[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 18 Oct 1823 - Public-Office (1)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 18 Oct 1823   (p. 2, col. 6 - p. 3, col. 2)

 

PUBLIC-OFFICE, TOWN-HALL. 

 

On Monday, Mr. Vincent Geo. DOWLING, one of the Reporters on the establishment of the Morning Chronicle, was brought up at this
office, in custody of Ruthven, the Bow-street officer, charged with stealing from the Coffee-House Coach office, in this city, on
the morning of the 13th of September last, a parcel, containing a report of the proceedings at the dinner given to Mr. BROUGHAM and
Mr. DENMAN, on the Thursday preceding, at Glasgow, which report had been forwarded by the mail from the office of the Glasgow
Chronicle, and addressed to the Editor of the Times newspaper. 

 

Several witnesses were in attendance-also Mr. HICKS one of the proprietors and manager of the Times, and Mr. HENSON of London, and
Mr. G. G. MOUNSEY, of Carlisle, his legal advisers. 

 

Before the examination commenced, Mr. DOWLING addressed the Magistrates at some length. He said it would be proper to state,
perhaps, at the outset, that there was a feeling of rivalry of old standing, between the Times and Morning Chronicle, and that, on
the occasion of this dinner, the Chronicle had published a report of great length and correctness, he, Mr. D. and others having been
specially deputed to take it, so that the feeling with which this business had been entered upon was pretty evident. He declared
that he was wholly innocent of the charge-that he could not possibly have any motive for the petty theft attributed to him; because,
in the first place, he was not proprietor of the Morning Chronicle, and therefore could have no interest or pleasure in depriving
the Times of its matter; secondly, that the Morning Chronicle, having made extraordinary exertions to get a report of a very
superior order, those connected with it were more anxious than otherwise, that the Times should publish what it had obtained from
Glasgow, in order that the public, by contrasting the two, might be enabled the better to appreciate the exertions of the
establishment with which he had the honour to be connected. But the chief object which he had in view at present, was to call upon
the Magistrates (the Mayor, Dr. LOWRY, and Rowland FAWCETT, Esq.) to prohibit the publication of any ex-parte statements of this
case, whatever it might be, for he had both in this neighbourhood and in London, friends of the most respectable kind, whose
feelings would be much wounded on seeing in the public prints such an imputation upon his honour and character, neither of which had
been previously impeached in any way whatever. He was the more particular in arguing this request, as he saw a gentleman belonging
to the press present with whom Mr. HICKS had just been speaking, he therefore saw what he had to expect-any thing but fair play- 

 

The Editor of this paper was the person alluded to; and he at once assured Mr. DOWLING that he attended there accidentally, had no
acquaintance whatever with Mr. HICKS, and would not furnish the information that he might gather to that gentleman or any one else:
neither would he publish any thing calculated to make a false impression. 

 

Mr. DOWLING said he begged pardon. He felt himself quite safe in the hands of gentlemen. Still, the magistrates must be aware that
there were other means of circulating ex-parte statements, and unless they laid their injunctions upon all present, it was very easy
to transmit statements to London that must, from their nature, be injurious, perhaps ruinous, to him. At present he stood alone and
unfriended to meet a charge involving his future credit and happiness. He had been apprehended while attending the Birmingham
musical festival professionally (as a reporter for the Chronicle); and was hurried off to Carlisle, without being allowed to consult
with any of his friends. He had, indeed, written to Mr. CLEMENT, the proprietor of the Morning Chronicle, from Birmingham, as soon
as he knew the nature of the charge against him, and had received an answer in Carlisle that morning; an answer which the
magistrates were at perfect liberty to peruse. 

 

Mr. HENSON said they wished not to publish any ex-parte statements; and Mr. DOWLING well knew that whoever did such a thing was
liable to prosecution for the offence. 

 

Mr. DOWLING said he was aware of the legal liability, but how were such prosecutions met? The practice of every day was the direct
contrary. He knew enough of police examinations and police reports to be apprehensive of them. 

 

On these grounds Mr. DOWLING and Mr. G. SAUL, who attended as his professional assistant, moved for a private examination. 

 

The Magistrates did not deem it proper to grant this request; but said they certainly should expect that no one present would
publish, or cause to be published, any thing at all tending to prejudice Mr. DOWLING's defence. 

 

The information of Wm. M'ADAM, collecting clerk in the office of the Glasgow Chronicle, was then read. On the 12th of September, he
saw Mr. David PRENTICE, Editor of that paper, inclose in a parcel a report of the dinner given to Mr. BROUGHAM and Mr. DENMAN, taken
for the Times, which was addressed 'To the Editor of the Times, London,' and on the parcel was written, "If no one is in waiting for
this packet, 4s. extra porterage will be paid for it if delivered immediately." This parcel he took to the mail-coach office, had it
booked, and saw it put into the box in which such articles are forwarded. Deponent knew that Mr. Vincent DOWLING came to Glasgow to
the dinner, and again left that town on the 11th or 12th, previously ordering two Glasgow newspapers to be sent in a parcel
addressed to him at the Carlisle coach-office. 

 

Mr. M'ADAM was then called and sworn, and identified Mr. DOWLING. To various questions by Mr. D., Mr. SAUL, and the Magistrates, he
answered in substance-The report packed up was partly printed and partly written. He had reason to know that the Proprietors of the
Times had requested one to be sent, and the packet sent contained a report.-I read no part of it, he continued, but I saw them busy.
I saw a sheet of paper on the Editor's desk, and he and two others were making up the parcel. I can say positively that it was a
report of the dinner. I saw the title, "Report of the proceedings," &c. I read these lines, backward, as printers read, as the
papers lay opposite me at a little distance: but I afterwards lost sight of the parcel, and I cannot take upon myself to swear that
what I afterwards took to the coach-office was the report alluded to, though I have every reason to believe that it was. 

 

By Mr. HENSON.-I saw the papers lying before the Editor-saw him roll them up-saw him direct the parcel. I had every reason to see
it. I took the parcel to the office, and saw it put into the box. "I am very anxious," said the Editor when he gave it to me, "that
this parcel for the Times should go off to-night." These were his words. And he was moreover so particular that he sent another
person with me as a witness that the parcel was properly delivered. 

 

By Mr. DOWLING-There was a report of the dinner also sent to the Morning Herald by the same conveyance. 

 

Mr. HENSON-There was, and I admit that it came to hand. 

 

Witness-I took both at the same time, booked both, saw them put into the box, but I did not afterwards see them put into the
mail-coach. 

 

Mr. HENSON-What was the value of the mere paper-I mean the intrinsic value? 

 

Witness-I would have given more than 2d. for it. 

 

On being questioned by Mr. SAUL, who took up a piece of paper, and asked if it was written on so and so, and blotted and interlined
so and so, witness said such a piece of paper was worthless. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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