EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



THE original Report of Mr. Sellar's Trial, of which the 

 following is a verbatum reprint, was published by Mr. Patrick 

 Robertson, Junior Counsel for the accused, to use his own 

 words, " from notes taken in Court, and omits nothing 

 but the arguments of the Counsel, which are kept back, 

 least it may be supposed that this publication was intended 

 to convey anything beyond the mere facts of the case ". His 

 preface, from which we quote, Mr. Robertson might also 

 have left out, as we do; for it is nothing less than a daring, un- 

 founded, and general charge of "idleness," "violence," "riot," 

 " disaffection," " unreasonable opposition to improvements," 

 and other crimes, against a whole people, and a fulsome 

 laudation of the cruel system which the " noble Proprietrix " 

 and Mr. Sellar adopted " to secure their (the people's) happi- 

 ness and comfort " ! No other report of the Trial, 

 unfortunately, exists, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Robert- 

 son's version of it, and the remarks thereon by Judge and 

 Counsel, are given by Mr. Robertson as free from bias 

 and with as great impartiality as his preface is partial and 

 unfair. We have dealt with that curious piece of special 

 pleading as " Mr. Sellar's Junior Counsel " has dealt with 

 " the arguments of counsel," omitted it, lest we might 

 throw ourselves open to the charge of conveying "any- 

 thing beyond the mere facts," as they are presented to 



