The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-03-31 00:00:00

Sontersetsbire.

SOMERSET LENT ASSIZES.

The madam for the *minty of Somerset commeneed en
Monday at Taunton. Tbe Wanted judges, Mr. Julies
Brim and Mr. fferjeant Bbee, arrived from Bodmin on
Aalltraaf *•emilsk and at ones opened the 110USAIMMOIL
On Sande" Mr. Justice Ryles &Mended Divine INIVVISII
ct St. Mary'. Charge, aooomas.lsd by lb. High 811•141.
Capt. &obeli- 're. Sb.rlts ehaidaYl. tb• Rev. Mr.
&obeli, of Market Haven, pretnitea • welwa
priato to the a:maim, from the Island 2sd versee'7::.
87th Naha. Mr. Sergeant Mee attended the Roman
Catholic Chapel.
Mr. Justice Bylea look his sant in the
Caowe Cover .

At lialf -DMWau.47;lepha-- i•d on the hooch by
the Ho. shwa,' (Gamma ?rewash* Beobbs__ ,IL Fag )
Re,,_mem.ii (Shears chaplain, and John Nichobetts,
11%.(17adar tdhardf)•
tollowas gentleman wen swan cm the Grasd
Jury
So A. A flood,
_Bart. (Forams). Sir. P. P. F. P.
Acmatil. ; W Qmistock, Bag. •F. IL ii.,_, W. Bastes, Eaq._; Basders, leek ; P
ITt • ; W W /Gs& Iraq. ; Blake.
Esq.; J. Ralhida_y. Fog.; J. R. ales, Souza
Boom* II", FAR. Li. Ward, Esq. ; J. F.
Esq. • B. Bedrock, rin. • G. W. Carew. • V.
Bi44;Ym ' Mar", ;W. & Emden, ;
H. 1"q.; C. IL. Waltman, ; G. T.
Graham, Esq. ; T. Walsh, Eq.
The anal pragamatios against ass amid immorality
haring beta read, his Lordship proceeded to deliver
his

Cdtffimit To reß °Bann acne.
His Lordship mid :-Gentlemen of the Greed Jury, ,
I have to express my regret at the abased of my I
!embed brother Wilde, whom serious indiscr=tere bas:
prevented from disehargiag hie judicial
this circuit, bet her Majesty's Clovernmetet hetet= I
the most effeetive mesas in their power to emptily his
place, and have appointed my brother ebee-oors of the
ablest advocates and most eminent lawyers at the
bar to perform his duties at the It six plates of this
circuit. I regret also that I cannot isougratedats you
upon the state of the calendar, and thereof, solos
than 64 prisoners for trial upon the ealendar,eadtkistre are
many more oboe, names do not appear in that doomment,
making an aggregate number of iffirriemers far trial
But a very few weeks have eta since I bad the
honour of presiding in this place deliver the gad at
the Winter Assists, sines then! observe by your edam
dar that the Epiphany Sessions have besot bald, at
which fifty-five primmer+ hare bean tried I sad under
the Criminal Justice Ace 74 mass have hem diepseed of
it the Epiphany and Michaelmas Sesame. Gerallegase,
your calendar also contains a table which Imelda om
to compare the stale of things now existing with the
state of things which existed 30 years ago. At first I
thought it was encouraging, bowman I Asinwe in the
the year 1833 there were 727 prinumers committed for
trial, whilst in the year which has just expired there
ore only 331. Rota little more minute insceetion shows
that at that time the Criminal Justice Act was nat in
operettas, and there bays been in the t year be-
tween 300 and 400 people committed u the Crimieal
Judea Ad ; so that notwithstanding-what I hope is
the ease-the improved condition of the populatios, the
state of dints remains where it was-to my the lead at
it-jest where it was 30 years ego, without any his-
provensent. 1 cannot help thinking that the adminis-
tration of the Criminal Justice Ad has been highly ad-
vantageous to the country. The legislature ham, I
think.piaely compelled the magistrates under that Alt
• inflict for the first offence only very lenient sentenese
of short imprisonment ; and the justices have, I also
think, very wisely confined themselves not only withia
the limits, but very much within the limits of that Ace
of Parliament. lam aware that it is an opinion enter-
tained by many permute that for the first offence a
severe punishment should be inflicted, and I think when
it is said a severe punishment should be Inflicted it is
quite right; hot if it is meant by this a long imprimis.
sent, I cannot help saying that it is very wrong, and
likely also to be attended with injurious condemn's:es.
It le • maxim with whim we have all been sequainted
for many years, not only from what we ham been
taught, but from our own observation and pommel ex-
perience, that what a person is need to in the course of
time, however disagreeable aed distadeful It might bads
been at first, hit comes ho like it very well. A
man who is committed for the Ilret offence, sitar be
been • few weeks in gaol Sods it irksome, dietreesing,
and painful, in a high degree, and when his term of in-
carceration is ended he goes book into society with •
horror of the punishment be has endured; bet if he
stays in mot for twelve month, be MaNlAliaaall bi,s,aelf to
the discipline of the gaol, and that discipline hemenel
habitual and natural to hire, and at last be lean it less
Clan at first le short, he terve@ • sort of apprentice-
ship to the dexteritios of the burglar and the thief, and
be stand. ie the double position of dreier half his time
to preiim upon the public, and the other half in living
at their expend. What the remedy of this Ante of
things is,thia is neither the Mime or the place to
that is • matter for the wisdom of the {ministate=
thw commimion now sitting upon it to decide. I ham a
very decided opinion upon the question myself, but, as
I have already told you, I do not think this is the place I
or the emmusiom in which I ought to trouble you with it. I
1 oily beg to express my istideetios at the way in
which the Magistrates of this county have exercised
their jurisdiction under the Criminal Justice Ad. The
duties of Judges' is this Court are not ardeoes. The
Coat', which are attended with any diffieelties are in the
other court. The only difficulty is to determine the
appropriate punishments, with a dm oonaideration at
what is owing to the public, what. due to the primmer,
Ind the time he has already meet in gaol. This is a
very arduous and • very difficult duty, and the leridatice
ham entrusted to chairmen of yeartereassions, and to the
pages as. amount of discretion. Of course there would
be differences of opinion, but all that oan be
done is that each one who is entrusted with this duty
should discharge it consistently and according to the bed
of his ability, and for the benefit of the public at large.
Now the cams contained in the calendar though nu-
merous are simple, and, as far as I am aware from the
perusal 1 hive given Of the depositioem-not attended
with anything very aggramted ; and I ham Ism excuse
for detaining you from your duties bemuse I see amongst
your number several very experienced lawyers just as
competent to advice you sal am. His Lordship then
coninient..l on two or three of the cases in the calendar
aid dismissed thc grand jury to their duties.