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On Thursday, the 29th March instant, SAMUEL LOUNT and PETER MATTHEWS, who on the preceding Monday had pleaded GUILTY to the Indictment preferred against them for HIGH TREASON, were again placed at the BAR, when the ATTORNEY GENERAL moved for Judgement against them. Silence having been proclaimed, HIS HONOR, the CHIEF JUSTICE, pronounced the awful sentence of the LAW, preceded by the following impressive Address:SAMUEL LOUNT and PETER MATTHEWS! You have been arraigned upon several indictments charging you with High Treason. In accordance with the humane provisions of our law, many days have necessaraly elapsed between the time of your being indicted and arraigned; and in that interval you were furnished with full and exact copies of charges preferred against you, together with lists of the witnesses by whom those charges were to be proved, and with the names of the jurors who were to pronounce upon the awful question of your guilt or innocence. Having had all these advantadges for disproving the charge, if that were possible, you have each of you upon your arraignment pleaded "guilty"; that is, you have confessed that upon the day named in the indictments, you were in arms against your SOVEREIGH, and did traitorously levy war in this Province, for the purpose of subverting the constitution and government.... We have no discretion to exercise. The awful sentence of death must follow your conviction. But although a power to pardon resides only in the SOVEREIGN whose authority you endeavoured to subvert, if I could conscientiously encourage in you a hope that pardon would be extended, I should gladly do so - .. I know no grounds, however, on which I can venture to hold out such a hope; and I do therefore most earnestly exhort you to prepare yourselves for the execution of the sentence which is about to be pronounced. In the short time which may remain to you, I pray that you may be brought to a deep sense of the guilt of the crime of which you are convicted; and that may be enabled to address yourselves in humble and rearnest sincerity to the infinite mercy of the SAVIOUR whose divine commands you have transgressed...
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