JET. 32.] CASE OF THE HUNTS, SOI 



"I have stolen a few moments from my clients 

 here to send you this little account, which I think 

 you would expect from me. Believe me, dear Mrs 

 Brougham, ever most sincerely yours, 



"FRA. HORSTER." 



During this my first session in Parliament, I took 

 part in several other important questions, and chiefly 

 on the abuse of flogging in the army and navy; but 

 no motion was made upon the subject. A strong 

 opinion had been expressed, both by myself and 

 others, that some restraint should be placed upon the 

 sentences of courts-martial, and the subject had much 

 occupied both Parliament and the public. 



In the year before, the Attorney-General thought 

 fit to prosecute several persons, and the contributors 

 to several newspapers which had somewhat violently 

 taken up this matter, and Mr Cobbett had been sen- 

 tenced to a heavy fine and two years' imprisonment. 

 It was generally understood that the subject was next 

 to forbidden in consequence of these prosecutions, 

 and especially of Cobbett's severe punishment. Con- 

 sequently, when the case of the Hunts came on for 

 trial in 1811, there was no expectation of an acquittal; 

 and I, acting as his counsel, had little or no hopes of 

 saving him, although his publication was free from 

 the violence of Cobbett. I, of course, exerted myself 

 to the uttermost, and all the more for the strong ex- 

 pression of opinion which I had delivered in Parlia- 

 ment. My gratification was extreme when I found 



