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    v ; ¦ ¦ • .. ¦ ¦ . ' ; . •!.-•.; ¦• . : ¦ i < ' ' .; • ¦ ¦ ¦*'!" 1 .• ' ¦ ; ¦ . -, ' . i ¦ . ' . ¦ ¦ . ¦ \ ' .. ' , ¦¦ ' - . '- .. '' I ' ' • ; ¦ . ' M , , ¦ < ¦ : ¦ •• . ' ( . ¦- . •¦ ¦ . ¦ ^ ' ¦ • ' . - ¦ • ¦ ¦ ¦ - . ' ¦OR p • : . ¦ ^ ¦• ., ¦ • •. ¦ : - -Ji .. . " ' ' ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' . : .., (v ¦ .. ' . - . .. The 'Christian's Survew of the Political World. ¦¦ OS ^r « ,

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    V ; ¦ ¦ • .. ¦ ¦ . ' ; . •!.-•.; ¦• . : ¦ I ≪ ' ' .; • ¦ ¦ ¦*'!" 1 .• ' ¦ ; ¦ . -, ' . I ¦ . ' . ¦ ¦ . ¦ \ ' .. ' , ¦¦ ' - . '- .. '' I ' ' • ; ¦ . ' M , , ¦ ≪ ¦ : ¦ •• . ' ( . ¦- . •¦ ¦ . ¦ ^ ' ¦ • ' . - ¦ • ¦ ¦ ¦ - . ' ¦Or P • : . ¦ ^ ¦• ., ¦ • •. ¦ : - -Ji .. . " ' ' ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' . : .., (V ¦ .. ' . - . .. The 'Christian's Survew Of The Political World. ¦¦ Os ^R « ,

    v ; ¦ ¦ .. ¦ ¦ . ' ; . •! .- . ; ¦• . : ¦ i < ' ' . ; ¦ ¦ ¦* ' ! " 1 . ' ¦ ; ¦ . -, ' . i ¦ . ' . ¦ ¦ . ¦ \ ' .. ' , ¦¦ ' - . ' - .. '' I ' ' ; ¦ . ' M , , ¦ < ¦ : ¦ . ' ( . ¦ - . •¦ ¦ . ¦ ^ ' ¦ ' . - ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - . ' ¦ OR p : . ¦ ^ ¦• ., ¦ • . ¦ : - -Ji .. . " ' ' ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' . : .., ( v ¦ . . ' . - . .. The ' Christian ' s Survew of the Political World . ¦¦ OS ^ r « ,

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    SEVER A L occurrences have taken place since our last report of a very important nature , such as indicate in a strong- manner the feelings of the country on the situation in which it has been placed by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act , and the apprehended danger from attempts to

    destroy the ~ liberty of the Press . A very extraordinary proceeding in the courts of justice was attended with as extraordinary a result . A poor man had b en taken up on an ex affzcid information from the Attorney-Ge'heral early i" the last year , confined for some time in the Ring ' s Bench prison , and

    liberated-With the prospect , though doubtful , of being- brought t <> trial . In consequence of his confinement in prison he fcaii made applications to the court for ' release , to Which no other attention was paid than to order his rfctiirn to it ; and it is probable that the appearance of the poor man in

    court , who was at thatt me suffering * much under illness , had given the Attorney-General no idea of the powers , which he afterwards displayed , but ¦ ( i > n the contrary , led hinfi to expect an easy victory over so weak an antagonist After the lapse of a considerable time , the poor man was summoned

    to appear to answer tbe charges of libel , for three publications , being parodies on part of the Liturgy or Common Prayer Book , sanctioned by act of ' parliament . The parts thus parodied were the Catechism , the Litany , and the Creed , Vulgarly called the Creed of St Athanasius , a creed which

    is represented by a Correspondent in a former volume of this work , to have been eonaposed in" the fifth or sixth century , as a jen '< T esprit ^ by an unbeliever in those days , to turn Into ridicule the doctrines , about which the pretended Christians were quarrelling so much with each other .

    Before the trials , a person who had published these ' parodies ,-had been brought np for judgment in the Court of King ' s Bench , and been condemned to a fine and impiicomment ; and thus the opinion of the court was manifest , before the poor man , the original publisher of the parodies , was brought to trial . In this state of things the trials

    commenced The Attorney-General laid down the heinousness of the offence in parodying sacred things , and had bio doubt th&t the jury would'see the subject in the same light he did . He was not a little Astonished , however , at the quantity of h& ® ku with which the table of the court was cohered by the defendant , no * ba . d lie

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    the least idea of the defence to be made . The defendant pleaded his own causey and in sucli at manner as no eouiiselidr cbuM have done it for him . He entered boldly , fully and firmly Into an examination of the charge , stated plainly what his parodies were , namely , political squibs , of the same nature as those used by the Right Hod . Oeorg-e Canning " , and for a similar

    purpose , and without the least intention of bringing * any part of the Common Prayer Book into contempt . In the course of his defence he introduced parodies of all kinds , from the time of Luther td the present day , shewing that there was not the least idea of ridiuuling * the thing parodied , as it was used only as a vehicle to strike more forcibly the imagination . To give a detail of the defence would exceed tlie limits allotted

    to this'Snrvey t > tit-H is understood , tlhatthe defendant will publish Ms trials with all the parodies and engravings from tbe prints and caricature ^ which were exhibited on this occasion . A lively interest was ex-< jited by his remarks on the parodies written by Mr . Canning , whose conduct to < wards his adversaries is so well knowa

    to the public , and the bitterness of whose sarcasms has been scarcely exceeded by any political writer in any age of the world © Each trial occupied a whole day ; the court was crowded , and at tbe close of it some thousands of people were col lected i n Guild * hall to hear the result . The judge on each day solemnly declared it to be his opinion .

    that the publication on trial was a libel , and the jury upon oath more solemnly controverted that opinion , by declaring the defendant to be not guilty . This verdict was received with unbounded applause by the audience ; the shouts were re-echoed

    by the multitudes in Guildhall ; the news rapidly spread through the whole town and tlie kingdom at large , kept in anxious suspence during * the three days , joined with very few exceptions in a cordial approbation of the v erdict .

    Soon after tlie trial , a number of gentlemen met together to consider the sufferings of the defendant , and themaniy defence he had made . It was agreed * hat > a subscription should l > e immediately entered into ,

    which was favourably recftt ved by the public . In a short time , several noblemen of the first consequence sent their drafts for a hundred pounds ^ and a diuting-uished nohlemonj' then In bed from * a dangerous i ! lnf * t »« sent his draft for a hundred guineas .

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    ; 77 )

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1818, page 77, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2472/page/77/