324 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



produced by striking one flint 

 against another. It was the ex- 

 plosion of a species of gas ; but it 

 was not fire, because it would not 

 burn paper. 



Mr. Fielding said, that the pre- 

 paration contained the igneous 

 element ; that the flash was from 

 some species of fire. The Act 

 had introduced the genus gene- 

 ralissimum, fire, the igneous ele- 

 ment ; and although the legisla- 

 ture at the time of making the law 

 probably only contemplated " fire- 

 works " made with gunpowder, yet 

 as the word had been introduced, 

 he could not restrict its meaning. 

 It comprehended every species of 

 fire, however produced ; and there 

 were many species of flnme or fire. 

 But the simple fact of the com- 

 position producing some sort of 

 fire did not bring it within the 

 contemplation of the statute. A 

 gas light, brimstoned matches, and 

 phosphorous boxes, were fireworks; 

 but none of them were of that 

 mischievous tendency meant to be 

 guarded against by the Act. It 

 was necessary to establish, not 

 only that the articles complained 

 of were fireworks, but also that 

 they were calculated to produce 

 serious mischief. Now these de- 

 tonating balls, it had been proved, 

 were calculated to efTect abundant 

 mischief. 



Mr. Cooper observed, that the 

 balls did not contain fire, but 

 latent caloric ; and they would go 

 off in a vacuum not requiring the 

 intervention of air to cause explo- 

 sion. Sugar, and rubbing toge- 

 ther two pieces of borax, would 

 produce flame, as would many 

 phosphoric bodies ; but that flame 

 was not fire. [Johnson defines 

 flame to be " light emitted from 

 fire."] 



Mr. Fielding could not agree 

 that what was called latent ca- 

 loric was not a species of fire, as 

 the balls threw out considerable 

 flame and sparks. As it was es- 

 tablished that these balls were not 

 only fireworks, but that they pos- 

 sessed the mischievous qualities 

 guarded against by the act, he 

 must pronounce for conviction. 

 The veiiders of these useless and 

 mischievous articles had said, why 

 not punish those wanton people 

 who explode them at public places i 

 This was plausible but erroneous 

 reasoning ; for in the eye of the 

 law it was more politic to punish 

 him who provided the means of 

 working mischief, than the indi- 

 vidual who used those means; but 

 for the satisfaction of the philoso- 

 phical gentlemen who manufac- 

 tured these balls, he would state, 

 that should any wanton persons be 

 brought before him for exploding 

 these balls, he would punish to the 

 utmost severity of the law. 



Mr. Cuthbert observed, that a 

 dozen balls could be made with 

 twopenny worth of fulminating 

 silver ; and since fulminating silver 

 itself, without being made into 

 balls with glass bulbs, would ex-» 

 plode if thrown on the ground 

 with force, he inquired whether 

 he would be liable to an informa- 

 tion if he were to sell it. . > 

 Mr. Fielding feared that he 

 would. Convicted in the penalty 

 of 5/. and costs. 



CONSPIEACY FOR RAISING THE 

 FUNDS, 



No trial in the present year sa 

 much interested the public, as that 

 of the persons concerned in the 

 fraud upon the Stock Exchange, 



