074_383.xml

Title: [10 April 1804 Evidence Forthcomingness]

Description: 10 April 1804

Evidence

Forthcomingness

§ 6 Appearance - General

Subsequent Appear

French Law

§. 6. Continuation - French Law.

In French law, it should seem, after the recent improvements /legislative labours/ of so many years, this innovation is yet to make. Summoned by the defendant in a criminal cause, or at any rate a capital one, a witness is at perfect liberty. Friendly to the summoner he obeys the summons: adverse, or indifferent, he takes no notice of it. The case in which this was pronounced to be law, and by the first /highest/ person /authority/ in the law, was the case of treason committed against the person of the first Magistrate. +

It means /declares/ just the contrary. I neither dare to appear, nor would appear if I durst. There is one above me /Above me sits a potentate/ whose wish it is to see the defendant convicted, guilty or not guilty. By hope and fear together the wish of that [...?] reigns in my heart paramount to [...?]. Were I to appear, and to be examined, I must save the defendant at the expense of my interest, or destroy him at the expense of my character. Then plea /speech/ may be true or false: but such is the tenor /language/ of it, as plain as it is in the power of silence to speak, by the interpretation of circumstances /with circumstances to interpret it/.

Dans le procès criminal contre leur qui avaient tenté d'assasséner Bonaparte, Demerville l'un des accusès se plaignait de l'absence du Consul Carabarerès[?] qu'il avait démandé comme témoin à dechaigé - Je demande, dit-il, que le tribunal lui enjoint/enjoigne[?] de compaioître - Le tribunal n'en a pas le droit, répond le President. La comparation des témoins à décharge est volontaire pour eux. Ne point comparoître, c'est repondre, c'est dire qu'ils n'ont n'en à déclarer en faveur de l'accusé - Paris[?]-par delties[?] n.220 Fevrier ann. 1800.

Ce principe est faux. Le témoin sommè par l'accusé ne doit point avoir le droit de se refuser: il ne peut point savoir davance sur quoi l'accusé peut s'appelles en témpoignage - ce peut être sur un fait essentiel que lui seul peut prouver - accorder ce droit aux témoins à decharge, ce seroit mettre un accusé dans le cas de ne pouvoir faire aucune de ses preuves justificatives - c'est donner libre carriere à l'homme puissant contre tout le monde - c'est exposer les témoins à dècharge qui compaivissent, au lieu que leur propre sûreté demande qu'ils soient sous la constrainte de la loi et sous celle du serment.

Le refus de compaioître ne signifie point qu'on n'a n'en à declarer en faveur de l'accusé - il signifie qu'on craint de se compromettre en parlant pour un homme accussé par une partie redoutable - qu'on est indolent qu'on n'aime pas l'accusé - qu'on ne se soncie pas de lui -

Le témoin sommé peut-il decider davance sur quel point de fait l'accusé a besoin de son témoignage -

Ce principe me paroit si horrible que je crains de ne pas comprendre le vrai sens du President de ce tribunal cependant, je ne puis en trouver aucun autre. Témoin à decharge, e'est un témoin que l'accusè rèclame en sa faveur. Les laisser libres de paroître ou de ne pas comparaître, c'est les laisser libres de refuser le premire service qu'on doit à un citoyen et[?] à un malheureux.

(Translation)

In the criminal process against those who have attempted to assassinate Bonaparte, Demerville one of the accused complained of the absence of the Consul Carabarerès[?] whom he asked to be [a] witness for the defence. - I ask, he says, that the tribunal call upon him to appear - The tribunal is not entitled to replied the President. The appearance of witnesses of the defence is voluntary for them. Not to appear at all, is to reply, is to say that they do not declare (themselves) in favour of the accused - Paris[?]-by [...?] n.220 February yr.1808.

This principle is false. The witnes summoned by the accused does not at all have the right to refuse: he could not at all know in advance on what the accused would be called upon to give evidence - this perhaps on an essential fact that he alone could prove to accord the right to the witness of the defence, would be to put an accussed in the place to not be able to do anything with his relevant evidence - it is to give a free hand to the powerful man against the whole world - it is to expose the witnesses of the defence who testify, wheras their own security demands that they should be under the constraint of the law and under that of oath.

The refusal to testify does not at all signify that one does not declare oneself in favour of the accused - it signifies that one fears to compromise oneself by talking for an accused man by a redoubtable party - that one is indolent - that one does not like the accused - that one does not concern oneself about him -

Should the summoned witness decide in advance on whichpoint of fact the accused has need of his testimony -

This principle appears to me so horrible that I fear not to have understood the true sense of the President or this tribunal however, I can not think of any other. Witness of the defence, it is a witness that the accused calls for in his favour. To let them free to appear or not to testify, its to let them free to refuse the first duty that one owes to a citizen and [?] to an unfortunate.

JB_538_087_001.xml

Title: [Voila Wilson qui m'interrompe & je ne puis]

Description: Voila Wilson qui m'interrompe & je ne puis pas le renvoyer

Je voudrai ecrire a W. — Wilson s'en va. Je vois par votre lettre

d'hier que la lettre du Comte de warwick est deja

expedie a bataille. Je voudrois s'il etoit possible l'avoir

empeche, & pour cela j'avois dessein de me rendre chez vous

demain. Mais comme je serois trop tard pour cela, & que

j'ai des affaires qui me retiennent en ville, outre que

les chemins sont mauvaises & bourbeuses a outrance, j'ai

differe ce dessein. J'ecris le coeur serr è & je ne scais

gueres m'exprimer.

Cependant Si dans la votre reponse qui viendra Lundi a ma derniere

vous continuez de me marquer que vous souhaitez que

je me rende chez vous, soyez sur que je ne manquerai

point; je me trouverai chez vous si je suis en vie, le

day.

Alas, my , dear Sam, you must write to Q.S.P. I dined

dined there today & my Father told me he had written

to you 10 days ago inclosing a draught for M rs D. &

desiring you to give him information of the receipt of it,

& he has not had a syllable of answer. He introduced it

by asking whether you were gone to Battle; pretending to

conclude that that was the case rather than suppose you had received

his letter.

J'ai ecrit cette nuit a Wise pour le presser de m'exposer franchement l'etat de

ses affaires: lui offrant en general tout ce qui dependent de moi, mais

n'osant pas m'engager a rien de specifique.

Sat. Jan. 17 or 18. 1777.

You shall have your parcel tomorrow - M r Davies

letters &c.

JB_537_358_002.xml

Title: [I will now copy a scrap I had written to]

Description: I will now copy a scrap I had written to thee, immediately upon the receipt of your first to M r Davies. I left off, fearing the paper might be too thick. Dit mille graces, mon cher I am, ( car mille ne sufficient pas) pour la letter que j' ay recue ce moment par l'entremuse de M r Davies. J'y vois la bonhomie du mon chere frère, avec toute la ligerete Francoise. Vous avez meme attrapee quelque mots characteristiques de la langue, que vous avez seu pour la plupart mettre assez bien a leur place. Courage, mon petit bijou, (aussi petit par rapport a moi que vous ecrit cela qu'un Lannitor (hornet) vis a vis l'un guesse) si je ne suis pas plus mauvais prophete que tous les douze ensemble, vous ne manquerez pas de tourner votre sejour bien a profit. Accrochez vous sur-tout a cette belle dame qui a cue la Conte de vous preter son dictionarire — Tellement quellement, d'un facon ou d'autre faites vous en entendre. Write to me once more, to tell me of your destination, (if you know it) till your return. I hope you will go to Paris, if it be but for a day or two. Make a hard push for it. Is anything settled between you and the Davies's about meeting at Battle? If Q.S.P. were to return by way of Brighthelinstone, it would not be I believe, a great deal out of your way. They might then put you down, in the Equipage &c. If you think there is anything feasible in this, I would open the matter to my Father by letter: and, if requisite, to M r Davies. He might be desired to mention it as a scheme of his own, to M rs Davies. You know I suppose, of old Ackworth's death, and that the Widow is to be with her two daughters by turns, and that D is looking out for a larger house. I have a scheme in my head, which I will mention to you, that you may have somewhat to look forward to perhaps with a little pleasure. It is this. Davies wrote to me to ask me to go down to Chatham in your absence. This, for many reasons I declined. Hindrance to my studies, Fordyce's lectures, you not there. How my book hastens to a completion. I shall want an amanuensis to transcribe it for the proof and I should like to read it over to you and M r D. You scrutinize more closely a vast deal than M r Lind: and you would take more interest in a work of mine; than he does in his own. And M r Davies would certainly be now and then of some use. I wonder whether Chatham could furnish a correct and fluent amanuensis: or in short any amanuensis — My Tom is so drawling he won't do at all. There would be somewhat sociable in our Triple points: our Trinity if you please And by that time Miss Ousinam perhaps may be returned; and we might have some Music. As D. will have a larger house (with some little assets to support it, who knows but it might be possible to get the fair incognita there, some time or another. If my health were to hold especially, we could court her together to perfection. Lincoln's Inn Tuesday 12 Sept. 1775 Adieu — This is Baskerville's paper is it not beautiful? Poor Bark: is dead & we shall have, perhaps, no more A Mons: r Mons: r Bentham (Le fils) chez. Mons:r Mons: r Le Hardi Rue S t Jean Caen France.