rienced. No fooner, however, did Mr. Morgan put any question relative to the riot, or to the time and circumitances when and by which Ntcholas Caffon loft his life, than he was interrupted with extreme rudeness and indelicacy. A fprig of the law, who exactly anfwered Charles Churchill's defcription of a

Pert, prim prater of the Northern race,

had the prefumption to ftake his profeffional experience against that of Mr. Morgan, although he was but the other day called to the bar! This frothy declaimer ventured to affirm, that the queftions put to the witneffes by the Counsel for the Crown would not be permitted at the Old Bailey.. Mr. Dyton, Solicitor to the Admiralty, and one of the fitting magiftrates, contradicted this affertion. And Mr. Morgan, preffing his hand to his bofom, pledged his honour, his character, and his profeffional credit, that every queftion he had propounded would have been perfectly orderly at the Old Bailey.

After repeated cavils, and reiterated attempts made by Mr. Morgan to bring the riot and murder into confideration, which were as repeatedly defeated, the point was given up, to the entire fatisfaction of Lord Robert Spencer, and feveral other diftinguished friends of Mr. Fox, who attended in the customary ftile, thus favouring the prefumption, that they felt themfelves deeply interested in the fate of an IRISH CHAIRMAN.

When Sir Robert Taylor propofed that the prifoner fhould be discharged as to the murder, and give bail for the affault, Mr. Dyson defired "that it might not be confi"dered as the unanimous determination of the Bench, because he for one objected to the "measure in the firongest and most positive terms." To this mark of disapprobation Mr. Morgan adduced his teftimony; for, when bail was propofing for the prifoner, Mr. Morgan faid in the hearing of the Bench, "You had better fave trouble, and determine "that the man has not committed any affault." Mr. Morgan fubjoined this opinion--The expence of Counfel in behalf of a prifoner may be faved, when a majority of "Juftices prefent follow that excellent maxim, that the Judge should be Counsel for "the prifoner, althongh it is merely the duty of a magiftrate to hear and determine in"partially AFTER he hath beard."

This opinion is too judicious to require support; and every observation on a selfevident propofition is impertinent.

AN ELECTOR

Wood's Hotel, May 15, 1784.

Interment of the Murdered Conftable.

On Thursday afternoon, about five o'clock, the unhappy widow of Nicholas Caffon, the conftable, who was murdered on Monday by a party of hired ruffians, came to Wood's Hotel, and requested to be informed, where the parties refided to whom the "fhould make application refpecting the interment of her husband, as the defigned to "have his body buried the enfuing day in the church-yard of Covent Garden." Being directed to the fexton, and by him accompanied to fome of the church-wardens, fhe was asked, "at what hour fhe was defirous of having the funeral rites performed?" and replying, "that as her place of refidence was fituated at a confiderable diftance, and the would with to return home as early as poffible, the intended having the body brought "to the church at three o'clock." The hour was objected to, and he was requested to return to Wood's Hotel, where, if he waited about a quarter of an hour, the fhould eceive a final anfwer as to the propriety or impropriety of admitting her request. Redying on the validity of this affurance, the returned to the Hotel, and waited two hours without

R 2

46

without receiving the final answer which had been promised; until, exhausted of her ftock of patience, which, owing to her affliction, and to a natural warmth of temper, might not be very confiderable, fhe obtained an interview with the fexton, who very graciously informed her, " that the church-wardens conceived three o'clock would be an improper hour to bury her husband, as the funeral proceffion might collect a mob, which might end in a breach of the peace, or the demolition of fome of the pews where the quality fat." The widow replied, "that the mangled body of her husband was now grown fo offenfive as to render an early interment abfolutely neceffary; and all fhe "requested was, a definitive anfwer, whether the could or could not be permitted to "have the funeral fervice read over the corpfe in the church, and have it afterwards "buried in the church-yard of Covent Garden." The fexton could not fay. Three o'clock was a difagreeable hour; and it was not becoming him to appoint another. He muft confult the church-wardens: they were honeft gentlemen; very honeft gentlemen indeed!--- Where were they to be found?" That he did not know; but he dared to fay he could meet with them in a very few minutes. For the prefent, however, he would just take a fep home with the widow in her coach, fee the fate of the body, and when they returned to Covent Garden, the church-wardens would give their anfwer in a moment." This was agreed to. He accompanied the woman; returned to the Hotel, where he quitted her to go in search of the church-wardens. Some of them were met with, from whofe discourse it was evident, that an evafion of the bufinefs was the object intended; for, under the specious pretext of three o'clock being an improper hour (which might be the cafe) a general refufal was implied, although not expreffed. The widow now clearly perceiving herself to be trifled with, became more determined to carry her purpofe into execution. She tendered the fees for opening the ground, and offered the depofit of any fum which might be required to defray the customary douceurs which the clergy have fo difinterestedly taken care fhall fall to their lot. Thefe offers were rejected; but let not the facred order take fire at the rejection! for their spirits may be pacified when they are affured, that not a parfon was prefent when the offers were made.

Several friends of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, hearing by this time of the obftructions given to the proposed interment, endeavoured to perfuade the widow to change the place of burial. Her anfwer was, "That having the body of a near relation depo"fited in the church-yard of Covent Garden, and intending that her own remains "fhould reft there, thofe of her husband fhould not be carried to any other place." She was then intreated to alter the hour from three to four o'clock; to which fhe finally affented. The original objection being thus removed, the fexton was informed of the circumftance, and defired to prepare the grave. But he ftill could not act without the permiffion of the church-wardens; and they, as before, were to be found in ten minutes, although whither they were gone it was impoffile for him to fay. After engaging to return immediately with their anfwer, the poor infulted woman waited until near twelve o'clock yesterday morning, without being able to obtain any pofitive information, whether the remains of her unfortunate husband would be allowed interment in the church-yard of Covent Garden. The Coroner's warrant, and five guineas to defray certain fees, were left at the houfe of the fexton with a notice, that the body would be brought to the church at four o'clock in the afternoon of the next day; and if the rites of burial were then denied, a legal process would be inftituted.

The poll being yesterday closed at two o'clock, by the defire of the Candidates, exactly at four o'clock in the afternoon, the remains of the murdered peace officer were brought to Covent Garden in a hearfe, drawn by four horfes, and followed by fix coaches, con-taing the relations and friends of the deceased. The hearfe ftopped a fhort period oppofite the Shakespeare Tavern, and the widow burst into tears on cafting a look at the houfe. The hearfe then turned about, and paffing along Tavistock-row, ftopped a

fecond

fecond time oppofite the house of Mr. Jennings, from whofe fide of the Garden the hired ruffians iffued, who began the attack on the peace officers, in which Nicholas Caffon was fo barbarously murdered. The proceffion afterwards advanced to the church, and the prescribed forms being ended, the body was interred; the wretched widow frequently uttering the moft paffionate exclamations, and appealing to the God of Juftice to inflict a punishment on the murderers! When the proceffion quitted the church, a ftop was made at Wood's Hotel; and Mrs. Caffon, after gratefully acknowledging the extreme humanity and tenderness with which she had been treated by Mr. Wood and his family, returned to her house, now bereft of conjugal comfort by the lofs of a husband, to whom she had been married thirty years.

This melancholy recital, and the turn which hath been given to the riot and murder by the friends of Mr. Fox, will justify the following restrictions:

In the first place, a murder having been committed, the friends of each party appear defirous of difcovering the perpetrators, and bringing them to juftice. The friends of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray have procured the detention of thofe rioters whom there are ftrong reasons to believe were acceffaries to the murder. The friends of Mr. Fox, on the contrary, have obtained the liberation of twelve of the ruffians, and they were very near obtaining the release of the remaing three. Yet thefe very friends of Mr. Fox offer a reward of One Hundred Guineas for the discovery of the perfons who committed the murder, at the very instant when they were moving Heaven and Earth to get the three ruffians bailed, who are now in Newgate charged with the commiffion of the crime! In what light muft fuch a conduct appear to candid minds? Have the Committee of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, or any of their friends, offered bail for a fingle man who hath been taken into cuftody fince the commencement of the election? Have they ftood forth the champions of Irish chairmen, and the protectors of defperadoes with marrow-bones and cleavers ? Is there a Nobleman, a Commoner, or a Baronet, connected with Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, who hath extended any particular marks of favour to fellows whom money would prompt to the fouleft practices? On the other fide of the queftion, no fooner are fifteen vagabonds committed to Newgate for a riot and a murder, than the jail is vifited by men of rank, and Peers and Baronets by dozens offer bail for their friends the Marrow-bones and Cleavers in diftrefs !---This conduct explains itfelf.--A commentary would only obfcure it.---They must be wonderfully anxious to bring murders to punishment, who wish thofe fufpected of the crime releafed from prifon! And it is an exceeding ftrong proof that the riot on Monday laft was not begun by any ruffians hired by the friends of Mr. Fox, when the whole party of that gentleman avow their connections with the rioters, by having bailed fome, and wishing to fet the others at liberty! This is fo very like charging a magiftrate with employing peace officers to break the peace, that Mr. Sheridan must be concerned in the bufinefs, and the abfurdity of the conduct is imputable to the common blunders of his country.

AN ELECTOR.*

ADVERTISEMENT.

It being generally understood that the poll for electing Members to ferve in Parliament for the city of Westminster, will be finally closed on Monday next at three o'clock,

*The above very partial detail appeared in every paper of the day particularly attached to the interest of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray. We give it to pofterity in its full force. But we may be forgiven the record, when it is known that in our work we likewife give the trial at large of those committed for the riot; by which it appears, that the riot was actual y begun by a magiftrate, who came to Covent Garden to defend the conftables particularly attached to Hood and Wray. Not a tittle of evidence did the ingenious Mr. Morgan, so often mertioned in the foregoing paper, adduce to prove the guilt of the prifoners, who were fully acquitted. The reader is referred to the trial. 11..

Lord

Lord Hood, Sir Cecil Wray, and their feveral Committees, take this opportunity of thanking their friends for their active and unremitting fupport, at the fame time most earneftly entreating them to add to the obligations they have already conferred, by ng every effort in their power to preferve the peace of the city, and the fafety of its inhabitants. JOHN CHURCHILL, Chairman.

Wood's Hotel, April 23, 1784.

ADVERTISEMENT.

WESTMINSTER

ELECTΙΟ Ν.

The Committee for conducting the Election of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, acquaint their friends, that there will be a general dinner at Wood's Hotel, after the final clofe of the poll this day, when the company of every friend to thofe worthy Candidates is particular ly requested.

Tickets (five fhillings each) to be had at the bar of the Hotel, or at either of the Parochial Committees. Dinner on table at four o'clock precifely. Wood's Hotel, May 17, 1784.

Mr. CHURCHILL, in the Chair. N. B. The Scrutiny Committee will meet on Tuesday next, at fix o'clock precifely, at Wood's Hotel.

May 17, 1784. The Committee for conducting the intended fcrutiny in favour of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, take this opportunity of informing the public, that the undermentioned banking houfes are opened to receive fubfcriptions for fupporting the faid fcrutiny:

Meff. Drummonds, Charing-cross;

Meff. Couts and Co. in the Strand;

Meff. Crofts and Co. Pall-mall;

Meff. Hodfoll and Michell, in the Strand;

Meff. Pybus and Co. Bond-ftreet;

Meff. Ranfom, Morland, and Hammerfley, Pall-mall;

Meff. Biddulph and Cocks, Charing-crofs.

Meff. Thercey, Birch, and Hobbs, Bond-ftreet.

The Committee wifh to recommend, in the strongest manner, to thofe Gentlemen who have not yet polled, the neceffity of coming forward, and giving their fuffrages to Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, this day, as the poll will finally clofe.

JOHN CHURCHILL, Chairman.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The audacious and unwarrantable attempts that have been made, by fcandalous advertisements and hand bills, in order to induce the public to attribute to the friends of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, the caufe of the feveral riots and acts of cruelty which have been committed during the Election for Westminster and particularly the unprovoked

riot and cruel murder, perpetrated on Monday laft, are too grofs; and the contrary of fuch afperfions too well known to ftand in need of contradiction. The curious refolutions of Fox's Committee at the Shakespeare, and the hand bills ftuck up and liberally diftributed about the town on Tuesday, bringing back to recollection the affair of St. George's Fields, appear on the face of them to be calculated for the purpose of inflaming the minds of the people, and of creating riot and confufion. Their pretended offers of rewards, and advertising for evidence, are perfectly burlesque, unless they intend by it, to buy off and fupprefs any evidence that may be offered against their hireling butchers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rotation Office, Litchfield-ftreet..

Saturday morning about twelve o'clock, Patrick Kenney, who was apprehended the preceding evening, on a charge of riot in Covent Garden, was brought for examination Before Sir Robert Taylor, and other magiftrates.

When a point of a fingular nature was argued, touching the charge exhibited against the prifoner, whether they could confider him ftanding on the ground of his apprehenfion, or on a charge made after in the night book of the watch houfe.

It was contended, with much clearnefs and good argument, by Mr. Morgan, on the part of the Crown, that the prifoner stood there on the ground of his apprehenfion, which was, (on a warrant granted by John Hale, Efq.) that the prifoner had moft violently affaulted a peace officer; which charge he came prepared with evidence fully to fubftantiate. It was faid by a Mr. Claridge, that the prifoner ftood on the charge of felony, it having been fo ftated on the charge book of the watch-house.

The conftable who apprehended the prifoner was then examined, who fwore, that he was knocked down, and his pocket picked of the warrant as he was conducting the prisoner to the watch-honfe, and that he knew not any part of the contents of the warrant; but understanding his prifoner being one of the rioters, charged him in cuftody as a felon. Juftice Hale affured Sir Robert Taylor, that the charge contained in the warrant he had iffued against the prifoner at their bar, and which he himself delivered to the conftable, contained no other charge than that of violently affaulting Benjamin Nash, a peace officer, in the execution of his duty. However, Sir Robert Taylor infifted on their going on the charge exhibited in the watch book, which, though they then had not brought all their evidence to fupport, yet, in the examination of two perfons, fuch evidence appeared, as obliged the Bench to commit the prifoner at the bar for further examination, on Monday morning, to answer the charge of a fufpicion of wilful murder exhibited against him.

ADVERTISEMENT.

To the Free and Independent Electors of the City and Liberty of Westminster.

Gentlemen,

Impreffed with the deepest fenfe of the many obligations I am under to the inhabitants of this great city, and particularly to the unremitting ardour of the feveral Committees, through