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which he introduced letters of acknowledgment for his services from the emperor Alexander, the king of Prussia, and prince Metternich. Coming to the principal legal point of the case, he reduced it to the two propositions, 1. There was no act of complicity between the accused persons and the principal culprit: 2. The fact imputed to them cannot be considered as a crime, nor as an offence. As the arguments employed to support them were little more than legal sophisms, it is unnecessary to recite them. The pleading concluded with a particular recommendation of the accused to the court as strangers and Englishmen.

The proceedings having closed, Sir R. Wilson rose, and with a dignified confidence delivered a speech, of which the conclusion cannot be thought too long for quotation. Having acknowledged that he had been interested in the fate of Lavalette on political grounds. he declared that such considerations had a very inferior influence on his determination. "The appeal (said he) made to our humanity, to our personal character, and to our national generosity; the responsibility thrown upon us of instantly deciding on the life or death of an unfortunate man, and above all, of an unfortunate stranger-this appeal was imperative, and did not permit us to calculate his other claims to our good will. At its voice we should have done as much for an obscure unknown individual, or even for an enemy who had fallen into misfortune. Perhaps we were imprudent; but we would rather incur that re

proach than the one we should have merited by basely abandoning him, who, full of confidence, threw himself into our arms : and these very men who have calumniated us, without knowing either the motives or the details of our conduct-these very men, I say, would have been the first to stigmatize us as heartless cowards, if, by our refusal to save M. Lavalette, we had abandoned him to certain death. We resign ourselves with security to the decision of the jury; and if you should condemn us for having contravened your positive laws, we shall not at least have to reproach ourselves for having violated the eternal laws of morality and humanity."

This address, we are told, produced a strong impression, and the respect due to the majesty of justice would scarcely prevent the open expression of it.

Mr. Bruce pronounced a speech of the same general tenor in animated language, and with a firm and manly tone. "Gentlemen (he concluded,) I have confessed to you, with all frankness and honour, the whole truth with respect to the part which I took in the escape of M. Lavalette; and notwithstanding the respect which I entertain for the majesty of the laws, notwithstanding the respect I owe to this tribunal, I cannot be wanting in the respect I owe to myself so far as to affirm that I feel not the least compunction for what I have done. I leave you, Gentlemen, to decide upon my fate, and I implore nothing but justice."

The president then concisely summed up the evidence, and

gave a charge with great impartiality, and with the eloquence cominonly studied at the French bar. The jury then retired to deliberate, and in about two hours returned with a verdict of Guilty against Me-srs. Wilson, Bruce, and Hutchinson.

The president then read the

article of the penal code appli cable to the convicts, in which the punishment prescribed was imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, nor less than three months; and without hesitation he pronounced for the shortest allowable term.

PUBLIC GENERAL ACTS,

Passed in the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.—56 GEO. III.—

A. D. 1816.

An act to revive and continue, until the 25th of March 1918, several laws relating to the duties on glass made in Great Britain. An act to revive and further continue, until the 25th of March 1817, an act of the 7th of George 2d, for the free importation of cochineal and indigo.

An act for continuing to his Majesty certain duties on malt, sugar, tobacco, and snuff, in Great Britain; and on pensions, offices, and personal estates, in England; for the service of the year 1816.

An act for raising the sum of eleven millions, by exchequer bills, for the service of Great Britain, for the year 1816.

An act to extend the powers of an act of the 37th of his present Majesty, for enabling his Majesty more effectually to grant conditional pardons to persons under sentence of naval courts-martial, and to regulate imprisonment under such sentences.

An act to continue, until the 5th of July 1816, an act of the 54th of his present Majesty, for explaining and amending several acts relating to spiritual persons holding of farms, and for enforcing the residence of such persons on their benefices in England.

An act to continue, until the VOL. LVIII.

5th of April 1818, and amend an act of the 48th of his present Majesty, for empowering the governor and company of the bank of England, to advance the sum of three millions towards the supply for the service of the year 1808.

An act to continue, until the 5th of July 1817, an act of the 49th of his present Majesty, for regulating the trade and commerce to and from the Cape of Good Hope.

An act for charging certain duties on foreign packets or passage-vessels entering or departing any of the ports of Great Britain.

An act for punishing mutiny and desertion; and for the better payment of the army and their quarters.

An act for the regulating of his Majesty's royal marine force while on shore.

An act for exhibiting a bill in this present Parliament, for naturalizing his serene highness Leopold George Frederick duke of Saxe, margrave of Meissen, landgrave of Thuringuen, prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld.

An act for the naturalization of his serene highness Leopold George Frederick duke of Saxe, margrave of Meissen, landgrave of Z Thuringuen,

Thuringuen, prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld; and settling his precedence.

An act for empowering the governor and company of the bank of England, to advance the sum of six millions, towards the supply for the service of the year

1816.

An act to carry into effect a convention of commerce, concluded between his Majesty and the United States of America.

An act for better regulating the offices of receivers of crown

rents.

An act to continue, until the 5th of July 1821, certain additional duties of excise in Great Britain.

An act to suspend, until the 5th April 1820, the duty on lead exported from Great Britain.

An act to continue, until the 5th of July 1816, an act of the 47th of his present Majesty, for granting an additional bounty on double refined sugar exported.

An act to make further provision for the execution of the several acts relating to the revenues, matters and things, under the management of the commissioners of customs and port duties, and of the commissioners of inland excise and taxes in Ireland.

An act to revive and continue, until two years after the expiration of the restrictions upon payments in cash by the bank of England, an act for suspending the operation of an act of the 17th of his present Majesty, for restraining the negociation of promissory notes and bills of exchange under a limited sum, in England.

An act for the more effectually detaining in custody Napoleon Buonaparté.

An act for regulating the intercourse with the island of St. Helena, during the time Napoleon Buonaparté shall be detained there; and for indemnifying persons in the cases therein mentioned.

An act for better enabling his Majesty to make provision for the establishment of her royal highness the princess Charlotte Augusta, and his serene highness Leopold George Frederick duke of Saxe, margrave of Meissen, landgrave of Thuringuen, prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld.

An act for charging certain duties on the importation of butter.

An act for charging certain duties on the importation of cheese.

An act to amend several laws relative to the transportation of offenders; to continue in force until the 1st of May 1821.

An act to enable the commissioners of his Majesty's treasury to issue exchequer bills, on the credit of such aids or supplies as have been or shall be granted by parliament for the service of Great Britain, for the year 1816.

An act to make perpetual certain temporary or war duties of customs, on the importation into Great Britain of goods, wares, and merchandize, and to repeal so much of several acts passed in the 47th, 49th, and 51st of the reign of his present Majesty, as charge any loans made for the service of the years 1807, 1809, and 1811, upon the war duties of customs

customs or excise, and to charge such loans on the duties of customs made perpetual.

An act for indemnifying the commissioners of excise in Scotland, and all persons who may have acted under their authority, in relation to certain orders issued and things done relative to certain acts regarding the distilleries in Scotland.

An act for transferring all contracts and securities entered into with or given to the commissioners for transports, to the commissioners of the navy and victualling.

An act for fixing the rates of subsistence to be paid to innkeepers and others on quartering

soldiers.

An act to indemnify such persons in the united kingdom as have omitted to qualify themselves for offices and employments, and for extending the time limited for those purposes respectively, until the 25th of March 1817; and to permit such persons in Great Britain as have omitted to make and file affidavits of the execution of indentures of clerks to attornies and solicitors to make and file the same on or before the 1st day of Hilary Term 1817.

An act to charge an additional duty on corks, ready made, imported into Great Britain.

An act for the more speedy and effectual collection of the tonnage duty upon ships inwards; for empowering the Lords of the treasury to regulate the hours of officers attendance in the port of London; and for permitting ships to commence and complete their loading of coals before the delivery of the fitters certificates.

An act to repeal two acts passed in the reigns of Edward 4th and Richard 3rd, which prohibit the importation of wrought goods and certain other articles.

An act to permit the importation of prunes the produce of Germany.

An act to empower his Majesty to suspend the ballot or enrolment for the local militia.

An act to reduce the number of days of muster or exercise of yeomanry and volunteer cavalry.

An act for the further continuing, until the 5th of July 1818, an act of the 44th of his present majesty, to continue the restrictions contained in the several acts of his present majesty, on payments of cash by the bank of England.

An act for raising the sum of 2,470,000l. Irish currency, by treasury bills, for the service of Ireland, for the year 1816.

An act for raising the sum of 1,700,000l. British currency, by treasury bills, for the service of Ireland, for the year 1816.

An act for making certain allowances of the duties payable on malt and beer.

An act to repeal the duties, allowances, and drawbacks of excise, on hard soap made in Great Britain, and imported from Ireland; and to grant other duties, allowances, and drawbacks in lieu thereof.

An act for defraying the charge of the pay and clothing of the local militia in Great Britain, to the 25th of March 1817.

An act for the better regulation of the civil list.

An act for raising the sum of 1,200,0001, Irish currency, by Z2 treasury

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