y; whether
that committee is composed of honourable men or not, is to me a matter
of perfect indifference. If they have been actuated by a sincere desire
of bringing to justice persons who have been guilty of criminal conduct,
I, for one, am not disposed to complain of them. Gentlemen, I cannot
agree with my learned friend Mr. Gurney, or my learned friend Mr.
Serjeant Best, in what, in different parts of their address, they stated
to you as being the leading features of this prosecution; for my learned
friend Mr. Gurney, in the outset of his address to you, stated, that
what he called the Northfleet plot was only a part of the Dover
conspiracy--was subsidiary to it. I think his expression was, that they
both formed different parts of one entire plot, and that those who were
guilty of one must be taken to be guilty of both; although Mr. Holloway,
in his confession, had acquitted Lord Cochrane and Mr. Cochrane
Johnstone, of having any part or share in the Northfleet conspiracy.
Now, gentlemen, I will state to you in the outset, that I mean to
consider the case in a different point of view. I have not the
slightest doubt on earth, that what was done by Sandom, Lyte, and M'Rae,
when they left Northfleet on the morning of the 21st of February, was
altogether unconnected, and was utterly unknown to, that person, whoever
he was, who came from Dover, and that he had no sort of connection with
it. Gentlemen, if I am right in establishing this point; if you shall
ultimately be satisfied that Mr. Holloway, Mr. Sandom, and Mr. Lyte, who
I admit were concerned in that part of the business, were altogether
unconnected with the person who came from Dover, and who has been stated
to-day to be involved with Lord Cochrane and Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, I
apprehend that the three defendants for whom I appear cannot be found
guilty. That my learned friend Mr. Gurney considers the case in this
point of view is beyond all question, for he opened it to you as part of
this case, that what he called the Northfleet conspiracy, was a part of
the Dover plot, and was in furtherance of it; and he not only has so
stated it in his address, but, as I read the record, it is so stated
upon the record; for, in the very first count of the indictment you are
now impanelled to try, it is set forth, that Sandom, M'Rae and Lyte took
the chaise from Northfleet, and so passed on to London, in furtherance
of that plot which was originated at Dover. Gentlemen, I submit