APPENDIX.

VOL. XI. PART II.

ARTHUR THSITLEWOOD FOR SENDING A CHALLENGE TO LORD SID

MOUTH.

Court of King's Bench, Saturday, Feb. 7.

This morning, the Attorney General entered the Court, and took his usual seat. Soon after Lord Sidmouth was seated on the Bench; and on Lord Ellenborough coming into Court, he, as usual, addressed the Attorney-General first." Mr Attorney-General, will you move?" The Attorney-General addressed the Court as follows:"My Lords-I am about to exhibit articles of the peace, to which the noble Lord on the Bench must swear before I address your Lordships."

The Attorney General then handed the articles to Lord Sidmouth, who being sworn by Mr Barlow, stated that the contents of them were true. The Attorney-General then proceeded:-"My Lords, I am to move your Lordships to exhibit articles of

the peace, on the part of my Lord Sidmouth, against a person of the name of Arthur Thistlewood. This application, my Lords, is made on the part of my Lord Sidmouth, and in these articles he states that he does not exhibit them from any ill will or malice towards the person against whom they are exhibited, but he exhibits them for the preservation of his person from violence, which he apprehends. I shall state to your Lordships the act that has been done by this person on which the apprehension is founded-it is a letter sent to his lordship, conveying a challenge to fight. My Lord Sid.. mouth has never seen this person actually write, but there is sufficient stated in the articles for believing that it has been sent by Arthur Thistlewood; but that there might be no doubt, the articles will be supported by the affidavit of a person who has seen him write and knows his handwriting, and swears he verily believed the letter in question to be his handwriting. My Lord Sidmouth, in the

person, mere

articles, alludes to former letters which he has received from this ly for the purpose of identifying, as far as he can, the hand-writing of the letter in question, to be the handwriting of the person against whom these articles are exhibited. It is necessary that I should state, that some time ago Arthur Thistlewood was in custody in the Tower upon a charge of high treason, and whilst he was in custody, my Lord Sidmouth received a letter from him. That letter therefore he believes to have come from him, and the article states, that it was the same hand-writing as the present. He has also received several other letters, and he verily believes that the letter in question was sent by him, and he verily believes it to be the handwriting of Arthur Thistlewood. I will read to your Lordships the letter in question: it is addressed to Lord Sidmouth, and it was received on the 3d of February, the day it bears date. It is dated from " 40, Stanhope-street, Clare-market." Now many of the letters which his lordship has received from this person since his discharge bear date from the same place. This letter is in these terms :

"My Lord-Having addressed you repeatedly, with a view to procure redress for the injuries I have received from you, as Secretary of State, and my applications receiving no answer, I am compelled to seek redress in another manner. I therefore demand that satisfaction which as an injured man I am entitled to receive at your hands. I leave the choice of sword or pistol to your lordship, and place. As for time I shall admit of no delay, and an immediate answer is expected.

"I am, my Lord, &c.

"ARTHUR THISTLEWOOD." "My Lord Sidmouth has felt, and if my opinion be taken, has most justly felt this proceeding a duty which he owes to the high station which he now fills in this country, and he has

thought it right to take the steps which he has now taken for the protection of himself from violence; and not only with a consideration towards his own person, but as a duty which he owes to his office, and to all other persons who may have the honour hereafter to be placed in that most important station.

"I have stated thus much shortly, my Lords, as I have felt it my duty, and I now humbly move that these articles be exhibited, which will be verified by the affidavit I have spoken of." Lord Ellenborough.-Let the articles be read.

Mr Barlow then read the document, which was handed to him, to the following effect :

"In the King's Bench-Articles of the peace exhibited by the Right Hon. Henry Lord Sidmouth, one of his Majesty's Ministers, and Secretary of State for the Home Department, against Arthur Thistlewood, of Stanhope-street, Clare-market.

"And the said Right Hon. Lord Sidmouth states, that he does not exhibit these articles from any malice or ill will towards the said Arthur This tlewood, but for the protection of himself from bodily injury. That in the month of April last the above named Arthur Thistlewood was committed to the Tower of London on a charge of high treason, and during the time he was in the Tower as aforesaid he received a letter signed Arthur Thistlewood,' which he verily believed the said Arthur Thistlewood sent to him; and since the said Arthur Thistlewood has been discharged from the Tower, he has received several letters, dated from Stanhope-street, Clare-market, which he believes to be all of the same hand-writing; and that on the 3d day of February he received a certain letter, directed to him at his house at Clifford's-place, which was in the same hand-writing as the former letters he had received from the said Arthur

Thistlewood, and which he verily believes was sent to this examinant by the said Arthur Thistlewood; which letter is to the tenor and effect following, that is to say," &c. (Here the articles set forth the above letter, read by the Attorney-General). "And this examinant believes that the said last-mentioned letter conveys a challenge to provoke and excite this examinant to a breach of the peace. This examinant further swears, that he has had no intercourse or communication with the said Arthur Thistlewood, except in his character of one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, nor does he know any other person of the name of Arthur Thistlewood, except the aforesaid Arthur Thistlewood abovementioned; and this examinant verily believes that the said Arthur Thistlewood meditates and intends to him some great bodily harm ; and he is not induced to exhibit these articles from any malice or ill will, but for the preservation of his life or person from violence, which he apprehends from the said Arthur Thistlewood."

Mr Barlow (to Lord Sidmouth)."My Lord, do you pray these articles to be exhibited not from malice or ill will ?"?

pre

Lord Sidmouth." I do." Mr Barlow." And for the servation of your life and person from danger?""

Lord Sidmouth." I do.”

Here the affidavit of Rose Buttall, Esq. was read, in which he certified that the hand-writing of the letter in question was the hand-writing of Arthur Thistlewood.

Lord Ellenborough." Let these articles be filed.”

After the Solicitor of the Treasury had moved for the attachment against Thistlewood, he immediately applied to the Sheriffs of Middlesex, who granted their warrant to Messrs Beau mont and Son, and D. Simpson, their

officers, who proceeded between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, to Thistlewood's residence, in Stanhopestreet, Clare-market, took him and left him in custody at Mr Butler's, in the same street, being near his own dwelling. Mr Under Sheriff Smith waited on him on Saturday night, to know if he had any proposals of bail to offer, but none had been given at a late hour on that night.

Court of King's Bench, May 14. 14

The trial of Thistlewood for an attempt to provoke Lord Sidmouth to fight a duel, took place this morning.

Soon after nine o'clock, the Attorney and Solicitor-General, Messrs Topping, Richardson, and Shepherd, Counsel for the prosecution, entered the Court. The defendant was conducted in previously by Gibbons, the chief tipstaff, and placed on the floor. He was attended by Dr Watson.

Upon the arrival of Lord Sidmouth, he was conducted by one of the attendants to the Bench, and immediately after Mr Justice Bayley took his

seat.

A most respectable Jury was then sworn in, and upon the indictment being read, by the Hon. Mr Law, the defendant complained that he had not had sufficient notice of trial, or he would have been prepared to challenge the Jurors, and to have been provided with Counsel. The complaint was disproved by the proper officers, and the Court informed the defendant that the Jury having been sworn, it was too late to make an objection.

Mr Shepherd, jun. then opened the indictment, and

The Attorney-General shortly, but forcibly, detailed the facts of the case to the Jury. He assured them that the Noble Secretary of State, in urg