On the 20th of April, 1814, the Grand Jury for the City of London, at
the Sessions-House, in the Old Bailey, returned a True Bill, which set
forth:
[_First Count._]--That at the times of committing the several offences
in this Indictment mentioned, there was, and for a long time before, to
wit, two years and upwards, had been an open and public war between our
Lord the King and his Allies, and the then ruler of France, to wit,
Napoleon Bonaparte, and the people of France:
And that _Charles Random de Berenger_, _Sir Thomas Cochrane_, commonly
called _Lord Cochrane_, _Andrew Cochrane Johnstone_, _Richard Gathorne
Butt_, _Ralph Sandom_, _Alexander M'Rae_, _John Peter Holloway_, and
_Henry Lyte_, supposing and believing, that false reports and rumours of
the death of said Napoleon Bonaparte, and of disasters and losses having
recently occurred and happened to the said people of France, would
induce the subjects of our said Lord the King to suppose and believe,
that a peace between our said Lord the King and his subjects, and the
said people of France would soon be made, and that an increase and rise
in the Government Funds and Government Securities of this Kingdom, would
be occasioned thereby. And unlawfully, &c. intending to injure and
aggrieve the subjects of our said Lord the King, who should make
purchases of and in said Funds, &c. on the 19th February, in
Fifty-fourth year of the Reign of our said Lord the King, at the parish
of St. Bartholomew, by the Exchange, in the Ward of Broad-street, in
London aforesaid, unlawfully, &c. did conspire, &c. to make and
propagate, and to cause, &c. to be made and propagated, a false report
and rumour, that the French had been then lately beaten in battle, and
that said Napoleon Bonaparte was killed, and that the Allies of our said
Lord the King were in Paris.
And that they, the _Defendants_, would thereby induce the subjects of
our said Lord the King to suppose and believe, that a peace would soon
be made between our said Lord the King and the said people of France,
and occasion an increase, &c. of the prices of the Government Funds, &c.
And that _Defendants, Sir Thomas Cochrane Johnstone, Richard Gathorne
Butt, and John Peter Holloway_, respectively, should then sell, and
cause, &c. to be sold for them, to divers liege subjects, &c. divers
large parts, and shares in said Funds, &c. at higher and greater prices
than said parts and shares of and in said Funds, &c. would otherwise
sell for, with a wicked and fraudulent intention to thereby cheat, &c.
the said subjects, &c. of divers large sums of money.
And that afterwards, to wit, on the 21st February, in the year
aforesaid, at the parish and ward aforesaid, in London aforesaid, to
wit, at Dover, in the county of Kent, the said _Charles Random de
Berenger_, in pursuance, &c. of said conspiracy, did unlawfully, &c.
write a certain false and counterfeit letter, containing divers false
matters, which said false and counterfeit letter is directed as follows:
"To the Honorable J. Foley, Port Admiral, Deal, &c. &c. &c.
_Dover, One o'Clock, A. M._
_February 21, 1814._