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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
. $ fr . - -Wright * + —\ was summo-ijed for a particular purpose , whiraKl MaitA attended to , and am not bound to attend to any other business . r-i < Mr . < &iatham . —* Sir , this is an information upon which you will now be taken into custody . You are charged * 5 frth > bJaspherny .
. ., He th ^ h rea d an information on the evidence of James Scott ( the identical pjgrson Mr . Wright had just stated his intention to prosecute for disorderly conduct ) — which , being duly sworn
to , charged Mr . Wright with having expressed and conveyed to his hearers the idea , iC that a belief in the doctrine of the holy Trinity was absurd and ridiculous- —that it was folly to believe in what was called the atonement of
the death of Jesus Christ , as it was impious to suppose that a good being would take air innocent victim to atone for the sins of the wicked- ^—that as the idea of the soul surviving the body was an absurd and ridiculous mental
delusion , that the idea of a future state was equally so . " Mr . Stathavn " then informed Mr . Wright that his proceedings had been watched ; that the mayor had sent persons for the purpose to the JLong Room , every evening , since he bad advertised his meetings in the Liverpool Mercury of the 28 th March ;
and that it was at the mayor ' s instance that the informer on this charge ( Scott ) badjnow attended to give evidence . : .. Mr : W W , right . — -hy , Sir , the sentirfreats- / delivered I had a legal right to deliver , by act of parliament , and the last charge is an entire falsehood , and contrary to all my sentiments .
Mr :. Statham * —That you must shew irir an other place . You must give bail far y&ur appearance at the next Assizes , at Lancaster ; yourself in j £ 2 O 0 , and two sureties in ^ 100 each . ( Mr . Wright was then placed in ' ¦ custody ot tbe constables , and put to the bar as a fwisoner . )
MrJJFright .- *~ 3 ut 7 Sir , I must know under What law I atti charged with Ihisi , JW *\ StathaTYi *— -Under no particular acrobat under the law of the land . Mr . /^^/ . ^ -Undertrhat law of the land ?
AJry Statham . —Under the common law * u .: «••• Mp . Wright * —Under what common law ?—Have you never seen the act of parliament , J a tely passed , which tolerates , the exercise of religious opinions ,
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w h ich * vere be fore not pe rm i t ted ?—To this . jio answer was given . Mr . Wright . —But if I be arrested * and held to bail , contrary to the provisions of an act of parliament , can I not claim indemnity ? Mr . SLatham . —You can adopt what steps you think proper . -
Two respectable friends of Mr . w . who happened then to be in the court merely as spectators , offered themselves as the required bail . — One of them ( Mr . F . B . Wright ) , in describing his residence , stated , that it was near Anne ' s Church . The mayor and Mr . Statham instantly asked was it not Saint Anne ' s Church ? Mr . F . B . W .
said he had spoken of it in the usual way , and had casually omitted the ward saint . He did not know of such a saint in Scripture , nor did he believe such an omission was criminal . Mr . Statham said , " Sir , I suspect you purposel y omitted the . word . " Mp . F . B . W . here claimed the * proAectirm of the court . *
Mr . Wright . — I have now , M * . Mayor , offered ray biil , and of eourse claim my liberation . ^ Mr . Statham . —You must give twe&w ty-four hours notice of your baii , and
inquiries must be made into its ' sufficiency . Bail is nrtt a matter of-courses You may be kept in custod y a week * Sir , for aught you know .
Mr . Wright . —I am certain , Sir , that if a short time were allowed , so t&at this business could be made known out of doors , I should have bail offered which the mayor must know would be sufficient .
PI ere another friend of Mr . Wright stepped forward and said , " Air . Mayor , if only a Jew minutes be allowed befbrft you leave ( he Hall , I am sure I Cdft produce for Mr . Wright the most respectable bail to any amountS
Time was allowed . Mr . Wright was removed in custody to the jury room , having objected to be sent down amongst persons charged with crime i and , in about fifteen minutes , Mr . Wright ' s friend returned with two gentlemen , whose surety was not a
moment objected to . Mr . Statharj ? asked them if they were acquainted with the nature of the charges agairt ^ t Mr- Wright ; He then reati the infold mation . One of the gentlemen tty marked , that with Mr . Wri g ht ' s ^ ret fc gious creed he was not acquainted , but on his integrity he would vehtufd hi *
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Intelligence ^ — Extraordinary ^ Proceedings at Liverpool . & $ &
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1817, page 245, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2463/page/53/
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