born in another part of the island, and educated in other forms of worship; but we respect the offices of religion, in whatever hands they are placed by the laws of our country: and certainly the English clergy never stood higher than they do to-day, when Mr. Adam, so thoroughly acquainted with the history of his country, as far as it is ancient, and who, from his personal and professional connexions, is so perfectly acquainted with all that passes in the world of our own day, is drawn back to the times of Laud and Wolsey, to search for English prelates, who have been a reproach to the order; and when he would represent tyranny and oppression in churchmen, is forced back upon an unreformed church, and to ages of darkness and superstition, because it would have been in vain to look for them under the shadow of that mild religion which has promoted such a spirit of humanity, and stamped such a character upon our country, that if it should ever please God to permit her to be agitated like neighbouring nations, the happy difference would be seen between men who reverence religion, and those who set out with destroying it.-The BISHOPS, besides (to do them common justice), are certainly the last of the clergy that should be attacked.—The indulgent spirit of reformed Christianity, recollecting that, though invested with a divine office, they are men with human passions and affections, permits them to mix in all the customary indulgences, which, without corrupting our morals, constitute much of the comfort

and happiness of our lives; yet, they in a manner separate themselves from their own families; and, whilst the other orders of the clergy, even the most dignified, enjoy (without being condemned for it) the amusements which taste and refinement spread before us, no Bishop is found within these haunts of dissipation. So far from subjecting themselves to be brought to the assizes for riot and disorder, they thus refuse many of the harmless gratifications, which, perhaps, rather give a grace and ornament to virtue, than disfigure the character of a Christian; and I am sure, the Reverend Prelate, whom I represent, has never overstepped those limits, which a decorum, perhaps overstrained, has by custom imposed upon the whole order. The Bishop's individual character, like every other man's, must be gathered from his life, which, I have always understood, has been eminently useful and virtuous. I know he is connected with those, whose lives are both; and who must be suffering distress at this moment from these proceedings. He is nearly allied to one*, whose extraordinary knowledge enables him to fulfil the duties of a warm benevolenee, in restoring health to the sick, and in bringing back hope and consolation along with it, to families in the bitterness of affliction and distress.-I have, more than once, received that blessing at his hands, which has added not a little, to the anxiety which I now feel.

The celebrated Dr. Richard Warren,

Gentlemen, I am instructed, and indeed pressed, by the anxiety of the Bishop's friends, to call many witnesses, to show, that he was by no means disturbed with passion, as has been represented, and that, so far from it, he even repressed those, whose zeal for order, and whose affection for his person, prompted them to interfere; saying to them, "The "law will interpose in due season.” I have witnesses, to a great number, whom I am pressed to call before you, who would contradict Mr. Grindley in the most material parts of his testimony; but then I feel the advantage he would derive from this unnecessary course; he would have an opportunity, from it, to deprive the Reverend Prelate of the testimony and protection of your approbation. He would say, no doubt, "Oh, I made out the case "which vindicated my Prosecution, though it was "afterwards overturned by the testimony of persons " in the Bishop's suite, and implicitly devoted to his "service ;-I laid facts before the Jury, from which "a conviction must have followed, and I am not "responsible for the false glosses by which his wit"nesses have perverted them."-This would be the language of the Prosecutor; and I am, therefore, extremely anxious that your verdict should proceed upon the facts as they now stand before the Court, and that you should repel, with indignation, a charge which is defeated by the very evidence that has been given to support it. I cannot, besides, endure the humiliation of fighting with a shadow, and the im

prudence of giving importance, to what I hold to be nothing, by putting any thing in the scale against it; a conduct, which would amount to a confession that something had been proved which demanded an answer. How far those, from whom my instructions come, may think me warranted in pursuing this course, I do not know; but the decision of that question will not rest with either of us, if your good sense and consciences should, as I am persuaded they will, give an immediate and seasonable sanction to this conclusion of the trial.

Mr. ERSKINE, after consulting a few minutes with Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leycester, and Mr. Milles, informed the Court he should give no Evidence,

Mr. Justice HEATH then summed up as follows; which we insert, as the Learned Judge stated the substance of all the Evidence given on the Trial.

MR. JUSTICE HEATH.

GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY,

THIS is an Indictment against the Bishop of Bangor, Hugh Owen, John Roberts, John Williams, and Thomas Jones. The Indictment states, "That Samuel Grindley (who, it seems, is

"the Prosecutor of this Indictment), on the 8th of January last, was Deputy Registrar of the Epis"copal and Consistorial Court of the Bishop of

46

Bangor, and that, in right of his office, he had "the use of a room adjoining to the cathedral "church of Bangor, called the Registrar's Office, "for transacting the business of his office: that the "Defendants, intending to disturb the Prosecutor "in the execution of his office of Deputy Registrar, "on the 8th of January last, riotously assembled and unlawfully broke the Registrar's Office, and re"mained there for an hour, and continued making "a great disturbance, and assaulted the Prosecutor, "and stirred up a riot."

66

This, Gentlemen, is the substance of the Indictment. The definition of a riot has been truly stated to you; it may be collected, indeed, from the Indictment itself; and is, when two or more persons assemble together with an intent mutually to assist each other, and to resist all those who should oppose them, and with a further intent to break the peace; -and it is likewise for a private purpose.

Now, before I sum up the evidence, I shall state those things particularly, to which you should direct your attention; and you will consider how the evidence applies in support of the Indictment. It must be proved, to your satisfaction, that the Prosecutor is Deputy Registrar of this Consistorial Court of the Bishop of Bangor; that, in right of that office, he had the use of this room to transact his business.