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Rh respectable circle of friends, to whom he was endeared by the best virtues that adorn social life—inflexible integrity, steady friendship, a disposition, elevated, humane, and charitable, a temper unusually cheerful, and a memory rich in anecdote and information, chiefly of the literary kind.—His father, who cultivated his profession for some years in London, in the printing-office of Mr. Watts (where he had the celebrated Dr. Franklin for his fellow-journeyman), was afterwards ranked among the literary printers of his time, and at his death was recorded as a gentleman "well skilled in the learned languages." His father was the rev. Jas. Chalmers, professor of divinity in the Marischal college, who died in 1744. About the year 1740, his son returned from London, and in 1746 established the Aberdeen Journal, at the close of the memorable rebellion, during which he was a considerable sufferer from his attachment to the house of Hanover. His son, the subject of this article, was born in March, 1742, and, after a classical and academical education at Marischal college, removed to London, and improved himself in the typographical art, both there and at Cambridge, until September, 1764, when the death of his father put him in possession of the establishment in his native city. Although now engaged in a business which afforded but little relaxation, and with the cares of a numerous family, he found leisure to indulge his love of literature by that extensive course of reading which rendered him a valuable member of the literary societies of the place. With many of the professors of both colleges, and particularly with the late Dr. Gilbert Gerard, and Beattie, he formed an intimacy which death only dissolved. Had he been able to devote more time to study, it was universally thought by all who knew him, that he might have excelled in any branch of polite literature. As a man of business he was more generally known for his unvaried integrity, industry, and punctuality, which recommended him to the confidence and friendship of men of the highest rank and superior attainments. In 1769, he married Margaret, youngest daughter of Mr. David Douglas, of London, by whom he left four sons and six daughters, who, with his afflicted widow, had to lament the loss of a tender husband, an indulgent father, and an affectionate and engaging friend and companion.

1810, July 9. , author,, printer,, newsvender, and, bookseller, were tried in the court of king's bench, under Pitt's act, for a libel. It appears that Mr. Cobbett wrote an article for his Political Register, relative to the flogging of some of the sons and servants of English farmers, who were serving their period in the local militia at Ely, in Cambridgeshire, for a trifling dispute or grumbling, construed by military law into mutiny, about an unpaid allowance for knapsacks. The ceremony was executed under a guard of the German Legion, which regiment happened to be then stationed at Newmarket. At that time it was thought but a degree less than sedition to speak even disrespectfully of our foreign mercenaries, especially if Germans; and sir Vicary Gibbs, then attorney-general, commenced a prosecution against Mr. Cobbett, author—Hansard, printer—Bagshaw, newsvender—and Budd, bookseller; for one and the same offence. Cobbett pleaded the general issue, and put himself upon his defence. Hansard, Bagshaw, and Budd, having no stomach for denying their respective avocations, or that they did print, or publish, or sell, the work in question; and, from nods and winks, having an idea of being excused the calling-up for judgment, even in case of a jury finding for the prosecutor (especially if they gave the attorney-general no trouble in proving their share of the crime), determined to take the chance of the verdict: and therefore said, we will trouble you with no defence—we let judgment go by default. But still further—Hansard was made a witness in the same cause for which he was to be tried as a culprit. He was served with a subpoena, to produce the manuscripts and give evidence of the hand writing, as a witness against Cobbett. However, Cobbett admitted the authorship; and the witness was not wanted. A verdict of guilty was found; and to the astonishment of all England, Cobbett, Hansard, Bagshaw, and Budd, were all brought up for, and received judgment of the court. William Cobbett was sentenced to be imprisoned two years in Newgate, and to pay a fine of £1,000, to keep the peace for seven years, in the sum of ₤3,000, and two sureties in £1,000 each; Hansard three months' imprisonment in the king's bench, and to find sureties for two years for his good behaviour; that of Bagshaw and Budd, two months each, and sureties also. The paper in which the article appeared, be it remembered, was published on Saturday morning, and the manuscripts were received from the author, in piece-meal, by the posts of Thursday and Friday, so that there was no possibility of contemplating, or of taking an opinion learned in the law, before hundreds of the number were circulated. Such were the proceedings of a government, whose leader, Mr. Pitt, in framing measures for the liberty of the press, took especial care that the blessing he granted, was only the forerunner of a curse.—See Hansard's ''Parl. Deb''. v. 34, p. 987.