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TRIAL OF THOMAS JEFFERIES,

For publishing Paine's "Age of Reason," before Newman Knowlys, the Recorder, and a common Jury, being the same which gave the verdict of" Guilty," against William Campion, at the Old Bailey, New Court, June 8.

Mr. Baruard opened the pleadings, and Mr. Bolland stated the case.

The publication was proved, and the defendant's Counsel (Mr. French) was going to cross examine the witness; but the defendant, from the bar, told him he did not wish to have him asked any questions as he was willing to admit the publication.

The case here closed for the prosecution.

Mr. French then rose to address the Jury on behalf of the defendant, he said, that it was only within the last few hours he received a brief, or the least instruction to act for the defendant-he was afraid too late to answer his expectations; and in considering the critical situation in which his unfortunate client stood, he deeply regretted that his notice had been so short, being thereby prevented from giving the case that solemu attention and deep study which its great importance required: he should, however under all those disadvantages, say a few words for his client. God forbid that he should, in his professional character, stand by and allow the liberty of the subject to be trifled with. He described the defendant as a young man whose principles had been early subverted by his becoming associated with Unitarians. He entered one of their schools, and sucked in the poison which had eradicated that belief which he formerly had in the Divinity of Christ. There was a time when this was truly a Christian country; but now the laws were altered, and the denial of the divinity of Christ was permitted in the Unitarian Chapels, and many were there now holding high rauk in the Bar and in the Senate— aye, and in the Church too, who denied the Trinity. Why were not the rich-the affluent attacked for propagating anti-Christian doctrines? The Unitarian was the real blasphemer, and yet he escaped prosecution. What was there, as the law now stood, he asked, to prevent a Jury of twelve Unitarians from trying the defendant?-Nothing. What

was the state of the law, when twelve Blasphemers could be put in that box to try one Blasphemer? Was it not well known that, by the present laws of the countryand he defied the Learned Judge on the Bench to deny ittwelve Unitarians (he might say twelve blasphemers) could sit in that box and try another blasphemer-even try the very person at the bar, who had been when young seduced from religion, and made to imbibe their own vile doctrines? It was to this that might be attributed the situation in which his client now stood, he having learned at their place of worship to consider Christ but a man, and not a God. Was this not blasphemy-the grossest of blasphemy? And still they were not prosecuted, but tolerated. He knew there were men of great eminence at the bar who professed these doctrines, and were Unitarians.--Nay, there were men in the very seat of Government, who professed them. Why were they not prosecuted? was it because one man was poor and the other rich and high in station, that he was to be screened? Was this justice? Nothing but respect to the learned Judge on the Bench, and not through any delicacy towards them, that made him refrain from giving their names. There were the blasphemous writings of ' Lord Byron, which were accompanied with all the blandishments that his fine genius could bestow; these works were spread widely throughout the kingdom; but still neither the Noble Lord, in his life time, nor the publishers of his works, were ever prosecuted, so that the title of Noble Lord carried with it its own protection; but the poor ignorant man, who had been misled by one set of blasphemers, is brought to the bar to stand his trial for blasphemy. He would ask, were there ever a rich man, or a man in power, brought to the bar of the Old Bailey for blasphemy? He would say that those men in power, who professed the doctrines of the Unitarians, deserved to be brought to that bar for blasphemy, as well as the poor man who then stood at it. Why was the poor unprotected defendant laid hold of by the Solicitor of the Treasury, Mr. Maule, and men of influence in the country, suffered to blaspheme with impunity without any attempt being made to bring them to trial? For his part, he thought it was a mockery of justice to pick out a poor fellow like the defendant, when higher game presented itself to the view of the prosecutors. Why did not the prosecutors go into the Unitarian Chapels, where they might hear the arch blasphemers declaiming against the Christian religion, though they called themselves Christian ministers: which hypocrisy was

as disgusting as the opinions they held? The law had been changed in this country, for it was well known there was a time in England when no one would have dared to openly deny the divinity of Christ. The law had, as he had said, been altered, and instead of Christianity being now generally believed throughout the land, it was permitted to be openly promulgated that Christ was not God. The propagators of this doctrine, which had eradicated from the mind of the defendant at the bar, his belief in the divinity of Christ, were the insidious Unitarians, and so long as the law tolerated Unitarianism, it was scandalous and unjust for men like his client to be prosecuted for promulgating their opinions. He called upon the Jury, who as Christians, would think it very intolerant if they should be assailed by any power, and punished, for giving currency to their opinions, not to do that to others which they would not like to be done unto themselves. The Christian Religion was founded on too firm a basis to require prosecution to uphold it, and he trusted the Jury would not sanction the proceedings against the defendant, but with true Christian feelings say, we will not persecute our brother; if his opinious are erroneous he is answerable to his Creator, we will, therefore, pronounce him Not Guilty.

The Recorder summed up, as in the former case, and the Jury found the defendant Guilty. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, and to find sureties to keep the peace for life, in the sum of one hundred pounds, and to be confined till the recognizance was entered into.

The Recorder told the defendant that a second offence rendered him liable to the forfeiture of the recognizance, which would become a debt to the crown, and he would be subject to banishment; and if he returned to this country before the term expired, he would be subject to transportation for fourteen years.

John Christopher then pleaded to three different indict

ments.

Mr. Phillips, for the defendant, said that he should claim. a new Jury, as the present one had already given an opinion upon the work for which the defendant stood indicted.

The Recorder did not see the force of the objection; the publication would have to be proved, and the Jury were bound to receive the law from him.

Mr. Phillips claimed a fresh Jury as a matter of right.

Recorder: Do the officers of the crown accede to your application?

Mr. Bolland said they did not object to it.

Mr. Phillips then went to his client, and conversed with him for some time; and then informed the Court that the defendant wished to withdraw his plea of Not Guilty, and plead Guilty to the indictment against him.

Recorder: Do the officers of the Crown object to that course?

Mr. Bolland: No, my Lord.

The defendant then pleaded Guilty, and the Court said he had acted wisely, and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment on each indictment, and to find sureties in the sum of £ 100., to keep the peace for the term of his natural life.

NOTE ON JOHN CHRISTOPHER'S PLEA OF "GUILTY," BY R. CARLILE.

It was a matter of regret to me, that any one should have voluntarily entered my shop with a certainty of prosecution, and then have gone into Court to plead Guilty. I was surprised on hearing it; though neither of the men who did so had ever read any of my publications before they entered the shop; and, consequently, they must have entered under some other impressions than those which have actuated every other man who has hitherto connected himself with me. Michael John O'Connor, the reputed thief, was one of them; and I verily think, that he was sent to the shop by the enemy, with a hope of disgracing us. His whole conduct warrants the conclusion. It was he who seduced Hassell to sell the Age of Reason to the Police Officer; for Hassel's instructions from me were to reserve himself, until I could get some steady hand in the directing part of the business, or until we had a supply of country friends ready to come forward. He was altogether seduced into the sale of the book, as he had refused many applications of the kind on two former days. As soon as O'Connor got to the Compter, he said, that he would see Carlile damned before he would suffer two year's imprisonment for him, and immediately stated his determination to recant, as he called it; saying, that Humphreys, the Solicitor to the fraternity of thieves in London, had assured him, that he would be let off on his own recognizances, if he would so recant. The fellow was

cunning enough to try how this recanting scheme would act upon me, by saying, that he would go back to the shop instantly, and, by his experience, baffle all further efforts to arrest him. I answered him, that he must give me a very good account of himself, before I should recognize him as a friend of mine, or a fellow advocate of my principles. This baffled the gentleman. He accounted for the charge of theft, by saying that he was employed to keep the accounts of a Mrs. Acocks in Newgate Street: that, on taking some money for her, he lost a sovereign, and, by the aid of pawning his watch, could not make it up by two shillings; and that, because he could not so make it up, Mrs. Acocks gave him in charge, but never appeared at the Justice room to support it. He states himself to have lately returned from the East Indies with General Rumley; to have married; to have a wife and mother to maintain; and only to be nineteen years of age! I was glad to see Mr. Wontner, the Newgate Keeper, come forward to speak of O'Connor's religious demeanour in chapel, for the men who are with him, one and all, say, that he is a disagreeable blackguard, full of every thing foul, and altogether a disgrace to them. The manner in which be first pleaded guilty to all his indictments, then guilty to one, and not guilty to another, and then acquitted, is a clear proof to me, that he has been either an agent or tampered with since his confinement by the prosecutors. They may set him at large; for not a farthing more shall he get through me, as subscription money or any other kiud of support. I am sorry that I was so mis-informed, as to connect William Haley with him as an associate. I have been corrected, and now state as a correction, that Haley had no previous knowledge of him, before meeting him in the shop. O'Connor was suspected, and positively refused employment, nor did he ever stand behind the counter. Haley is a young man of superior abilities, and promises to consolidate them to some good purpose before he leaves Newgate.

The other, who pleaded Guilty, John Christopher, was seduced into it by an Attorney, and Barrister Charles Phillips. A certain Attorney, I scarcely know whether I ought or ought not to give his name, introduced himself to Campion on his arrest, as being deputed by a party of gentlemen in the city, to offer him counsel at their expence, if he would accept it. Campion thankfully declined the offer. The attorney, however, continued to interest himself in the subsequent arrests, and promised John Christopher, that he would write a defence for him, by the Saturday before the trials

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