son's house appears to have been the rendezvous of all these parties the meetings take place at his house-he is the person to whom the message from Glasgow is sent he is the person, in point of fact, at whose house all the consultations and deliberations of the preceding night take place, and which terminated in these nocturnal disorders and seizures to which I have alluded. It is somewhat surprising, if I may venture to judge of you by myself-I should think it surprising if ten or twelve traitors should come into my house and begin to make it the headquarters, the place in which they were to consult and deliberate in their treasons-that they should go out in the middle of the night, and return in the morning with arms that they should on the following day march out from my house, I being a loyal subject, with colours flying, armed as these men were armed Is that, I appeal to your knowledge of life I appeal to your understandings, whether a supposition of that sort is not so monstrous, so preposterous, as to be altogether unworthy of belief? Is it, I pray you, within the scope of human probability is it a thing which is likely to have happened? and I ask you what you would have thought of it? Would not you have sent for the civil power? would not you have reasoned with them, and have said, Why, on what ground of impudence and audacity have you dared to come here to make my house a den of thieves, when you know I am a loyal man? You know you are preparing for acts of treason and revenge; therefore go to your proper associates, men who are mixed with you in the enterprize. Would not that have been the language of loyalty? Was that the language of the prisoner at the bar? Was that the languagewould that have been the language of a loyal man? If it would, did Mr Wilson adopt it? was that his conduct or

his argument? If it was not, what then?as Mr Wilson, if a loyal man, would have adopted a line of conduct directly opposite to that; and that he would, no two men would differ in opinion; what is the legitimate and fair inference from a line of procedure like that adopted by this man?

That is not all; you have the evidence of several individuals who were in the house the night before-you have the evidence of several men; and I do not mean to throw imputations upon these men ; but I think, from the mode in which they gave their testimony from the shyness which some of them exhibited, that at least you have not got more than is true from them. I think they have not exaggerated or set down aught in malice against Wilson. You have it in evidence from Shearer, from Steele, and from several individuals who were in the house the night before, when these matters were discussed; and one man was obliged to run away, because he would not join them, to avoid being run through with a pike. I ask you, what Wilson thought then? It appears the house was filled with a congregation of individuals throughout the night. Five or six men were seen in the morning going in at his back-door, which is entered by a ladder from the church-yard, a place, therefore, of secret approach, still treating this house as the head-quarters, as the house of the individual to take the command of this expedition, or it was nothing at all. Then they march out. Does Wilson march out under force? does he march out manacled or guarded, as the other man Mr Farey was? How does he march out? I think if I have company at my house, and I am the last person, instead of marching out five or six yards after them, I may shut the door and say I do not like this; these fellows have forced me as far as this, but I do not like it. Would not you have done

it, or would you have gone at all? I think not. Why hide the sword in his hand? all of them say he had a sword; one man found the point sharp. "He had it here," he said; he only saw the handle; it is not likely the handle should be there and the rest at home; a sword may be as good with a wooden hilt as with a basket one, or any other. How did he march out? He marched out, it is agreed on all hands, and stated by the Glasgow hawker, Rownie; he admits he marched out the last in the rear; some say two or three yards, but uniformly they state Wilson was the last man of the detachment, and marched out with a sword in his hand in the manner I have stated. Is that marching out because I am compelled to march? What was the compulsion on his mind? where was it? we will come to it by and bye, and then you will see what a notable thing it was. But what is the evidence of Mrs Hamilton, upon whose veracity repeated attempts were made last night, without success? and my learn ed friend having recruited himself, again attacked it this morning, till he exhausted the subject; and then, in point of fact, he says, she is the sister of one of these men. What then? is there any imputation on her character or credit? You have that advantage which is a most valuable part of the constitution, of which you are a part, namely, of seeing the witnesses before you-of seeing their demeanour, and of having an opportunity of seeing whether the witnesses tell you the truth, and nothing but the truth, and the whole truth; you will have an opportunity of seeing and hearing what that woman said. You heard how she was cross-examined; was there an imputation attempted on her character? The poor woman had heard that an attempt was meditated upon her character, and she with that honest simplicity which belongs to truth and integrity, was in

duced to bring two certificates-is that an objection to her? Certainly not. But what attempt has been made to throw any imputation on that fe male? she had a brother implicated— where is the evidence of that? We have the gratuitous assertion of the other side, that she has a brother who has left the country. I take my learned friend's assertion for any thing out of Court, but for nothing in Court, What does that woman say to you, Gentlemen? and if you believe her evidence, (and that you can disbelieve it, I cannot entertain the slightest apprehension)-what does she say? She was in the house on the morning of this presumed force and restraint. She was there among a party of individuals congregated for this expedition-she saw several persons she did not know, and she did that which is natural to female curiosity, or any curiosity; she says, "Well, James, what! are you going upon this expedition ?" "Yes." Is that the language of force is not that, in point of fact, the language of a man who was standing there as the head of, I do not know what to call them, but incipient traitors-traitors they were at that time, because at that time, if they had ceased, in point of fact, at that moment, they were all traitors by the act of the preceding night. But was not he set there, and what does he say? The arms they got during the night were the subject of complaint by many of them-they complain of their arms; and what does this man say, who was averse to Treason, who was forced out? According to the other side, he said, I am glad of it; you ought not to have any armsarms! what, to subvert Government and the Constitution? No; "you may get arms in your progress-you may get two muskets at Scott's, one at Park-head, one at Hock, and at such a place you may get a gun at Mr Cooper's." They attempted to do that,

Now, I pray you again, ask your selves, turn yourselves into yourselves, and ask your own minds, whether a man who was about to be forced out on a subject of this sort would have used that language on the eve of their departure?

Well, what does he do?-He marches up the village along with these persons, still preserving his situation in the rear. Does he just see them out of the town? No; he is found at Kilbride, at a distance of eight miles, in the afternoon, and he goes to the house of a person carrying on the same trade, with whom he is acquainted. Now, I beseech you, attend to the language and conduct of this man at that time; and if you should be of opinion that the language and conduct of this man at that time shewed that he had been act ing under the influence of permanent and durable force from the time of leaving his house till that time, I ask you, in the name of all that is right, and honest, and honourable, to acquit him at once. He goes in; he says nothing. I throw no imputations on that man. I could make strong observations on him. I could make observations on the evidence of Thompson, which would affect, to a certain extent, his moral character; but I abstain from doing it. What did he say when he went in? Nothing at all. He asked for a pipe. The man sent out his daughter for a loaf, and then he went himself for tea. During this time did any conversation take place? None at all. We talked about stockings, and new-invented stockings, pantaloons, and breeches; but not a word about the party that passed, except that he asked after the sons of a man of the name of Fleming, where they were. Having got an answer to that, his curiosity was gratified, and he ceased all further interrogations. I do not know how it is, but if I had seen a party of that sort, and seen an old

friend belonging to it, I should have put some questions on the subject, but none were put. Now see how that stands; after he got his tea, Thompson set him up the lane, or along the road, for a certain space, about a mile, he said. In going out of the house, the prisoner at the bar said, "Now, mind, if I should be called to account for this, you can be a witness that I was upon business here." Now, if he stated to us all that took place before, the only business was smoking, eating a roll, and taking tea; there was no other business he went through. You cannot call the talking about this hose business, because he was there by accident. What did Thompson say in reply to that?" I can say that you were here," negativing his being there upon business. "If any thing happens whereby I should be called to an account, you will be a witness to prove that I was upon business here." "I can be a witness that you were here ;" and he certainly was as good as his word, because at least he proved yesterday that he was not there upon business. Now, Gentlemen, that was a species of dilemma in which my learned friend felt himself placed by that sort of evidence. He argued in this way; says he, these were friends and acquaintances and neighbours, he did not like to say a word about it; and it was very unnatural that he should. Mark what he said to that hawker; "Why, James, this is a bad business." "Ah," says he, " it is; but I will get away as fast as I can." He did not say a word of that at Thompson's. Why did he turn off at Thompson's, if that was not the first opportunity for him to escape, because they had encountered people ontheroad? It was as clear as the sun at noon-day, when they arrived at Kilbride, that their expectations at Glasgow were at an end that the foundation of that pinnacle of glory which they anticipated was sapped and taken from under

them, and therefore it was wise for them to take the hint and march off. What is that all to prove but the intention with which he went out? You have it in evidence, that he had a sword, which he sharpened by cutting the point a day or two days before; and you have, moreover, that this man's feelings and principles were of that loyal nature and description which the other side would have you believe. What is the case of Mrs Hamilton the night before, when she said, "You are an old reformer?" What do you say to these things?-That was Mon. day night she was alluding to. Was it the first time this had been broached in mind or contemplation? What do you, an old reformer, say to these things? What did he say?" Why," says he, "I hope they will win it." Win what? When you talk of winning, you play for something; there must be some stake. When I talk of a contest, there must be some contest or emulation, or it would be idle. "Where so many lives will be lost."— What does he say?" They cannot be lost in a better cause." That was the cause which they expected to win. Then it was a cause in which he thought life and death might be at issue; in which he thought there was to be a warlike competition-a warlike force; something which might entail upon the parties certain death and destruction. That, Gentlemen, is the evidence on the part of the Crown; and I ask you, whether, as it stands, you can have any doubt, with respect, in point of fact, to all these circumstances necessary to constitute this of fence on the part of the prisoner at the bar?

The learned counsel then proceeded to shew the nugatory nature of the evidence which had been produced for the defence, and finally called for such a verdict as the judgment and consciences of the Jury might dictate.

The Lord President summed up the evidence very fully, making observations as he went along.

The Jury retired for two hours, after which they brought in a verdict of Guilty on the fourth count of the indictment, but recommended him to the clemency of the crown.

The Lord President undertook to transmit the recommendation, which was not, however, acted upon. The executive, judging it necessary that an example should be made, caused the sentence to be put in execution against Wilson.

July 24, 1820.

William McIntyre, Alex. Graham, John May, Matthew Bogle, William Campbell and George Allan, were put to the bar; but the Lord Advocate stated that, although he had evidence against them, yet as it did not appear that they were ringleaders, or proper objects to make examples of, he did not mean to produce any. Alexander Graham had previously given in the plea of Guilty; but it was not accepted of.

DUMBARTON, July 26.

The Court, consisting of the Lord President, Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Chief Baron, Lord Pitmilly, met here, and proceeded to the trial of Robert Monroe, cotton-spinner at Dumbarton. The charge against this man was, for having assisted at the manufacture of arms, with a view to their being employed against the King. The trial lasted two days, and in the end the Jury found a verdict of Not guilty. Mr J. P. Grant conducted the defence. Upon the verdict being read, the audience behaved rather indecorously, in expressing their satisfaction, and one person, who rendered himself con

The Court sat here to try the prisoners accused of stopping the cottonworks at Johnston and its neighbourhood, on the 3d of April last, when John Speirs, a leader on that occasion, was put to the bar. After a trial of nearly forty hours, the Jury found the prisoner guilty of striking work himself, and of compelling and persuading others to do so; but the Court inform ed them, that, as this only amounted to a misdemeanour, the verdict could not be received on a trial for High Treason. The Jury were afterwards enclosed three different times, and returned amended verdicts; their last was Not guilty. The prisoner was then dismissed from the bar. John Lang was then brought to the bar, but the Lord Advocate declined to bring witnesses against him, and he was also discharged.

AYR, September 9.

The business of the Special Commission was concluded here this day, when Thomas Mackay, one of the prisoners, retracted his former plea and pleaded Guilty. The Lord Advocate, considering that the ends of justice would be sufficiently answered by the convictions which had already taken place, declined proceeding against the remaining three prisoners, and they were accordingly discharged. Mr J. P. Grant acted as counsel for the prisoners, both here and at Paisley and Stirling.

After the business of the Court was concluded, the Lord Advocate rose and expressed his satisfaction that the Commission was now ended, except in so far as it related to those who had escaped the hand of justice.-Bills had been found against no less than 98 individuals; of these 51, the principal ringleaders, had escaped apprehension, and of them he would say, that if they ever presumed again to shew their heads, trusting to the conclusion of the Commission, they would be miserably disappointed, as the proceeding against such as had fled would be removed into the Court of Justiciary, for the purpose of obtaining an outlawry against them, which, in the case of treason, was tantamount to a verdict of Guilty. There had been only two acquitted after trial, and although he did not wish or intend to call in question any verdict of a Jury, he must say that there was much doubt as to how far one of these acquittals was founded on sound principles of law; and a certain distinguished individual, who composed one of that Jury, had expressed sentiments somewhat similar. Of those who remained, there were 24 on whom capital sentences were pronounced, and he was much afraid that, out of that number, some examples must of necessity be made. The remaining 21 were acquitted without trial. The Learned Gentleman hoped that the manner in which he had treated the different prisoners would give satisfaction; and he did not doubt that much good would be derived to the country from the late trials, as the picture which had been exhibited to them of the pure justice administered in this land must have the effect of rendering them more loyal, by giving them a higher idea of the excellence of the Constitution. Still, however, the country would require to be looked after, and for this salutary superintendence he would trust to the vigilance of the Magistracy.