Thus^  my  Lord,  after  reciting  in  their  affidavit  the  charge
of  their  shameful  misconduct,  in  renewing  the  contract  with
the  Huntingdon  butchers,  who  had  just  compounded  the  pe-
nalties incurred  by  the  breach  of  a  former  contract,  and  in  that
breach  of  contract,  the  breach  of  every  principle  of  humanity,
as  well  as  of  honesty ;— ^md  the  charge  of  putting  improper  ob->
jects  of  charity  into  the  Hospital,  while  the  families  of  poor
Pensioners  were  excluded  and  starving ; — and  of  screening
delinquents  from  inquiry  and  punishment  in  a  pointed  and
particular  instance^  and  therefore  traversable  as  a  substantive
fact  >  yet  not  only  there  is  no  such  traverse,  but,  though  aTl
these  matters  are  huddled  together  in  a  mass,  there  is  not
even  a  general  denial ;  but  one  loose  innuendo,  that  the  facts
in  the  publication  are  stated  with  an  intention  of  criminating
the  Prosecutors,  and  that,  as  far  as  they  tend  to  criminate
themy  they  are  false*

Will  this  meet  the  doctrine  laid  down  by  your  Lordship  in
the  case  of  General  Plasto  ? — ^Wno  can  tell  what  they  mean
by  criminality  ? — Perhaps  they  think  neglect  of  duty  not
criminaly— ^perhaps  they  think  corrupt  servility  to  a  patron  not
criminal ;  and  that  if  they  do  not  actively  promote  abuses,
the  winking  at  them  is  not  criminal.  But  I  appeal  to  the
Court,  whether  the  Directors'  whole  affidavit  is  not  a  cautious
composition  to  avoid  downright  perjury,  and  yet  a  glaring
absurdity  on  the  face  of  it ;  for  since  the  facts  are  not  tra-
versed, the  Court  must  intend  them  to  exist ;  and  if  they  do
exist,  they  cannot  but  be  criminal.  The  very  existence  of
such  abuses,  in  itself  criminates  those,  whose  offices  are  to
prevent  them  from  existing.  Under  the  shelter  of  such  qual*
ifications  of  guilt,  no  man  in  trust  could  ever  be  criminated.
