Some Reasons Against a Bill to be Proposed in the House of Commons..

1828. A Scarce Argument Against Speeches for the Defense An Admirer. Some Reasons Against a Bill to be Proposed in the House of Commons, On the 8th of May, 1828, "To Enable Persons Charged with Felony to Make their Full Defence by Counsel:" Or in Other Words, "To Authorise the Counsel Employed on Behalf of Persons Tried for Felony to Address the Jury." By An Admirer of the Dispassionate and Candid Manner in which Justice is NOW Administered in Cases of Felony in the Courts of this Country. [London?: s.n., 1828]. 12 pp. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5-1/4"). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet in self wrappers. Light toning, leaves separating, first and final leaves detached and very lightly edgeworn, light foxing to a few leaves, faint offsetting to first leaf. $250. * Only edition. Written to refute a proposal that defense counsel should be entitled to "address the Court" as the prosecution does, this pamphlet argues that in a defense speech, "the passions of the Jury would be appealed to instead of their judgement," persuading them to be overly lenient to the defendant. The bill referenced in the title does not appear to have been proposed as planned. Today, counsel for the defendant is permitted to make an opening speech in some cases, but such opening statements are rare in the British system. OCLC locates 5 copies of this title, 2 in North America (Stanford, University of Missouri-Columbia). Not in the British Museum Catalogue.