68 
ter in issue, to compound that ver- 
dict of the fact as it appears in evi- 
dence before them, and of the 
law as it is declared to them by 
the judge.—We prefaced our an- 
swers with stating, that the gene- 
ral criminal law of England was 
the law of libel. We conclude 
what we have to offer to your Lord- 
ships, with stating, that the line 
marked out by the law for the con- 
duct of a jury giving a general ver- 
dict, has an universal application to 
general verdicts on general issues, 
in all cases civil and criminal ;for 
we cannot distinguish between the 
office and authority of a jury in 
civil and criminal cases, whatever 
difference there may be as to their 
responsibility. We desire to put 
your Lordships in mind, that it hath 
been the modern policy to bring 
almost all questions upon men’s 
dearest and most valuable rights, to 
be decided ona general issue; and 
it will be for your Lordships consi- 
deration, whether the line we have 
pointed out, which we take to be 
established in Jaw and in reason, is 
not a great and essential security 
to the life, liberty, and property 
of all the Kirg’s subjects, from the 
highest to the lowest. 
Address of the Delegates of the 
Dissenters, to the Protestant Dis- 
senters of the Town and Neigh- 
beurhood of Birmingham, who 
suffered from the Riots which 
happened in the Month of July 
last. 
‘Ss E, the assembled deputies 
and delegates of the 
Protestant Dissenters of England, 
in the name of a numerous and 
respectable body of constituents, 
APPENDIX TO 
feel it incumbent on us thus 
publicly to testify our astonish- 
ment and horror at the outrages 
which you have experienced from 
an ignorant and misguided mul- 
titude, and our respect for that 
manly fortitude with which you 
have supported those umerited 
sufferings. While, however, as 
sustaining one common character, 
we are anxious to pay this sincere 
tribute of affectionate and frater- 
nal sympathy to all our injured 
brethren, we are persuaded that 
we shall gratify alike your feelings 
and our own, when, waving our 
various speculative and especially 
our theoloyical differences, we de- 
sire to express our peculiar con- 
cern on the account of that dis- 
tinguished individual, whom the 
rancour of this cruel persecution 
selected as the first victim of its 
rage.—Deeply convinced of the 
importance of truth, we unite in 
admiring the ardour which he has 
ever discovered in the pursuit of 
it: as freemen, we applaud his 
unremitted exertions in the great 
cause of civil and religious li- 
berty; as friends to literature, we 
are proud of our alliance with @ 
name so justly celebrated as that 
of Dr. Priestley; and we pray the 
Almighty Disposer of events long 
to continue to us, and to the 
world, a life which science and 
virtue have contributed to render 
illustrious. We rejoice in the 
thought, that, though loaded with 
calumny and overwhelmed by vio- 
lence, you have not yet been dis- 
graced by one serious imputation 
of a crime; and it is therefore rea- 
sonable to confide in the justice of 
our country for an ample repara- 
tion of the wrongs you have sus- 
tained.—But, in proportion to your 
innocence, the infamy of these pro- 
ceedings 
