312 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



exertions had been fruitless, and 

 that there seemed to be no truth 

 in the report. The libel then 

 went on to state, that the servant 

 had lately ascertained that the 

 money left by his relation, 

 amounting to 20,000/. had been 

 paid over to Mr. S. " Proper 

 steps," the libel adds, " were 

 then taken to bring the matter to 

 account, but we are sorry to add 

 that our report states there is 

 little probability of much of the 

 money being recovered, as he 

 had given a considerable dowry 

 to a daughter, and lived expen- 

 sively. The necessary steps of 

 law are, however, in " progress.'' 

 Mr. Jeffray dwelt strongly on the 

 injury which such a statement 

 (acknowledged to be false and 

 unfounded) was calculated to do 

 to the character of a merchant. 

 He then went over the history 

 of the case. The present pub- 

 lication was not the first form in 

 which the calumny had appeared. 

 An application had been made to 

 the magistrates for an exhibition 

 of Mr. Stewart's papers ; but on 

 the investigation taking place, 

 the absurd allegation fell com- 

 pletely to the ground. The cha- 

 racter of a dealer, Mr. Jeffray 

 observed, was like that of a 

 woman; to circulate a libel of 

 the description which was con- 

 tained in the Belfast Newsletter, 

 in the coft'ee-room, and among 

 the merchants of Glasgow, who 

 have mucli connexion with Bel- 

 fast, was like throwing a fireband 

 into a pile of combustible matter. 

 The day in which the paper 

 arrived in Glasgow it was so 

 much read and thumbed that it 

 was reduced to tinder, and was 

 more read in one day than a 



pious old woman's bible is at the 

 end of her life time. The libel 

 originated with a person whose 

 name is concealed, and the de- 

 fenders evaded giving him up, 

 and therefore they from choice 

 alone were defenders in the pre- 

 sent action. The libel was evi- 

 dently of Glasgow origin. They 

 refused to give up the manu- 

 script ; and at first they refused 

 the jurisdiction of the Court of 

 Session, but finally they with- 

 drew this objection, and submitted 

 to the cognizance of the Scottish 

 Court. Allan, the banker in 

 Edinburgh, and M'Kay, the 

 printer, are only nominally the 

 defenders. There is, no doubt, 

 a person behind them, and that 

 person is, no doubt, able to stand 

 the issue of the present action; 

 and that he will most willingly 

 pay any sum rather than have his 

 name exposed as the author of 

 this atrocious libel. Under these 

 circumstances he confidently ex- 

 pected the jury to award the 

 whole amount of the damages 

 asked ; for the respectable pro- 

 prietors of the Belfast Newsletter 

 are standing the brunt of a weal- 

 thy person. 



An extract from the process 

 before the magistrates of Glas- 

 gow, and the absolvir or sentence 

 in favour of Mr. Stewart, was 

 put in and read ; as was also a 

 letter from the solicitors of Mr. 

 Stewart, (Messrs. King and 

 Campbell), calling on the de- 

 fenders for the name of the author 

 of the libel. 



The publication in the Belfast 

 newspaper was admitted. 



Several witnesses were called 

 to prove the arrival, in Glasgow, 

 of The Belfast Newsletter, con- 

 taining; 



