The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-15 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL SESSIONS.

The Quarterly Sessions of the Peace for this borough
commenced yesterday morning in the Crown Court of
St. George's-hall, before J. B. Aspinall, Esq., deputy
recorder. The following gentlemen were sworn on the
grand jury :

George Bailenach, fruit merchant, North John-street, fore-
man.

George Brown, rectifier, 9, Vernon-street.
Henry Braun, shipowner, 14, Wilton-street.
William Latham Bailey, iron merchant, Tower-buildings,
Water-street.

Edwin Bigland, broker, 20, Exchange-buildings.
Isaiah Ash.lin, merchant, 4, India-buildings.
Icalc Bancroft Cooke, cotton broker, 1, Exchange-buildings.
Thos. Cliffe, merchant, Audley-street.
John Clayton, broker, High-street.

William Durking, cotton broker, 6, India-buildings
Alexander Duranty, merchant, 6, Rumford-place.

James Ew:ng, merchant, Upper Parliament-street.
William Ford, wine merchant, 35, Falkner-square.
Henry Grazebrook, merchant, 8, India-buildings.

J. -S. Gardner, merchant, 34, Dale-street.
Peter Houlgrave, tar distiller, 25, Hill-street.
Frederick Partridge, 18, .lolyneux-place, Water-street.
James Spence, broker, Falkner-square.
Edward Graham, tobacco manufacturer, 20, Whitechapel,

The proclamation against vice and immorality having
been read,
The DEPUTY-RECORDER addressed the grand jury.
He said they would all concur in regretting the neces-
sity which arose, in the temporary indisposition of the
learned Recorder, for his addressing them on the present
occasion. They would find that there was a very long
list of offences submitted to them, but he did not think
that they could infer from that that the state of the town
was at all alarming, as the interval between these and
the last sessions was longer than usual. The 200 pri-
soners, or cases, which would be brought before them
did not involve so many instances of commercial frauds
as might be expected in a large commercial town like
Liverpool. There was u very considerable number of
robberies from houses ; persons got into the houses in an
illicit manner, and carried off property, which, though
perhaps small in amount was a serious loss to the poor
people were thus afflicted. Again, they would find that
a large number of robberies have been committed in
brothels by women. In some of these cases it might be
thought that the men were much to blame, but, in a
large town like Liverpool, where sailors and strangers
come under circumstances which rather excuse their
conduct, it was most important that such cases should
be enquired into. As an additional reason for care-
fully attending to such cases, he would mention
that they tended very much to increase the number of
brothels, as many of the latter were almost entirely sup-
ported by the proceeds of plunder committed in them.
To pursue such cases was, therefore, the best possible
way to prevent or restrain the great evil. There was
another class of cases—viz., stealing from shop doors,
and he thought it was much to be regretted that trades-
men in their legitimate zeal to show their goods, should
place them in such a manner as to afford great tempt-
ation to a poor person who might be passing, and who
perhaps would not have gone into the shop to steal.
He thought it right publicly to say, that without wish-
ing to restrain tnat proper desire which persons feel to
extend their trade, and to offer every facility to the
public, it was at least desirable that they should do so
in a proper way, and not put the public to the expense
of prosecuting when the goods are stolen,—perhaps
when they were lying in the street. He wished
that in such cases the tradesmen could be made
to pay the expenses. There were not many cases
of larceny by servants. This might show that there
were not many robberies, but many persons would rather
dismiss, or excuse, their servants to avoid the trouble of
coming into a court of justice. He wished that such
people would consider their duty to the public, and come
forward, for it was very undesirable that those who have
begun a course of theft should be allowed to go free, and
thus have the opportunity of continuing their plunder.
There were some cases of robbery by prostitutes, to
which the remarks he made upon brothels were applies-
hlo Tt was a ipaffor of eonm-atulation that there were
so few commercial onei..!es in the calendar ; such cases
were generally of frequent occurrence in towns like
Liverpool. There were some cases of embezzlement;
but, of course, they could not expect to be quite freo.
There were two cases which he would specially allude
to. In one of these a step-mother was charged with
a grievous offence upon the child of a former wife.

If the facts stated in the depositions were true,
it was a most serious matter. If they were of opinion
that there was a print 6 facie case for trial, and, if the
facts came out as they are stated in the depositions,
they would probably be of opinion that there was, they
would return a true bill. Ile was happy to say that
such offences were rarely heard of in this town, or
indeed in any part of England. When they were dis-
covered and proved they should be punished with the
utmost severity of the law. In the other case, a person
was charged with stealing a large quantity of India-
rubber from his master and selling it. The person to
whom it was sold was a man in a very respectable posi-
tion, which made the case all the more important. In

this case, as in the last, they would see whether there
was a case to go to the jury. There was another case,
which assumed some importance from the amount of
money stolen, but he did not apprehend they would
have any difficulty in dealing with it. Some of them
had perhaps sat before upon grand juries, and would
know perfectly well the duties they had to perform.
They were to ascertain whether a conviction appeared
possible if the facts were not altered on the trial. If
they found that it was possible, they would find a true
bill, but if the contrary was the case, they would return
no bill.
The grand jury were then dismissed to their duties,
and the trial of prisoners proceeded with.
During the day the following sentences were passed :
—John Stokely, stealing a coat and other wearing
apparel, two calendar months ; John Pye, stealing four
brass rosettes, eight calendar months; Anthony Maringo,
stealing a horse and harness, eighteen months ; Patrick
Hamill and Edward Thomas, for stealing bacon, were

sentenced respectively to twelve months' imprisonment
and eight years' penal servitude ; Michael Kelly, steal-
ing a hogshead, eight weeks' hard labour ; Ann Lewis,
stealing a mat, six months ; John Murphy, stealing a
pair of trousers, six months ; Frances Murphy, stealing
a fowl, &c., six months ; Ellen Jones, stealing a blanket,
four months ; Ann Doyle, stealing a coat, four months ;
and Catherine Marlow, stealing cotton, twelve months,

MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD

The ordinary weekly meeting of this board took
place yesterday; Charles Turner, Esq., presided. The
other members present were Messrs. Farnworth, Laird,
Littledale, Rankin, Graves, Hubback, Mondel, Roun-
thwaite, Evans, Forwood, Arnold, Shand, Segar,
Darbyshire, Inman, Smith, Bushell, and Lockett.
The minutes of the meeting held last week were read
and confirmed.