil counsellors nations. The secret of the Lord is continuabout the throne, and a general diminishing, ally with them that fear him even in our that are come upon the nation; for he hath days, as it was in the beginning, is now and dealt truly and we have done wickedly; our ever will be, there shall no evil befall them, king, our princes, our judges, our lawyers, our neither shall any plague come nigh their parliament, and our people, in despising the dwellings, for he shall give his angels charge counsel of the God in heaven above and upon over them, to keep them in all their ways. earth beneath, and trusting in the counsel of He will be with them in trouble, he will deman, whose breath is in his nostrils. Cease liver them, and honour them, his truth shall ye from man, for wherein is he to be ac- be their shield and buckler, they shall not be counted of? What is he, What is his life? afraid for the terror by night, nor for the pesWhat is his piety? What is his righteousness? tilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the What is his help? What is his strength, destruction that wasteth at noon-day; thouWhat is his power? What is his law? Be sands shall fall at their side, and ten thouhold the mighty men are as nothing before sands at their right hand, but it shall not God, and the most famous kings as if they come nigh them, only with their eyes shall were not and the wise men as if they had they behold and see the reward of the wicked, no knowledge and the intelligent as though the perverters of his judgments.-Except the void of understanding: for the greater part of Lord keep the kings, the governments, the their actions are emptiness, and the days of judges, the cities, the courts, and the chamtheir lives but vanity in his presence: the bers, the watchman waketh but in vain. nations also are reputed as nothing before him, and the isles as a very little thing. If we had committed capital crimes and were to be judged and executed according to If any atheists, infidels, or idolaters, should God's law, our souls would then be justly cut say that by abolishing all the heathen cruel-off from the face of the earth, from the bosom ties and practices remaining in the European of Abraham, and from the presence and parlaws, at this moment, and returning in faith don of God to all eternity; souls should not to the good old paths, the healing ways of the in that case answer for our souls; but let not most high God, that in the present ill-edu our blood fall to the earth before the face of cated and disobedient generations throughout the Lord for the pardonable trespasses of the kingdoms, the difficulties and perplexities thievery, for which the Saviour does not reof their respective governors would increase, quire our blood. O sovereign God! who and that the distresses and terrors of society sittest on the throne of compassion, grant us would be enlarged-We beg leave to answer the remission of our iniquities, causing them by reminding them, that in a former rebellion to pass away in their order. May our neigh(when the people forgot God their Saviour, bours judge not our lives to the cutting off which had done great things in Egypt, or to banishment, contrary to the law, lest and believed not his word, but murmured the just One judge their souls to the cutting against the law and altered it, that he lifted off, or to exile, agreeable to the promise; but up his hand against them also, to overthrow let them forgive us our trespasses of the law, them, to incorporate them with strange na-in love, fulfilling the law of trespass, as we tions their natural enemies, and to scatter shall forgive them their unlawful trespasses them in their lands, because they had joined against our lives and liberties, in the day of themselves to Baal-Perazin, the god of divi- our restitution and atonement in righteoussions and dissipation, and did eat the sacri- ness before the Lord, and in mutual forgivefices of the dead, and shed innocent blood ness and reconciliation as brethren. Be wise till the land was polluted with blood, and now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye provoked him to anger with their innovations judges of the earth. A true law hath the and inventions, till plagues broke in upon Almighty given to his people, by the hand of them); that even then, when Phinehas stood Moses his servant, the faithful in his house. up, like a new chief justice, in the midst of The Almighty will never change or alter his their calamities, and executed judgment with law. May he give grace and truth to our righteousness, all their plagues were stayed rulers, judges, and lawyers, to fulfil it towards immediately. In returning and confidence us in righteousness, and not to destroy it, they were saved. At other times too of otherwise they shall in no case enter into famine, sore sicknesses, earthquakes, sedi- the kingdom of heaven. May the kings of tions, privy conspiracy, assassins, and all the nations speedily become as patterns of troubles, God has delivered the lovers of his faith, life, and manners to their subjects, law from death, prisons, captivity, and banish-righteous before God, walking in all the com VOL. XXII. mandments and ordinances of the Lord, county of Surry, who received sentence of blameless; may they take heed to themselves transportation for seven years; that their hearts be not beguiled, and they An office copy of the record of the convicturn aside and serve other gods, and bow' tion of William Yardley, for felony in the down unto them, and the anger of the Lord county of Surrey, who received sentence of be kindled against them, and they perish, transportation for seven years. quickly. May they love the Lord our God To Mr. Richard Akerman. Was James with all their hearts, with all their souls, and Watts in your custody under that sentence ?with all their might, and diligently teach his He was: he was convicted in the December statutes and judgments unto their children, session. and remember all the commandments of the Was Francis Hardy likewise in your cusLord, and do them. May they consider it in tody?-He was. their hearts that the Lord he is the God and Was Hugh Macdonald in your custody?there is none beside him, and that he that : Ile was. speaketh evil of his brother, and judgetli hisi Were Charles King and Thomas Thompson brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth' in your custody ?-Yes. the law : but if thou judge the law, thou art Mr. Richard Akerman.-Cross-examined by not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is Lord George Gordon. one lawgivor who is able to save and to Had I the smallest connexion with those destroy; who art thou that judgest another? We again intreat your lordship to become prisoners that they have asked you about ? Not that I know of. our good intercessor with the king and the rulers, and to exert your strongest endeavours tions to any particular prisoners ? or did I di Had I any connexion in sending the petito save our lives and liberties, and to prevent rect them to you, to the two turnkeys, and our banishment to Botany-bay. So shall your petitioners ever pray for yolir got one of them; I read it, and desired they Mr. Villette, the ordinary of Newgate?-I lordship, &c. &c. &c. would not deliver any. Mr. Richard Akerman sworn.-Examined by Did you understand that I had the smallest Mir. Bearcroft. connexion with the prisoners? --I never heard I believe about the time of the publication debtors side, and had seen a debtor in the that you had. I heard you had been at the of this pamphlet that has been given in evi- lodge, but not to go into the prison. dence, it was a general talk that there was a How long was that before this time!--A design to transport persons under sentence to Botany-bay?-_There was. great while before. Mr. Joseph Roberts sworn.—Examined by Mr. Hall sworn.-Examined by Mr. Erskine. Mr. Bearcroft. You are the keeper of the New Gaol? Yes. Mr. Roberts, have you examined these co Had you John Christmas in your custody? pies with the original records at the proper -I had. office?-I have. Are they true copies ?- They are. Had you William Yardley in your custody? -I had. Mr. Bearcroft. These are office copies of the records of the conviction of several per- Mr. Hall.—Cross-examined by Lord George sons who were confined in Newgate and in Gordon. the New Gaol. We produce them to support Do you know me by sight?--I do not know the allegation in the information, that at the the gentleman. time of the publishing this libel there were You are the keeper of the New Gaol, are divers persons confined in divers gaols in this you?-Yes. kingdom under sentence of death or trans- Did lord George Gordon ever send any peportation. titions to you?-No. They were read by the Associate, and were, Did he send any to any of your prisoners ? -Not that I know of. An office copy of the record of the convic- Had he ever any connexion or intercourse tion of Jaines Watis and Francis Hardy, for a with either of the persons whose names you highway robbery in the county of Middlesex, have repeated now ? - Not that I know of. who both received sentence of death ; Were there any papers delivered at your An office copy of the record of the convic- gaol to stir up your prisoners to sedition ?-I tion of Hugh Macdonald, for shop-lifting in heard there were papers delivered at New. the county of Middlesex, who received sen-gate, but I did not hear of any being delivered tence of death; at my prison. An office copy of the record of the convic The end of the evidence for the Crown. tion of Charles King and Thomas Thompson, for a burglary in the city of London, who re Lord GEORGE GORDON. ceived sentence of death ; Gentlemen of the jury;—The reason of my * An office copy of the record of the convic- having turned my mind particularly to the tion of John Christmas, for felony in the laws of theft in this country, particularly |