The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-03-14 00:00:00

DORSET LENT ASSIZES.

These Assizes were opened on Saturday last. when
the judges, the Right lion. Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Knight,
Chief Baron of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice,
and the lion. Geo. Denmut, one of the Justices of
Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, arrived from
Winchester. Chief Baron Kvlly reached lln-cliester
shoot six in the evening, and W:l4 in..t at the station
17 the ilia Sheriff, -.Tolm Clavell Mansel-Pleyilell,
Lop ; the Chaplain, Bev. C. W. Itinghani ; the
i rands T. Johns, Esq.; and the t !minty
Clerk, Geo. Jas. Andrews, Esq. ; and a detachment
of the County Police, under the wiunrunl of Sergeant-
Major Searle. On :miring at the County Hall, it was
found the door of the carriage from which his lordship
was to alight was locked, and consequently it hail to
be driven to the tip if the street in order that the
reverse side might be brought opposite the doors. His
lordship then pencil the Commission in the Crown
Court with the usual formalities. Mr. Justice Den-
man arrived later in the evening. .

On Sunday their lordships aitended ijiviee service
at St. Peters. The Boron4ll and County Police, the
Sergeants-at-Mace, the trumpeters, and the Mayor
and Corporation in their robes formed a process' ~,,,
and abso accompanied the judges to church. The
Hen lee was read by the Rev. E. W. Pears, and the
sermon was preached by the Sheriff's chaplain. The
rev. gentleman founded an able and most eloquent
discourae on let Epistle of Peter iv., 18. We under-
stand the judges were so pleased with the sermon that
they passed the unusual compliment of asking for
copies id it.

CROWS COURT, MONDAY.
Before Mr. Justice DIINXAN.

The Judge took his seat on the Bench at 10.30, and the
following gentlemen were sworn on the Grand Jury :
Mr. W. F.. Bryiner, M.P., Mr. G. Bond.
(Foreman). Mr. E. A. Wood.
Mr. 11. N. Middleton. Mr. It. Littlehales.
"4,.. J. W "rler. Mr. G. W--

Mr. W. C. Lambert. . Mr. J. Batten.
Mr. Herbert William'. 1 Mr. Carr Glyn.
Mr. H. C. Cloodden. Mr. 11. B. Middleton.
Mr. M. S. Yeatman. : Mr. V. J. 8.911 th.

......... ..... .---.......
Mr. J. K Bridge. . ..... ... _.. ..... .-
1 Mr. G. K Eliot
Mr. M. Williams. • ' Mr J. W. B. Ilawkesworth.
I
Mr. IL R. Eliot Mr. W F !Makes.
Mr. E. W. Williams. • Mr. W. A. Bank's.
After the usual !preliminaries, including that of the
Grand Jury being invited to dinner with the judges, Mr.
Jruitiee Denman pr coded to deliver his

CHARGE TO THE GRAND JERI%

Ile said there was asubject of congratulation about which
he would address them, before he said anything else. That
was that, taken as a whole, the caleudar was the lightest
which it had fallen to hi, lot ever to see at any Assizes,
with the except' of the one on an occasion in a county
very much smaller in population thou the county of
Dorset ; it was a calendar which, taken 3.9 3 whole, was
highly creditable to the morality and the law-loving
character of the people of the comity. Bast of the
offences charred in the calendar were offences of 3 very
light description, and they were, almoat all iif them, such
as are ilispiseil of at minor tribunals, awl did wit, as a
rule, form the subjeet at indietnient at the .toolk.i. But
they were so few in number that no complaint could be
made on that head. .1 nil it was quite reasonalde that,
now the Milges were there, they Amid he called upon to
dispose of the prisoners, in the county gaol ; it
was also reasonable that now and then, the Judges
should be engaged in the minor (314e4, so that they
might not hold their heads too high, or keep too far aloof
front the ordinary affairs of the people; but should under-
stand the state of crime not only so regards great offences,
the more serious one,; lint as regards the state of crime
generally. Ile reminded them that it was the duty of the
tirand Jury not to try the C3SCi, but to look into the
evidence, awl see whether there was a prima foci,. rase to
be sent for trial before a judge and common jury. In mast
of the cases, there being perhaps one exception, they might
very readily come to that conclusion, and he had no doubt
that they would see from a glance at the depositions,
ninny of them being gentlemen of experience, whether the
cases were of that description. and he need not trouble the
jury any more about them. nut he was sorry to say there
were some eases to be sent before them, in which from the
multifarious charges, it was necessary to send several hills
to them, which would show a very base and low state ef
morality among the lower class of the community, because
it was said to occur in the Union workhouse, amongst the
paupers. Of course it would not be decent, right, or
proper, to dwell long upon that case. and he would rather
advise them to deal with the other cast, first, that sonic
work might be sent for the Court to be employed. If they
should find there was more than a grave doubt whether
the worst aspect of the case can ho proved before the
Judge and petty Jury, then he would recommend the bill
for the most serious charge to he thrown out;
it would only be adding to the horror of one
trial the horror of another, which might be quite an un-
necessary thing. The bills hail been so prepared that,
supposing there was a lack of evidence to proceed on the
worst of these charges, it might be the boutuleu duty of the
jury to send the prisoners for trial on a minor charge:
there might be ground for believing that the prisoners did
so behave as to outrage all decency, and thereby render
themselves amenable to the criminal law. Ile was sorry
to see in the ordinary channels of communication that
there had been in the country, an offence, almost remitting ,
in death, under circumstances of very serious aggravation,
and possibly thin might lead to a Chargo of the very
highest kind known to the law. But, inasmuch as this
offence was committed at the criminal ilepet of Portland,
even if it should result in a charge of murder, it would not
detract in the least from the morality of the county of
Dorset, because the person who committed the offence
might for aught he knew, have come from another part of
the kingdom, end not
.from the county of Dorset. —The
learned Judge then dismissed the Grond Jury to their
duties