April.] 



CHRONICLE. 



31 



for the present concluded, Mr. 

 Wright was about to de])art, when 

 Mr. Statham rose and infoinied 

 him he had now to bring forward 

 & charge of a more serious na- 

 ture. 



Mr. Wright. — 1 was summoned 

 for a particular purpose, which 1 

 have attended to, and am not 

 bound to attend to any other bu- 

 siness. 



Mr. Statham. — Sir, this is an 

 information upon which you will 

 now be taken into custoiiy. You 

 are chaj-ged witli blasphemy. 



He then read an information 

 on the evidence of James Scott, 

 (tiie identical pei>;on Mr. Wright 

 had just stated his intention to 

 prosecute for disorderly conduct,) 

 which, being duly sworn to, 

 charged Mr. Wriglit with having 

 expressed and conveyed to his 

 hearers ihe idea " that a belief 

 in tlie doctrine of the Holy Tri- 

 nity was absurd and ridiculous — 

 that it was folly to believe in what 

 was called the atonement of the 

 death of Jesus Christ, as it was 

 impious to suppose that a good 

 being would take an innocent 

 victim to atone for tlie sins of the 

 wicked — that as the idea of the 

 Boul surviving the body was an 

 •absurd and ridiculous mental de- 

 lusion, that the idea of a future 

 state was equally so." Mr. Sta- 

 tliam then informed Mr. \V^right, 

 that his proceedings had been 

 watched ; that the Mayor had 

 sent persons for the purpose to 

 the Long Room every evening, 

 since he had advertised his meet- 

 ings in the Liverpool Mercury of 

 the 28th of March ; and that it 

 was at tlie Mayor's instance that 

 the infonncr on this chargt; (-Scott) 



had now attended to give evi- 

 dence. 



Mr. Wright. — Why, Sir, the 

 sentiments / delivered are leg d 

 by Act of Parliament; and the 

 last chaige is an entire falsehood, 

 and contrary to all my senti- 

 ments. 



Mr. Statham. — That you must 

 show in anotlier place. You mu -t 

 give bail for your appearance at 

 the next Assizes at Lancaster ; 

 yourself in ^200Z. and two suretitj 

 in 100/. each. [Mr. AVright Was 

 then placed in custody of the con- 

 stables, and put to the bar as a 

 prisoner.] 



Mr. Wright.— But, Sir, I must 

 know under what law J am charged 

 with this. 



Mr. Statham. — Under no parti- 

 cular Act, but under the law of 

 the land. 



Mr. Wright. — Under what law 

 of tlie land ? 



Mr. Statham. — Under the com- 

 mon law. 



Mr. Wiight. — Under what com- 

 mon law ? Have you never seen 

 the Act of Parliament, lately 

 passed, which tolerates the exer- 

 cise of religious opinions, which 

 were before not permitted? — lo 

 tiiis no answer was given. 



Mr. Wright. — liu't if I be ar- 

 rested, and held to bail, contrary 

 to the provisions of an Act of Par- 

 liament, can I not claim indem- 

 nity ? 



Mr. Statham. — You can adojit 

 what steps you think proper. 



Two friends of JMr. Wright, 

 who happened then to be in tlie 

 court merely as spectators, of- 

 fered themselves as the rccjuire<l 

 bail. One of them (Mr. F. 11. 

 Wright) in describing lii^ rc^i- 



ileiu;:, 



