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No. 21, VOL. 12.] LONDON, Friday, Nov. 25, 1825. [PRICE 6d.

TO THE REPUBLICANS OF THE ISLAND OF

ALBION,

And to all those who may desire to possess Republican Virtues and Republican Benefits in the British Isles.

LIBERATION!

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CITIZENS,

Dorchester, Nov. 19, 1825, THE sixth anniversary of my entering Dorchester Gaol, the 18th instant, has brought me outside its walls. The King, in Council, on the 12th, was advised to remit so much of my fines as had not been paid, and, on the 16th, he was further advised, mirabile dictu! wonderful to be said! from some "favourable circumstances" reported of me to him, "God knows from whom," for I do not, to remit that further part of my sentence, which required me to find recognizances during my natural life, of one thousand pounds on my own behalf, and of two hundred pounds on that of two other persons. On the 18th inst. I first heard of my good behaviour in the sight of a king, and, unless any of my friends suspect, that something unknown to them might have passed between me and the king or his advisers, I pledge my word, never yet wilfully mis-pledged, that nothing has passed on my part, but that which has appeared in "The Republican:" and the "favourable" report, if any thing more than official verbiage, has astounded me. To be sure, I did tell his Majesty lately, that he was my only idol, but, that, to him, I would not pray, nor offer flattery.

This remission of that part of my sentence which required me to find recognizances for good behaviour during life, must mean one of two things-either, that, on my part, free discussion is fully established, or that, on the part of the king's government, it means to renew prosecutions, and to pursue my expatriation. I am, of course, ignorant of state secrets; but my own course is determined-onward. My

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 135, Fleet Street.

I

future behaviour will be precisely what the past has been, with this one exception, that, if prosecutions cease, I shall war with the abuses of systems and not with persons. shall conduct discussions, in future, with a mild firmness, and with an absence of all bad personal feeling, studying to avoid all personal offence where none is given; still resolved, to pursue redress for the past, to shew that I have been a better man than my persecutors.

When I heard that my recognizances were abrogated, I acknowledge, that I felt and pronounced it a finish to my triumph; but, in every other respect, my quitting of the Gaol was to me mentally but as a change of lodgings. Yet, I am fully alive to what I have done and intend to do. If free discussion be accomplished in this country, it will be a point gained towards human improvement, of which the history of man, in no country, maketh mention. In some countries, all public discussion is suppressed in this, the maxim has, for two centuries, been, to punish the foremost. I saw this, eight years ago, and resolved to war with

I saw, also, that, by my going to extremes with discussion, I should remove all fears, as I removed all danger, of prosecution, from those, who had been foremost, or who might be disposed to follow me at a safe distance. On this ground, every free-minded literary man ought to have given me his support; for, my long confinement was, in fact, a sort of penal representation for the whole. I confess, that I have touched extremes, which many thought imprudent, and which I could only see to be useful, with the view of habiting the government and people to all extremes of discussion, so as to remove all idea of impropriety from the media which were most useful. If I find that I have done this, I shall become a most happy man; if not, I have the same disposition unimpaired, with which I began my present career-a disposition to suffer fines, imprisonment, or banishment, rather than that any man shall hold the power and exercise the audacity to say, and to act upon it, that any kind of discussion is improper and publicly injurious. When I began this article, I had some doubt of being able to obtain copies of the King's warrants for my discharge from the Gaol. I have now obtained them and here give copies.

KING'S WARRANT FOR REMISSION OF PART OF THE FINE UNPAID IMPOSED ON R. CARLILE NOW CONFINED IN DORCHESTER GAOL ON ACCOUNT THEREOF.

GEORGE R. Whereas the commissioners of our Treasury have represented unto us, that Richard Carlile was sentenced by our Court of King's Bench, in Michaelmas Term, 1819, to pay a fine of one thousand pounds and to be imprisoned in our Gaolat Dorchester for two years, and also to pay a further fine of five hundred pounds and to be further imprisoned in the said Gaol for one year, from and after the expiration of the first mentioned sentence, and to find security for his good behaviour for life, himself in one thousand pounds and two sureties in one hundred pounds each: and whereas, our said Commissioners have further represented unto us, that the said Richard Carlile is still in our said Gaol on account of the said fines and have recommended unto us to remit so much of the said fines as' may not have been paid by him, to which we are graciously pleased to condescend, Our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby remit so much of the said fines as may still remain unpaid by him the said Richard Carlile, on account of the said finès imposed on him as before mentioned. For which this shall be your warrant. Given at Our Court, at Carlton House, this 12th day of November, 1825, in the 6th year of Our Reign. By his Majesty's command, LIVERPOOL.

FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON.
LOWTHER.

To our trusty and well beloved Sheriff of our county of Dorset.

RICHARD CARLILE-REMISSION OF SURETIES.

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GEORGE R. Whereas, Richard Carlile was, at our court of King's Bench, holden at Westminster in Michaelmas Term, 1819, sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand pounds, and to be imprisoned in our Gaol at Dorchester for two years, and also to pay a further fine of five hundred pounds and to be further imprisoned in the said Gaol for one year from and after the expiration of the said term of two years and to find security for his good behaviour for life, himself in one thousand pounds and two sureties in one hundred pounds each, for printing and publishing certain scandalous, impious, blasphemous and profane libels and to be kept in safe custody until he shall have paid the said fines and given such security, We, in consideration of some favourable circumstances humbly represented unto us in his behalf, are graciously pleased to extend our Grace and Mercy unto him, and to remit unto him such part of his said sentences as directs his finding security for his good behaviour only. Our will and pleasure therefore is, that you do take notice hereof. And for so doing this shall be your

warrant.-Given at Our Court at Carlton House the sixteenth day of November, 1825, in the sixth year of our reign,

By his Majesty's command,

To our trusty and well beloved

ROB. PEEL.

the High Sheriff of the county of Dorset, and all others whom it may concern.

I was in a manner swept out of the Gaol, with bag and baggage. The Gaoler had been in London, and was there fully aware of my intended liberation; for, fearing, that he should not be home in time, he had sent word that I was to be got out with all speed, which would have been done, had I not been in some measure built up in the room, so as to leave no passage for my sofa couch, without taking it to pieces. This, and this alone, saved me time to send a notice to London, on that day, of my discharge. The Gaoler, to get home in time, took the Salisbury coach, and drove a horse and gig from Salisbury. About an hour or better, after the Chaplain and Clerk had communicated to me the contents of the warrants, the Gaoler entered my room with all his servants, as he calls them, and said: Now, I have your discharge, and the sooner you go the better." He then bid his men to clear the room, and he scarcely lost sight of me until I was out in a shower. In fact, both he and every assistant that could be had were in requisition, until I was off. This did not surprise me, and I did not give him an opportunity to witness any kind of emotion in me on the sudden subject of a liberation from a six years' imprisonment under as detestable a Gaoler as ever filled that office in England. I have not done with him yet, if he has done with me; but I wait now for that information as to facts which I could not get in the Gaol.

This is all I have to say, as to the news of the circumstance of my liberation. Comment I defer for a few weeks, or until after I get to London, which will be early in December, as, for the present, I have no house to step into of my own, that is fit to receive my family as to its space, and I wish to wait here to receive all communications that may come from different parts before my liberation can be known, and also, being so near, to step into my native county, which I have not visited within these last thirteen years.

RICHARD CARLILE.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EDITOR of the NEW TIMES NEWSPAPER.

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THE two first of the following documents are copied from the New Times newspaper of the 14th inst. answers have been sent, but have not appeared in Monday's paper of the 21st. If they appear in time for this publication, they will be copied with any comment that may appear with them; if not, as they were sent. Dorchester, Nov. 22, 1825. R. C.

RICHARD CARLILE.

We have received another letter from this person; and as it is drawn up with temperance and decorum, in answer to some of our remarks, we feel bound in justice to give it publicity.

At the same time, it appears to us to afford a very curious illustration of the effect of bad metaphysics on an illiterate mind. Mr. Carlile professes himself to be a materialist. He seems to

think that he perfectly knows and understands the nature of bodily objects, and that nothing else can be known or understood. Common sense and the natural apprehension of mankind would teach him that men practically know and understand their own minds just as much as they do their bodies. A common person, who has never puzzled his head with abstract reasoning, knows as well when he is angry, or joyful, or tranquil, or melancholy, as when he is hot or cold, or thirsty or tired. This practical knowledge is needful to all mankind, and therefore all mankind possess it. But when men begin to speculate on the metaphysical grounds of their knowledge, they are soon led astray, unless their researches, are guided by a due sense of their own weakness, and a due deference to the authority of wiser and better persons. Richard Carlile has, unfortunately for himself, waded beyond his depth, in this sort of speculation, and we see the result. Materialism, as he understands it, leads directly to Atheism. This is a great and striking lesson!

We proceed, without further comment, to lay before our Readers his letter:

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW TIMES.

SIR, Dorchester Gaol, Nov. 10, 1825. Your Papers of the 5th and the 8th are before me, and I have a few words to say in explanation. Had my letter been printed as a whole, there would have been no obscurity in the first sentence which you extracted. I had there defined myself to rest upon the doctrines of materialism, and my personification could not mean

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