Francis Hardy proceedingsdefend . I wish to state to your lordship a word or two; I stand here convicted of a robbery; I believe, the strict text of the law in every sense, has prohibited, and forbid in every court of justice, that no lunatick whatever should be permitted to give evidence to affect any fellow subject's life; but mine was affected; I certainly have lost my liberty for near three years, for an offence that I have not been guilty of; I can testify before God, with a clear conscience, that I know nothing of that case whatever; nor the man that has last spoke; but the accusation proceeded from a rancour and malice raised in this prosecutor's mind, which I hope was from an act of insanity; I trust so; but notwithstanding the circumstance stated by Mr. Bowman, who proved to the Court, that he had been at his house for insanity;yet no respect was paid to Mr. Bowman's testimony; and four days after our conviction, his wife was brought to bed; and he dragged the child from Goldsmith-street, Gough-square; this is a truth to every body's knowledge; he dragged it into the Fleet-market in the skirt of his coat; and was going to throw it into the Thames. We did not ought to have suffered an hour's imprisonment on such a man's account; and I trust our hard case will be a warning to courts of justice, and more especially to the learned judges, never more to permit madmen to affect the lives and properties of his majesty's subjects; but I accept it .