Page:England's alarm!.djvu/52

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[ 48 ]

a libel. The Jury, by finding for the plaintiff, or the defendant, include it in their verdict. And as to the other pretence, that they have nothing to do with the question of murder or no murder, no Crown Lawyer will be hardy enough to say, in his closet, whatever he may say in court, that if they find a man guilty of it, they do not join law and fact together, or that when the law is fully explained to them, they do not apply it to the fact proved, and find accordingly.

Away then with such arguments as these are, which have, nevertheless, from their perplexity, long dazzled the comprehension of Juries, who have been awed and hoodwinked into the directions of Judges, on trials for public libels; and who, from a want of a just sense of their duty, and of that false doctrine which has been imposed on them as orthodox, have been finally, though ignorantly induced to substitute guilt for innocence.

No contradiction can be greater than Mr. Bearcroft of himself, when after quoting

the