At the York Assizes, Mr. Feargus O'Connor was tried on
a criminal information for publishing in the Northern Star the following libel on the Guardians of the Poor-law Union at Warminster in Wiltshire-
" Warminster Bastile. A little boy last week, for some small offence, was confined in one of the cells belonging to the above workhouse, and was literally !starved to death. The poor little fellow during his confinement actually ate, m consequence of hunger, two of his fingers and the flesh from his arm." Mr. Sergeant Atcherly, Mr. Cresswell, and Mr. Wightman appeared for the prosecution ; and Mr. O'Connor conducted his own defence.
The article itself, he said, was ludicrous. it' indeed they believed that the boy did cat his fingers, they might be quite certain the Governor was not fed on such things : whatever he use the boys, he seemed at least to have taken good care of himself. Mr. 0 Connor was never at 'Warminster in his life; he fever wrote the paragraph; he never saw or heard of' it until the Attorney- General moved for the rule; the article came through the medium of another
newspaper, and the greater portion of it treated of the low price of labour at Warminster. lie alien adverted to the motives for the prosecution; and asked why this information had been allowed to slumber from December to April, except that the Ministry hoped for a larger bait ; and that not being offered they thought a smaller one would do?
A verdict of " Guilty" was returned by the 3 fay : and Mr. O'Connor entered into recognizant:es to appear at-Warminster and receive judg- ment.
The trials of Chartist rioters at Llanidloes, Newtown, and other places in Montgomeryshire, have terminated. Me man has been sen- tenced to fifteen years' transportation, three to seven years', and thirty- five persons, three of them women, to terms of imprii..eninent varying front t WO months to one year.
At the Assizes held last week at Devizes, W. Carrier, W. Roberts, and IL Vincent, were indicted tbr seditious languago :11 public meetings iu November last; but their trials are postponed to the next Assizes, bail for their appearance being given. Roberts coo .Lined of having brim handcuffed, and treated like a convicted felon, is lieu he was com- mitted before. Mr. .11/s:ice Coleridge declined to take any steps in this matter without ferther inquiry. Nothing of the kind, he said, ought to be done, unless under extraordinary circumstances.
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