No. XVI.-LETTER from Mr Mackenzie to Mr

Sir,

Stuart.

Shandwick Place,

Wednesday Morning, 19th Sept. 1821.

Had the letter which I received from you when going to bed last night contained merely the notice for the purpose of which it was sent, it would obviously have required no reply or observation from me; but I cannot omit remarking upon it, that I am not aware of your having requested from the Lord Advocate a separate disavowal; and, secondly, that the disavowal contained in his Lordship's last letter should not, I think, have been described as at length given; for both to his Lordship and myself it appeared, that that disavowal had been already given in his first letter to you, in terms quite as comprehensive as in the last.

These matters are not, perhaps, of much moment, but I am anxious to be as accurate as possible.

I am,
Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

James Stuart, Esq.

COLIN MACKENZIE.

No. XVII.-LETTER from Mr Stuart to Mr

Sir,

Mackenzie.

2, North Charlotte Street, Wednesday, 19th Sept. 1821.

The application of the word separate to the last letter which I had the honour to receive from the Lord Advocate, is rendered sufficiently plain by my letter to his Lordship, written on the morning of the 18th. Whether his Lordship's disavowal was as fully and distinctly given in his first as in his last letter, is a point, which, with every other connected with this correspondence, I am now willing to leave to the judgment of those who shall peruse it.

I regret that I did not receive your letter, until after the correspondence had been partly circulated; but it shall be printed and distributed as speedily as possible. I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,
JA. STUART.

Colin Mackenzie, Esq.

CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN

JAMES STUART, Esq.

AND

THE PRINTER OF THE BEACON.

No. I.-MEMORANDUM.

Parliament Stairs, Thursday Morning, 2d August 1821.

MR STUART, accompanied by Mr Mansfield, called at Mr Stevenson's printing office, and expressed a wish to have some private conversation with Mr Stevenson, but, on the understanding that it should be entirely confidential, and that what passed should not be noticed in the Beacon or any other paper.

To this condition Mr Stevenson expressly assented.

Mr Stuart informed Mr Stevenson, that, upon coming from Fife upon Tuesday evening, he had

for the first time seen the Number of the Beacon, published on Saturday last, containing an article expressing the belief of the writer, that he was a person "who would commit an outrage on decency and good manners ;"-that he had observed in some former Numbers of the Beacon which he had seen, (for he had not perused the paper regularly,) very unwarrantable freedoms used with his name, but that he certainly was not prepared, by any thing that had previously passed, to find in that paper an assertion so totally unauthorized by any part of his public or private conduct, as that contained in the Number published on Saturday last. He, therefore, required Mr Stevenson instantly to name the writer of the article in question, acquainting him, at the same time, that, if he declined, he must abide the serious consequences of refusal. He found Mr Stevenson's name on the paper as the printer of it, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to endeavour to shift the responsibility to any one but the actual writer of the article in question. He looked upon the individual who would allow himself to circulate aspersions injurious to the character of any individual as a gentleman, and who declined to produce the authority on which he had acted, in pretty nearly the same light with the assassin who would inflict a mortal wound in the dark, and he therefore cautioned Mr Stevenson of the danger of the situa

tion in which he had thought fit to place himself.

Mr Stevenson stated, that he felt very uncomfortable under many of the aspersions cast on individuals in the Beacon. He was not, Mr Stuart was aware, the writer of this or of such articles. He had indeed here an Editor responsible, but he (the Editor) was not the writer of many such articles which were contributed.

He would make a farther communication to Mr Stuart on the subject.

Mr Stuart added, that he had thought it his duty to Mr Stevenson, as much as to himself, to caution him of the dangerous situation in which he stood, and he could assure him, that he was not a person to threaten without intending to execute. He was to be out of town from Friday till Monday, when he should expect to hear from him, and, in the meantime, should take no farther step.

Mr Stevenson again assured Mr Stuart that this conversation should be considered confidential, and should not be noticed publicly. And Mr Stuart acquainted Mr Stevenson that he had requested his friend, Mr Mansfield, to be present, merely to prevent the possibility of any misconception afterwards, as to what had now passed.