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ESCAPE OF MRS. CARLILE

From the Fangs of the Vice Society, and the Bill of Pains and Penalties, got up and prosecuted by Pritchard, the Lawyer; Gurney, the Parrot Face Counsellor; and Best, the vindictive, hobbling, and blinking tool of Eldon, Leech, Castlereagh and Co., and compeers with the Milan Commission;-supporters of Perjury, Filth and Corruption; legalized Demoralizers, and denouncers of public and moral Virtue.

THE Bill of Pains and Penalties, which has been prepared for Mrs. Carlile by the Vice Society, the English Majocchis, De Monts, Sacchis, Rastellis, Cuchis, Vilmacartis, Omptedas, Grims, Redens, Browns, Stewarts, Leechs, Cooks, Powells, &c., has suffered an exact similar fate in one of the little Houses of Lords, as the one against the Queen in the great House of Lords. This Bill went through a third reading, and on the motion "that it do now pass" which took place on the 25th ult. the prosecutor himself was obliged to give it up from a sense of its wickedness and cruelty, and Mrs. Carlile returned home in triumph, amidst the cheers and congratulations of her friends, and to the satisfaction of every honest and liberal mind in the country.

The Vice-Society, in prosecuting this Bill, rather overcharged it, that is, they put in two books into one indictment, and the stupid jury, who formed the Secret Committee to examine the bag of slander, did not pay sufficient attention to it, to see what it really contained, but without hesitation wrote on the back of the indictment, "a true bill on both counts;" thinking, as they saw two books laid before them, there were but two counts, but the indictment had three counts, and neither of them was distinguished as true or false by the Secret Committee! On the second reading the packed judges gave a verdict according to order, generally on the whole of the counts, without the least examination of the indictment. After passing the third reading, and keeping Mrs. Carlile about the Court almost every day throughout the term, it was found to be a string of lies and slander, and the disappointed Lords began to hang their lips, and "grin horribly a ghastly smile," because they had

lost their victim. So far Mrs. Carlile has triumphed over her vile and vindictive persecutors. But, lo! the Attorney General, who is so expert with his ex officio informations immediately sent a warrant and three officers to arrest her, and they actually took her away again from her home to the Serjeant's Inn Coffee House, and after doing all they could to frighten her, they let her return home the same evening without bail, on her promise to appear in Court the next morning. This circumstance actually occurred the very next day that it was found the former indictment was good for nothing.

Mrs. C. is now enjoying the laugh at the Members of the Vice Society, who are beginning to brood over their sorrows and disgraceful discomfitures on all sides. The following is a copy of the Attorney General's Information on the Republican, No. 8, Vol. 3.

COPY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S. NEW BILL OF PAINS AND PENALTIES AGAINST MRS. CARLILE.

To be tried at the sitting of Nis Prius to be holden by Adjournment after this Term, in and for the City of London.

Nov. 24,

1820.

LONDON (TO WIT) BE IT REMEMBERED, that Sir Robert Gifford, Knight, Attorney General of our present Sovereign Lord the King, who for our said Lord the King, prosecutes in this behalf, in his proper person, comes here i to the Court of our said Lord the King, before the King himself, at Westminister, on Tuesday next, after the Morrow of Saint Martin, in this saine Term, and, for our said Lord the King, gives the Court here to understand and be informed, that Jane Carlile late of London, bookseller, the wife of Richard Carlile, being a person of a wicked and depraved mind and disposition, and unlawfully and wickedly contriving and intending to move and excite the lege subjects of our said Lord the King, to the commission of the crime of murder, heretofore (to wit) on the seventeenth day of June, in the first ear of the reign of our sovereign Lord George, the Fourth, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, at London aforesaid, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-Bow, in the ward of Cheap, unlawfully and wickedly did publish and cause to be published, a certain wicked and mischievous libel, containing therein (amongst other things) divers wicked and mischievous matters and things, of and concern.ng the persons employed by our said Lord the King, in the admin!stration of the Government and affairs of this Realm, according to The tenor following (that is to say) 1 will now rome to the point

"with you, and tell you more than you seem to ask, lest you should 66 say that I evade the question. In the first place I hold the de"struction of tyrants by putting them to death suddenly and vio"lently, or if you should think I am not sufficiently explicit, by "assassinating them to be an act just, moral, virtuous, and legal, "agreeable to the law of nature, which should be the foundation of "all other law. A tyrant is the common destroyer of his species, "and any member of that community in which he dwells and lays "the tyrant, that shall receive any injury from him, may, in my opi"nion, meritoriously put him to death. The moralist, or a man "with the most humane mind, will stand aloof and ask himself the "following question, which would have been the greatest outrage on "the laws, morals, and welfare of this society, that this man, who is "au avowed and admitted tyraut should fall by the hand of one "whom he has injured, or that he should have lived to have made "unhappy, miserable, and in continued fear for their lives and pro"perties, every member of this society that should not feel disposed "to flatter and applaud his wicked measures? give me an answer to this last question, in the same frank and candid manner in which "I am answering your question, and I will give you my opinion of your morality and virtue; with respect to the plot and measures "in which those men, whom you cal! Cato Street Conspirators, "were seduced, and involved by our Ministers (meaning the said

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persons employed by our said Lord the King in the administra"tion of the Government and affairs of this realm) and their agents, "they have my decided disapprobation; but, as I consider that the majority of the present Ministers (meaning the said persons employed by our said Lord the King in the administration of the Go"vernment and affairs of this realm) are t、 rants, and enemies to the "interests and welfare of the people of this country, so also am I bold "to confess, that if any man who has suffered unjustly under their "administration, should be so far indifferent about his own life "as to slay any one or more of them, I would tune my lyre to sing

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his praises. I consider it to be a want of virtue and true courage "that makes a man seek companions to perform such an act, and "a proof that he calls upon others to do that which he has not re"solution to do single-handed; and in seeking men that will cooperate with him he is sure to fall in with the most vicious of "mankind, and mar all the good he might have done as an indi"vidual. I condemn an association for such purposes." In contempt of our said Lord the King, and his laws; to the evil example of all others, and against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity.

Second Count-And the said Attorney General of our said Lord the King, for our said Lord the King, further gives the Court here to understand and be informed, that the said Jane Carlile, so being such person as aforesaid, and unlawfully and wicked contriving and intending to move and excite the liege subjects of our said Lord the King to the commission of the crime of murder heretofore (to wit,) on the said seventeenth day of June, in the first year of the

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reign aforesaid, at London aforesaid, in the Parish and Ward aforesaid, unlawfully and wickediy did publish, and cause to be published, a certain other wicked and mischievous libel containing therein, amongst other things, divers wicked and mischievous matters and things according to the tenor following (that is to say,) I will now come to the point with you, and tell you more "than you seem to ask, lest you should say that I evade the ques❝tion. In the first place I hold the destruction of tyrants by put"ting them to death suddenly and violently, or if you should think "I am not sufficiently explicit, by assassinating them, to be an "act just, moral, virtuous, and legal, agreeable to the law of na"ture, which should be the foundation of all other law. A tyrant "is the common destroyer of his species, and any member of that "community in which he dwells and plays the tyrant, that shall "receive any injury from him, may, in my opinion, meritoriously 66 put him to death. The moralist, or a man with the most humane mind, will stand aloof and ask himself the following question, "which would have been the greatest outrage on the laws, morals, "and welfare, of this society: that this man, who is an avowed and admitted tyrant, should fall by the hand of one whom he has injured, or that he should have lived to have made unhappy, "miserable, and in continual fear for their lives and properties, "every member of this society that should not feel disposed to "flatter and applaud his wicked measures? Give me an answer to

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this last question in the same frank and candid manner in which "I am answering your question, and I will give you my opinion of "your morality and virtue; with respect to the plot and measures "in which those men, whom you call Cato-street Conspirators, "were seduced and involved by our ministers, and their agents; they have my decided disapprobation, but as I consider that the majority of the present ministers are tyrants, and enemies to the "interests and welfare of the people of this country, so also am I "bold to confess, that if any man who has suffered unjustly, under "their administration, should be so far indifferent about his own "life as to slay any one, or more of them, I would tune my lyre "to sing his praises. I consider it to be a want of virtue and true "courage that makes a man seek companions to perform such an "act; it is a proof that he calls upon others to do that which he "has not resolution to do single-handed; and in seeking men that "will co-operate with him he is sure to fall in with the most "vicious of mankind, and mar all the good he might have done as "an individual, I condemn an association for such purposes." In contempt of our said Lord the King and his laws, to the evil example of all others, and against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity. Whereupon the said Attorney General of our said Lord the King, who for our said Lord the King in this behalf prosecutes, prays the consideration of the Court here in the premises, and that due process of law may be awarded against the said Jane Carlile, in this behalf, to make her answer to our said Lord the King, touching and concerning the premises aforesaid.

INTENDED PROTEST OF MRS. CARLILE AGAINST THE VICE SOCIETY'S OLD BILL OF PAINS AND PENALTIES.

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May it please your Lordships,

As I am not conscious of having done that which is wrong, or which, in a moral point of view, might be considered wrong, I do not stand here to ask for mercy: I feel that I should debase myself, and acknowledge what I have never yet felt, were I to appeal to the mercy of the Court for any action of mine, I come then to lay before your Lordships such reasons as I can advance, to shew why this Court ought not to inflict any punishment, in consequence of a Jury having given a verdict of Guilty against me, upon an indictment, the charge of which rendered it a moral impossibility that I could have been guilty. The indictment charges, that I did sell, utter, and publish, unlawfully and wickedly, in the month of January last, two publications, the one entitled, "Sherwin's Life of Thomas Paine," the other, "The Republican," No. 9, Vol. I.

I will state two reasons to your Lordships to shew that I could not sell those publications unlawfully and wickedly, or with any bad intent. In the first place, I had never read those publications to my knowledge, or so as to have any distinct recollection of them. I considered myself safe and doing nothing improper in selling either of those publications, and it was but a very small number of copies that I had for sale, because they were published in the former year, and had been on sale up to the time of all my husband's property being violently seized and carried off the premises, as I am bound to suppose, according to law. The volume, entitled "Sherwin's Life of Thomas Paine" was published in the summer of 1819, or somewhere about Midsummer, and must have been on sale no less than four months of that year: it was exposed in the shop, during that time, for sale; it was advertised in all the public papers, and not the slightest complaint was ever heard against it during that time. With regard to the number of the Republican, it was published in the month of October of the same, year, and no less a number than twelve thousand were circulated within a week of its first publication; a sufficient

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