Mr. Justice Heath. You act very properly, Mr. Law. Mr. Justice Heath. Let him be committed; and I hope, Mr. Walker, that this will be an admonition to you, to keep better company in future. Mr. Walker. I have been in no bad company, my Lord,. except in that of the wretch who stands behind me; nor is there a word or an action of my life, in which the public are at all interested, that I wish unsaid, or undone, or that under similar circumstances I would not repeat. Mr. Justice Heath. You have been HONOURABLY ACQUITTED, Sir, and the witness against you is committed for PERJURY. Immediately after the above verdict was given, the same jury was again impannelled, and sworn to try Mr. WALKER upon the separate indictment, charging him with damning the King, and saying, he would as soon take his head off, as tear a bit of paper. Thomas Dunn, the only evidence for the CROWN on this indictment, having been committed for PERJURY, the Jury instantly returned their verdict, NOT GUILTY. Mr. Walker had the most incontrovertible evidence to prove, he was in London at the time Dunn swore that the words laid in this indictment, were spoken by Mr. Walker in Manchester. The jury were again impannelled and sworn to try JAMES CHEETHAM, upon the separate indictment against him, for damning the King, and wishing he was guillotined, but the witness for the CROWN, Mr. Dunn, having been committed for perjury, the jury IMMEDIATELY found the defendant NOT GUILTY. P Upon 1 Upon Saturday, the 5th of April 1794, a Bill of Indictment was preferred against THOMAS DUNN, for PERJURY; and found by the Grand Jury, of which the following is a List. THOMAS BUTTERWORTH BAYLEY, Esq. of Hope, Foreman. NICHOLAS ASHTON, Esq. of Woolton. WILLIAM ASSHETON, Esq. of Cuerdale-Lodge. EDWARD BUCKLEY, Esq. of Lancaster. DANIEL BAYLEY, Esq. of Hope. JOSEPH BROOKES, Esq. of Everton. JOHN WALMESLEY, Esq. of Preston. JAMES WHALLEY, Esq. of Clark-Hill. APPENDIX. APPENDIX, Sir, No. I. Copy of Mr. Walker's first Letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas. Bate's Hotel, 17 June, 1793. I have been for some time absent from home, on account of business which has required my presence in London, I find by my letters of last Saturday, (the contents of which are still more strongly confirmed by those of to-day) that a report has been industriously circulated in Manchester of a charge of HIGH TREASON, made against me, before the magistrates of that town, I am extremely sorry to occupy your time with the frivolous rumours that idle and ignorant, or bigotted and malevolent people may amuse themselves with propagating at the expence of my character. But the report above mentioned is in itself so serious, and has been the topic of so much conversation at Manchester, that I think it right, in justice to myself, and to obviate any false construction which my enemies may put upon my absence from home, to inform you, Sir, that my residence is as abovementioned, and that I shall be not merely ready and willing, but desirous to meet any charge that may be made against me from whatever quarter it may proceed. I shall be upon change at the usual time almost every day this week, and I shall be this evening in the lobby of the House of Commons, or in the gallery. there. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, (signed) THOMAS WALKER, The Right Honble. Henry Dundas, Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, &c. &c, No, Sir, No. II. Copy of Mr. Walker's second Letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas. Bate's Hotel, 22d June, 1793. In consequence of repeated advice from Manchester of warrants for HIGH TREASON having been issued against me, I thought it right to inform you by letter on Monday last, that I resided during my stay in town, at Bate's Hotel, and that I should be at the House of Commons on that evening, and on change at the usual hours almost every day of the week. I have kept my promise. I confess I am somewhat surprized, under all the circumstances of my situation, that I have not been favored with an answer to that letter, but had the business rested there, I should probably have troubled you no further. By a letter, however, from my attorney in Manchester, sent yesterday under cover to a friend of mine, I learn officially that a warrant upon a charge of HIGH TREASON has certainly been issued against me at Manchester, and I have every reason to suppose (if my information be true) that the intent of the charge in the first instance, and the subsequent delay in proceeding upon it, is not to punish me for a political offence, of which I know I am not guilty, but to injure my general character and reputation; indirectly indeed, but irrevocably. The character and credit of a commercial man, Sir, is too delicate to be trifled with. Hitherto mine has been unsullied; and I trust it will remain so by any conduct of my own. But the principle of harassing a British merchant by vague reports, industriously circulated, of crimes he has never committed; by charges unfounded, and threats unexecuted, is so base, so detestably malignant, that I hope, for the honour of the national character, it is confined to my enemies at Manchester. It is highly improbable that any charge of so criminal a nature, can have been made against me, without its being known at the office of his Majesty's secretary of state. I do, therefore, earnestly entreat, that I may be kept no longer in suspense; that I may be treated forthwith according to law, if there be any legal accusation against me, or if there be none, that I may be informed of it without delay. I think I have a right, after what has passed, to require as an an act of common justice, that my mind may be set at ease, and that I may be enabled to attend to my commercial concerns, without the perpetual anxiety attendant upon reports and suspicions most injurious and unfounded. Mr. Wharton will do me the favour to deliver this, and wait for an answer *. In the mean time I am, Sir, your obedient servant, (signed) THOMAS WALKER, The Right Honble. Henry Dundas, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, &c. &c. No. III. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Walker to Dear Sir, Bate's Hotel, London, 16th July 1793: I have no doubt you will be much surprized, when I inform you, that I am still without any answer to the letter you did me the honour to take to Mr. Dundas (as secretary of state for the home department) upon the 22d ult. and several of my friends, being not less surprized than myself at the silence of Mr. Dundas, are anxious to know what passed between you and him upon the delivery of my letter. I shall, therefore, consider myself particularly obliged, if you will favour me, as nearly as you can recollect, with the substance of the conversation which took place on that occasion. With much respect and esteem believe me, very sincerely your's, (signed) THOMAS WALKER. John Wharton, Esq. M. P. Skelton shire. No. * While Mr. Wharton went in to Mr. Dundas, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Cooper as his friend, waited near the door of the Board of Controul, till Mr. Wharton came out. |