Transcription
Trials, &c. A Full and Very Particular account of the Trials of the different Persons who stood their Trials before the Special Commission, which opened at Paisley, on Tuesday the 1st of August, 1820. The Lords Commissioners appointed by the Special Com- mission of Oyer and Terminer, for Trying all Treasons and Misprisions of Treasons, committed within the counties of Stir- ling, Lanark, Dumbarton Renfrew, and Ayr, opened their proceedings here on Tuesday morning. The following were the Lords .Commissioners.?The Lord President of the Court of Session, the Lord Justice Clerk, the Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, the Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Court, and Lord Pitmilly. John Hulleck, Esq. Serjeant at Law, assisted at the trials, and Mr. Thomas George Knapp, Clerk in the Arraigns of the Home Circuit in England, acted as Clerk to the Commissioners. On the part of the Crown the Counsel were the Lord Adve- cate, the Solisitor-General, Mr. Hullock, Mr. H. H. Drum- mond, and Mr. Hope, the Lord Advocate's Deputes, Mr. Men- zies, Mr. Knapp?and Mr. James Arnot, W. S.Agent.On the opposite slde of the table sat, Mr. J. A. Murray, Mr. Gra- ham. Mr. Monteith, Mr. Pyper, Mr. Cullen, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Sandford, Advocates; and Mr. Harmer, the English Bar- rister, who, we believe, conducted the trials which lately took place at Manchester.?Agent, Mr. Fleming. The Court met for business in George Street Church, and was opened about nine o'clock, and in a few min- utes was crowded with people, who engerly pushed into the Court Hall for the purpose of hearing the trials. The Lord President addressed the Court; after which JAMES SPIERS, weaver, in Johstone, and ROBERT LANG, weaver, Kilbarchan, were brought into Court. The pri- soners were brought from the Jail to the Church in a coach, escorted by a party of Hussars, and entered under a charge of two Police Officers. SPIERS was first put to the bar. The Clerk of the Crown then read over the list of the petit Jury, which consisted of the following Gentlemen:? Sir M. Shaw Stewart, of Greenock and Blackhall, Bart. Foreman, Alan Ker, of Greenock, merchant, John M'Naught, of Glen Park, near Greenock, Robert Hunter, of,Kirk Street, Gteenock, James Coats, of Paisley, manufacturer, Matthew Roger, of Ropland, Alexander Lelper, of Paisley, merchant, Gavin Browning, of Paisley, merchant, David Trail, of Paisley, dyer, John Gibson, of Paisley, cotton yarn merchant, Thomas Wright, of Paisley, perfumer, James Wilson, of Palsley, silk merchant. The indictment having been read over, charging him with being chosen and acted as a member of a committee who com- manded a mob which went and stopped the cotton works at Johnston and neighbourhood, on the 3d of April. To this in- dictment Spiers pleaded Not Guilty. As Robert Lang was summoned as an evidence against the prisoner, Mr, Grant objected to his being in Court, and he was tahen out of Court. John Frazer, who had been confined four months on a similar charge to that of the prisoner, gave evi- dence on the part of the Crown and was set at liberty. The evidence on the part of the Crown closed at half-past twelve O'clock, and the Court adjourned till next morning. WEDNESDAY.?Eleven witnesses were examined on be- haif of the prisoner; and their evidence went generally to show that Spiers, although present at the meeting on the School- green at Kilbarchan, on the 3d April last, took no particular charge of the business, neither did he make a speech, &c. Mr. J. P. Grant; the Lord Advocate, and the Lord Justice Clerk, severally delivered their opinions on the case at great length. The Jury retired about a quarter before four o'clock in the morning, and at half past five came into Court with a verdict, finding him Guilty on the 15th over-act of the first count, but this not being considered the regular mode of re- tnrning the finding, they were ordered to retire and return a special verdict, but they twice returned into Court with the same verdict. They were then addressed by the Lord Chief Baron, and they retired for the fourth lime; but immediately returned with a verdict of Not Guilty, and the audience in gene- ral commenced cheering. The huzzaing commenced by the crowd out of doors the moment the cheering commenced in the Church, and the Sheriff was ordered to go out and take means to preserve the peace. The Lord Justice Clerk, in an impressive speech, dismissed him from the bar.-Spiers served several years as lance-serjeant of the 26th Regiment of Foot, but left the service owing to a pain in his breast. JOHN LANG was then put to the bar?the Jury found him, Not Guilty, and after a suitable admonition from the Lord Justice Clerk, he was dismissed from the bar; and the Court adjourned till the 1st of December. An immense crowd surrounded Mr. Grant and Mr. Sandford on their leaving the Court, and accompanied them to their lod- gings. The multitude, amounted to about 10,000 The Court meats at Stirling to-morrow (Friday) August 4. GLASGOW, PRINTED BY JOHN MUIR.
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1820 shelfmark: L.C.Fol.73(011)
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