ENGLISH NEWS TO THE 23rd JUNE.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1314, 29 September 1858, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS TO THE 23rd JUNE.

(From lite Melbourne' Argil's.)

By tlte Conflict we have received a copy of the 'Standard of the 2:srd June. The only matter of interest it contains is • the' report of the State Press trial, whicli, t we subjoin.

THE STATE PRESS PROSECUTIONS

Couht of Qitekn's 22. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Westminster, before Lord CainpHell and a Special' Jury.) The Quekn , v.'Titukr.ovE. This being the clay fixed for the 'trials of the indictments'.preferred against Edward.Truelove, the bookseller mid publisher iii the Strand, and against Stanislaus Tclior/.ewi>ki, bookseller, of 3!) Rupert street, Hayroarkct, for publishing "false, scandalous, and seditious libels concerning the Emperor of the French,, with the intent to incite divers persons to assassinate His Majesty," the comt was densely crowded, and the greatest interest and anxiety appeared to he manifested, to/hear the proceedings. The Attorney General, Mr. Macauley, Q.l'm Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Clarke, conducted the prosecution; Mr. Edwin James, Q. 0., Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Simon, and Miv-.Sleigh, were counsel: for the defendant, instructed by Mr. Levesou. . : i „ TiiU special jurymen huving < answered W their names, the Attorney General prayed a talcs, to which uo objection was.made by « 1C counsel for the'-defendant. The foreman ot the jury was Mr;'-Henry' Bruce, one of the director's of the Eastern Counties' JUi'way. The jury having been sworn', _. TII3 Attorney General rose' and siud— M»y it please your Lordship and gentlemen of me jury, I rejoice that I have to announce to you that yon "are not to be called 'upon to try tins indictment. This prosecution was UHlitulcu by the Attorney 'General •ngniust'thc (lelendant Truelove, by reason of the publication ° l a pamphlet containing certain passages, tending, as it was thought, io incite' evil inindeo men to the crime of assassination and muruxr. When 1 succeeded to the oiiice whibh 1 W B the honour to hold I feU'it to be my. duty w adopt the act of, my :learned, predecessor, aim to carry out this prosecution. I » elt " nj

... by ,, submitting this .case Iα a jury,iYf r I'lislii L'ci.i'le , '"*''' , ! " t - ui - ""dwiviun to .prove t«t the W'oi' England; which yon, sit hqre issist in adiiiiuisteiiiig for tin; people »l' Vniriaml, of whom "ydii form' ii pint, will never, dure the dissemination of doctiiiics,which 61 rht to be rejected and denounced with disa - "robatiu) iinii honor by every t'rtiu .patriot in Lrv country, and' by'every bojic* j; man through: uitho world)'and to endeav/itir also to prove dial tlit' SbVeViiiffii of the French Umpire, the firm and faithful ally., uf it KiiKland, is as well entitle to the protection, of'umr laws.^as, am English gentlcuun ..or .an English prince, [tut gcoilein*-'", I leaf" with- ffi'pjit.satisfaction f M :n my learnetl r fri«nil Mi. James,, the counsel, for the'defcifc'd, that W client,'''who, as'il'am' informed, 1 and-1 have no -reason "ai/ull to doubt jt is a respcctitlile-EiisflFsli tradesman, and, tlio' f-ithe , ofa ! la'rgo ■family," is' ready' to deny, in terms uiiqu'iililiuil'anil witlioi.it , reserve, that he e vcrintended or deshed,, directly or indirectly, tl) countenance or encourage ihe crime of assassination, liiid that he is ready to express his regiet l-hat.any such.construction. should bo put »» a ß y publication to which lie has -been a party. Gentlemen, I thiiil; that does him honor and credit. ; I understand my lcaniwl friend is ready toVflV. to yoiirLor.lsliip, to the jury. an d'to the country, an assurance likewise that the publication of this pamphlet has ceased, and will nu longer be sold by him. On these assurances, gentlemen, it only reinai us for me, to perform a duty, which I do p'crlbrin most freely and willingly,; viz.-,-.- that of at once assenting, on .the part..of (he.Crown, to your pronouuciiifj'a veidic't of not guilty. , ~- ■~. . ; Mr. James —I have not the luast hesitation in representing that;iuy client..disavow* on'his part—and.indeed.it,would have been the defence ivhieli lie would have taken if the o:ise had proceeded—that there was any intention, either by the writer of the pamphlet or by him, as the publisher, to incite to assassination. As far as he was concerned, as publisher of the pamphlet, be believed' it would be a disquisition on an abstract question, and he never did anyway sanction, or intend to sanction, anything u> incite or instigate assassination. Willi reference, my Lord, lo the other part of thu case, as to not publishing or selling any more of these books it is right to state, in the first in.sttim.-e, thiit when the matter waa represented lo myself and to my learned friends, Mr. Sergeant I'arrv acid Mr. Hawkins, the defendant Icared he would be surrendering some of the dearest and most valuable privileges of the I'ress if, believing the work to be'a mere disquisition and treatise on an abstract question, he entered into an engagement to publish no more; but we took upon ourselves i the responsibility of representing to him that-this pamphlet was probably liable ; to misconstruction, as it was - published at a time when afeeling of irritation existed' bet'weeii't« ; 6 great nations, between whoip every Viglii-iiiiiuled person trii'sU there will he bariribny and everlasting peace, and that if lie acUid' iiiidcr our advice not to publish or circulate any more of these pamphlets, he would not be Hiirreudeiing those privileges and that freedom of tlio Press which we so iniicli value, and which reflects so much honor on this country. Lord Campbell—Gentlemen of the Jury, you will have the sntislaction of'finding a verllb'i of not guilty, no evidence having ween o.'iViYM. Hail the trial proceeded, I should have-told vim that there was the iit<no.st liberty for coiirnent •on Ihe conduct, not only of ouroini <co;ernmeiit, but of the governnieuts of foreign nations, if it were made in goo'l fai(h. I should have told you that a piihlicaliou having a tei.dt-ucy to •incite to assassination ..i« a libel, anil that liie .publication of it is punishable .by the law of this ■Itingtfoin .'■ If you had come to the conclusion ibatthis publication, of which I will say nothing r.ow, had such a tendency, you would not have hesitated, I am sure, in doing your duty by r findiug a verdict of guilty. It would lie a reproach to the law of .'his or any other civilised 'countiy if publications inciting lo .assns«inntiou. ■could not be made the subject of a criminal .prosecution. The liberty of the Pvess required no such license. I have no doubt the Attornuy<Jeneralhasa«ted with perfect 'propriety in taking the course lie has done. I believe also that the learned gentleman Who'represents the defendant hiif iicted.with perfect propriety in the remarks •lie has made, and in entering intß an engageincut on the part of his client that this public* tion shall no longer be sold in any part of the 'United Kingdom. I will give iio opinion on •the pamphlet other than to say it is a publication which ought not any longer to be circulated. A verdict ef not guilty was then returned, and the jury rotwed. from the box.

By the arrival of -tlte Invincible, we are in Tccoipl of a copy of the Times of the 21 st June. Wolia-voiilss the London Standard, awl soino Liverpool papers of the same (lain. The captain of the Inducible stated thai his latest date?', were the 2-1 tli June, Inu tii.eve..was' no newspaper oil board of a more recent 'date than tiki 21st:' In the copynlHho "limn ve■cnvcil byonr.reporter , ttie.'figure 1 has been throughout altered to 4 by the peii. At lirsl glance the date heading the pages, as well as that above the leader,' appears l> he 21. The ■alteration is effected with great care ami ingciiiiity, but the deception is readily discernible when once the attention'has been called tv the ■discrepancy/between this pretended date ,of the, J'.'iper and the (lutes beading some of the ieiwmeil intelligence. ' " 'Hip brief interval of four days which bad 'emps.od siiice the departure, of the mail had «iot ■been marled hy any domestic'incidents of.((real interest. The Commission of Lunacy silting on Sir Henry Meux had found him of unsound mind, but'expressed iheir inability to determine at what time his insanity commenced, thus rendering! their inquiry ineffective fur any purpose but his present safe custody. In the House of Commons, Mr. Henry RerMey again inquired the intentions of'government with reference to the arrangements for the Australian Postal Service, but the reply amounted tv nothing beyond an observation en the necessity of proceeding , cnHtioiislv, and a promise that the service should , net'be intermptod. i:; ■", ' ';•' . The Bill for the ! abolition of the., property qualification of members of Parliament had Passed through its third readiuir iii the House of Lords. The principal topic which engaged,' the attention of Parliament 'during the.week preceding the departure of the Inducible was the government of India. After protracted discussions, the House arrived at a resolution, which tlio .Tir/ics .considers as tantamount to throwing question, to its (i.r.si stages. .Several lorrhal propositions were iidiipleii—sueli as the elective, constitution of the governing , body, and J ll c numbers'composing it; but every uiteinpi '» fix the House to any actual scheme of clue- ,".• W.loiled. The plan of dealing wit'i the subject by resolution was liliinmlely iiba.tidoiied 'ong hefovc the ininieroiis .nrobluuis. it involved wore exhausted, although a inoLion was carried Jl'at a Bill should he ij'iepaiud and iv Itfsed on, the pi mci pies already affirmed. Thus uoiio of the actual difficulties' of the case have

been disposed of, and the work of legislation .Has practically tu.be licgun agiiin. Akhou"li this result is a negative one.'thero appears t,,? lt . a lee.i!igo| satislaotioii that the resolutions have >e<m got rid of, and the moru ordinary ami legitimate mode of Parliamentary action'fallen back upon. ■

~,.The. new phase into which the American question had passed was decidedly promising to the chaiices .of a- continuance of- peaceful I Watio™ between England ,:and. ,the' States Ihe IJrftisli Governineut lnul tukeu a view o! , .the/points as'issiiD.sp. moderate, mid.of a nature so.NY.ill calculated tocanciliate Araoricaii sensitivene.M,that ! . : there eaii bo liltlo doubt 'the arrival of a report of the explanations'wliich took place in tlie House of Commons on the 18th June, in New Y u ,-k, would have the effect of soothing what irritation yet existed. A marked, chniige, however, bail already oitme'over 'the.spirit of the Press and the Senate of the United; States; which may be taken as , Signifi: cant of a corresponding chaiire in public tcm])er. '■ The Executive were no longer bein" urged on to the adoption of warlike measures, .except;.by a few excited fanatics. A proposal in the Senate to authorise them to issue letters of marque and reprisal was rejected by an almost-unanimous vote, and their own demand fora grant to enable them to build and equip ten vessels of war, was,scarcely more than half complied with. On the wnolo, public opinion in the, States appears to be becoming much more Healthy, and the result is undoubtedly to be attributed to the calm and moderate attitude which has assu.inpd throughout. The dispassionate tone'of the House of Commons'; the absence of all violence in tlio public discussions of the question; and the readiness of all parties to make such concessions as were demanded by equity, are circumstances that do ■ honor to the. national; character. It is understood that the "excesses of;,zeal," whicli Americans interpreted into " outrages," have been greatly exaggerated in the public ro- . ports.