punish him for it afterwards. Both in prayers, sermon, and lecture, he said that corruption had crept into the House of Commons.

Cross-examined-Witness had heard a general talk about Mr Doug las's politics; he was desired by no one to go and hear him; he went of his own free will. He spoke with a good deal of the Highland accent, and it was difficult to follow him.

James Waddell, surgeon in Glasgow, has also heard Mr Douglas preach, he thinks in February last; he went from motives of curiosity.The discourse was altogether novel, in discussing politics whilst preaching the gospel. He was occasionally very violent. The impression on witness's mind was, that he was drawing a parallel betwixt Nebuchadnezzar and the King, and Belshazzar and the Prince Regent, and that the King was deprived of his reason for his sins and crimes; he cannot recollect the exact words, it is merely the impression on witness's mind, and he had no doubt at the time. Mr Douglas said, that the night before Babylon was destroyed, Belshazzar and his counsellors were rioting and drinking, and that the Prince Regent held his meetings of the same kind, and that like causes always produced the like effects. He said the suspension of the Habeas Corpus act was an oppressive and unjust measure.He spoke of the House of Commons; and the impression on witness's mind at the time, of which he has no doubt, was, that he charged the House with being unjust and corrupt. Witness cannot recollect the exact words, but such was the impression on his mind: that it was on a Sunday evening, between six and nine; that the text was in Daniel, and was relative to Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and in his prayers he occasionally alluded to his lecture. He was there four times, on Sundays, and he was always on the same subject.

Alexander Taylor, town officer, Glasgow, said, that he had heard the pannel preach, and he was sent twice particularly to hear him. That he preached from Daniel, and he said, while preaching, that seats in the House of Commons were sold like bullocks in a market, and that the House was vastly open to corruption: that he compared Great Britain to Babylon, and he hoped the happy period was come for its downfall: that he advised his hearers to pray to turn the heart of the Prince, as a good prayer would have more effect than 10,000 men: that he quoted John Knox as an exemplary character, and spoke in disrespectful terms of the King and Prince Regent, particularly of the latter, and drew a parallel between Belshazzar and the Prince Regent, much against the latter that kings deserved the vengeance of God, particularly the European kings: that he said there was such corruption in Parliament, that the laws were not properly administered.

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John M'Callum, town-officer, Glasgow, said, that he was sent by the Magistrates to hear the pannel preach, either in February or March: that he was then preaching about Belshazzar's feast, and said that Britain was the mystical Babylon mentioned in the Scriptures: that he made allusion to all kings and rulers; but does not recollect his making any particular use of it against the King or Prince Regent. The pannel made some allusions to the House of Commons, but does not recollect them now: that the pannel hinted that public justice was not properly administered, particularly against reformers. Mr D. then told an anecdote of Marquis Cornwallis, while Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in pardoning a serjeant who had been condemned by a Court Martial for being concerned with the United Irishmen, which was afterwards found not to be the case; and that the judges who condemned our Saviour were

bet

ter,

ter than those now, as they had a sufficient number of witnesses, as required by their laws, whether they spoke truth or not. That the pannel said, that the present age was the Millennium of corruption, and if the vessel of state was not better piloted it would founder, as it was very crazy.

Matthew Lowdon, tailor, Glasgow, said, that he heard Mr Douglas preach three times last winter upon the handwriting Belshazzar saw upon the wall: that he alluded to Nebuchadnezzar being driven from the society of men, and alluded to the King also, who was driven from men's society, but not into those of beasts; and that this had no effect upon the Prince Regent, who behaved like Belshazzar: that he was very animated, and called the House of Commons a corrupted house; he prayed for the King and Prince Regent, and that they might get better counsellors, and that the heart of the poor infatuated prince might be turned. Hugh Paterson, labourer, Glasgow, said, that he remembers going to hear Mr Douglas preach twice, either in March or February, and he preached out of Daniel; and he remembers hearing him, in his prayer, call the Prince Regent a poor wretched or infatuated being, he not taking a warning by his father's fate: that Nebuchadnezzar had been driven from the society of men for his sins, and that our king had been the same. The pannel compared the Prince Regent to Belshazzar, by drinking out of the vessels of the Temple of Jerusalem, along with his wives, concubines, and courtiers, and polluting them that Louis XVI, of France had lost his life by bad counsellors, and that the Prince Regent also would not listen to poor petitioners, owing

:

to bad counsel.

John Waddell, tobacconist, Glasgow, said, that he went, about ten or twelve weeks ago, to hear the pannel preach three times, and that the text was Daniel v.: that the impression

on his mind at the time was, that Mr D. said that the Prince Regent was as fit for a gibbet as a throne; but there was a great deal of confusion at the time; this was the first night he heard Mr Douglas, and the service was begun before he went there, but recollects nothing else. When he went the second time, the pannel said that some of those who were concerned in the battle of Waterloo thought it an honour, but, for his part, be thought it a disgrace. The declarations of the pannel which were admitted by the pannel's Counsel, were then read, and closed the proof for the Crown. Exculpatory Proof.

Allan Campbell, teacher in Glasgow, is a regular attender of Mr Douglas's chapel: attended his evening lectures in February and March last remembers him lecturing on Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and drew a partial parallel betwixt them and the King as to his derangement. He never said the King had been af flicted on account of his infidelity and sins-he prayed that the King might be restored to his throne, if not, to one in heaven. He always spoke of the King with respect, and generally pray ed for him. He thinks Mr Douglas prayed more fervently for him than any minister in the Established Church whom witness has heard. Never heard him say that the Prince Regent was an infatuated wretch, or a devotee of Bacchus he can safely swear so. On the 9th March, witness was told there were spies in the house, and he paid particular attention to the discourse that evening-there was nothing said about the House of Commons-never heard him say it was corrupt and unjust, or that the members were thieves and robbers. He always spoke highly of the laws and administration of justice. Witnes recollects of him saying, the Sunday after his son's trial, that he deemed i a high honour to be a native of a country where the laws were so in

partiall

partially administered his son had been tried and convicted of swindling, and this was seriously said from the pulpit. Witness knows Mr Douglas in private life; he always spoke high ly of the Government and Constitution-he was a friend to reform, but he deprecated all rioting or force, but by petition. He advised his hearers to have nothing to do with the riots which took place in the Calton last summer. He never heard him say that the Prince Regent was as fit for a gibbet as a throne.

William Warrell, weaver in Glasgow, also regularly attended Mr Douglas's chapel, and recollects him lecturing on Nebuchadnezzar; he compared him to the King, principally on account of the length of their indisposition; he said the head was afflicted for the sins of the nation. He prayed that the King might be restored to his throne and reason in the same manner as Nebuchadnezzar; he recommended to his hearers to pray for the King. He applied the term thieves and robbers, from the 10th chapter of St John, to ministers of the church who came in by patronage, as not coming in by the door, but climbing up some other way. In every other particular, this witness corroborated the testimony of the preceding.

William Nisbet, weaver in Glasgow, recollects Pirie and another town officer at the chapel one night; there was another town officer towards the back. The one in front sat and wrote at times; the discourse was on the v. of Daniel, which Mr Douglas came to by rotation-he had been lecturing occasionally on that book for two years. This witness, in every particular, corroborated the evidence of the two preceding. preceding. Mr Douglas prayed that the King, like Nebuchadnezzar, might be raised up to his throne and dignity, and make use of the prayer of good old Simeon :"Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, since mine eyes have seen thy

salvation." Witness has many times heard him say this. Mr Douglas, in preaching after the trial of his son, held up the laws of the country, and said it was a great blessing to live under such laws, where no man could he harmed without proof. Mr Donglas is an enemy to patronage, and said such ministers as climbed in that way were thieves and robbers.

John Rentoul, candlemaker in Glasgow, also attended Mr Douglas's Chapel regularly for twelve years, and was present at all his evening lectures in February and March last. Remembers Mr Douglas making mention of the name of the King, but cannot recollect any thing about an allusion to Nebuchadnezzar-never heard him make use of the expressions in the indictment. He must have heard him if he had. He used to pray for the King more earnestly than any minister witness ever heard-be always spoke of him with respect. In other particulars this witness corroborated the preceding.

David Young, weaver in Glasgow, has attended Mr Douglas's chapel for six years, and gave exactly similar evidence. Mr D. prayed that the King might, like Nebuchadnezzar, be restored to his throne and dignity, and his last days be more glorious than his first. The very Sunday after his return from Edinburgh, from the trial of his son, he spent a whole discourse in praising the impartial administration of justice in this country, and discharged his hearers from any acts of violence, or from attend. ing any private or illegal meetings.

John Chalmers give similar testimony. He said it was very difficult for a stranger to understand Mr Douglas for some time-one is apt to lose the tendency of his discourse.

Mr Jeffrey stated that he had several more witnesses in attendance, but he considered it quite unnecessary to take up the time of the Court at this late hour with calling any more.

The

The Solicitor-General addressed the Jury for the Crown. He acknowledged that the evidence adduced against the prisoner had fallen far short of what he had had reason to expect; it had not been such, he admitted, as to warrant a verdict of Guilty on any of the charges, but though this had not been made out, he would expect a verdict of Not Proven.

Mr Jeffrey then followed on behalf of the prisoner. He stated, that as nothing had been proved against Mr Douglas, he was not bound to suffer such a stain on his character as a verdict of Not Proven would attach to it, and he confidently expected a verdict of Not Guilty.

The Lord Justice Clerk said, after what had been so ably stated by the Counsel on both sides, he would leave the case entirely with the Jury.

The Jury having retired for a few

minutes, returned a viva voce verdict by Mr Dundas of Dundas, their Chancellor, unanimously finding the prisoner Not Guilty.

The Lord Justice Clerk, after a short admonition to Mr Douglas, ad- € vising him in future to be more careful in the selection of his subjects for the moral and religious instruction of his hearers, dismissed him from the bar.

Mr Douglas thanked the Court, and added, that he ever had, and ever would pray sincerely for his Majesty and the Royal Family.

Counsel for the Crown, the Solici tor-General, H. H. Drummond, and J. Maconochie, Esqrs.; Agent, Mr H. Warrender, W. S. For the pannel, F. Jeffrey, H. Cockburn, J. P. Grant, and J. A. Murray, Esqrs.Agent, Mr D. Ramsay.

907

26,893" 4" 1

28th ditto

31st ditto

32,696, 7-11

32d ditte