Tfie Judicial History of Individual Liberty, and made the principal speech. In the midst of these proceedings the militia appeared and attempted to disperse the gathering. A riot ensued, in which six persons were killed and some seventy others seriously wounded. In the violent public excitement which fol lowed, the conduct of the magistrates was strongly denounced; it was generally
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Obviously, on this theory, any large public meeting for the purpose of agitating reform of any kind would be an act of high treason. But the plan to indict for high treason broke down—the judges would not have it. Hunt and his associates were finally indicted for conspiracy to alter the constitution by force of arms, and unlawful assembly. They were
W ILLIAM CUNNINGHAM PLUNKETT.
thought that they were directly responsible for this bloody affray, henceforth known as the "Peterloo Massacre. Hunt and other radical leaders were, of course, arrested. Lord Eldon was for trying them for treason. His construction was that numbers consti tuted force, force terror, and terror illegality.
tried in March. 1820, before Justice Bayley and a special jury. Scarlett conducted the prosecution. Hunt defended himself. No euidence was allowed concerning the con duct of the authorities and soldiers; the case was rigidly confined to the meeting itself. Hunt presented over fifty witnesses in his
