202 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



is, that the improbability of the 

 charge was the true ground upon 

 which the acquittal took place ; 

 and certainly nothing could wear 

 more the face of improbability 

 than that, if the crime alleged had 

 been committed, it would have 

 bei-n kept secret from the month 

 of October to the June following ; 

 but it becomes still more impro- 

 bable, when the situation of the 

 parties is considered : the one a 

 young woman of education and 

 modesty, and the other a j'oung 

 man living in the same parisli. 

 Can any one believe, that the 

 daughter of a cleigyman could 

 have been so ignorant of tlie state 

 of society as not to knosv, that 

 she would have been sufficiently 

 protected from tlie violence with 

 which she said she was threatened ; 

 or that sh« would, after having 

 been so atrociously abused, under 

 any feelings of terror, have lost a 

 moment in proclaiming her dis- 

 grace, and asking for vengeance 

 on her violater ? but still less 

 likely is it tliat she would have 

 concealed a disgrace to which her 

 own sister had b^cn an eye-wit- 

 ness. These, I apprehend, were 

 the grounds on which the acmiittal 

 took place, and not, as has been 

 stated, on a mere rule of law. If 

 tlie yovuig woman had been treated 

 with the violence she has describ- 

 ed, she must and would have told 

 her parent. That she was with 

 child is a malter beyond doubt, 

 and it might, by possibility, hap- 

 pen that this you ig man was the 

 father of that child ; but the vio- 

 lation must be put altogether out 

 of the question. Even this sur- 

 mise, which 1 have made foi- the 

 beneKt of the young woman, is 

 set aiide by the oatli of the young 



man himself, who swears most 

 positively that he never had any 

 connexion with her whatever ; 

 and that his evidence is at all de- 

 serving of discredit, I can in no 

 respect discover. He is a respect- 

 able young man, and has given 

 his testimony in a very unques- 

 tionable manner. I protest 1 was 

 most anxious and desinms, for the 

 sake of this unfortunate family, 

 that something might occur which 

 would lessen the enormity of their 

 guilt. The natural compassion of 

 one's feelings in seeing a man of 

 education, and in holy orders, 

 work up his mind to an offence 

 for which there is no palliation, 

 w ithout using a harsher observa- 

 tion, led me to hope some ciicum- 

 stance might arise to lessen the 

 enormity of his guilt. It is with 

 ])ain, however, that I am driven 

 to say no such circumstance has 

 transpired. What could be the 

 motives for concealing the real 

 father, and fixing it on an innocent 

 man, is beyond our ability to dis- 

 cover ? If the charge of violation 

 against James Harris is false, tlie 

 next question for our considera- 

 tion is, did the defendants agree 

 to bring forward the charge, 

 knowing it to be false ? With 

 respect to the young women, as 

 they both swore to being present 

 when the fart took pl.ice, no doubt 

 of their guilt can exist. As to the 

 father, perhaps the evidence is not 

 so conclusive. In the defect of 

 the evidence against the father, 

 you have nothing but the general 

 circumstances of the case, and the 

 piUpable f.nlseness of the chaige. 

 Yon will cor.sider wliether the 

 natural sagiicity of a man of good 

 education coidd really have per- 

 suadei! him to give credit ti^ so 



fuul 



