The Express.
London, England, 1859-03-22 00:00:00

MIDDLZRBX 8BSSION&

The eltdep of the court for the March Goma denims
were resumed yesterday at the Guildhall, Westminster,
before Mr. Paehy, Q.C., Allealitant-Judge, and the follow-
isgad=atrates were present:—Mr. Warner, Mr. A. A.
, Mr. Beethare, Mr. Baron de Bliss, Mr. Woolsey,
Mr. Hogarth, Mr. H. H. Harwood, Mr. Bayne, Mr. Sun-
less, Mr. Dodd, sad Mr. Halsey.
In his °barge to the grand jury, the Assietant•lndge ad-
verted to the death of Mr. Francis Smedley, the High BMW
of Westminster, which tryout, he said, would produce a
cheap of some hepo.rteace is the mode of summoning grand
jerks end traverse juries at these ermine. Since 1844,
under the provisions of an act of parliament then passed, the
juries were summoned by the high bailiff, and the duty had
fallen exclusively upon gentlemen of the liberty and city of
Westminster' while the business brought before them related
to the whole of the county of Middlesex. Thus, Westminater
jurors, from a population of about 25,000, had had to deal
with one half of the criminal broineee arising out of a
nof nearly two millions in the whole county of
population of needy too millions in the whoie county of
Middleese. The abeurdity and injustice of such a diereee
don of the labour. of the juror was manifest ; it was jut as
if the jurors of the city of Manchester or Exeter were called
upon to try one half the offences committed in the counties
of Larosater or Devon. The death of the late high bailiff
would pot an end to this state of things and establish a very
different one. The juries would now be taken from the
county pnomily, including Westminster, which would
peatly relieve Weelmineter jurors from the liability of being
so frequently summoned. There was another anomaly that
presented itself under the provision of the sumo loosely.
worded and ill-dtfinel act of parliament—that Westminster
gentlemen were exempt from serving as jurors at Clerk's-
well, where half the criminal businres of the county was dis-
pored of, and that the ermine held here, most be by
adjournment front some other pert of the county; which
afforded a striking example of the inconvenience and injustice
and inconsistency arising from ill-consider, d legislation; but
so far, the hardship which had pressed upon Westminster
juror", and of which they had so frequently complained, was
removed. Theme remarks were received by the grand jury
with evident satisfaction. _ _ .

The calendar contains the names of 64 piercer.
/olio Anderson, 23, tailor, was Indicted for a robbery from
the peter. He wee a known offender, end had been sen-
treed to imptisoament for similar robberies. It was dated
that he had been truspotted, but the date conldnotbe traced.
The court sentenced him to S 'ears' penal servitude.
Mr. Ribton, in applying for the code, said the rule In this
coast was„ he underetccd, that the coats of ores were
allowed, but it teemed that there was somebody "below"
that was in the office, Borne Rhadsmanthus or If lure, who
bad a discretionary power over the order of the court, and
allowed or refund the rota as be pleased.
The Assistant-Judge said the court had ordered the coats
of pee/rations to be allowed, subject to an Inquiry by the
°Mow, as to the proeseations being bona fide conducted by
an attorney, for a client, not by moms taros who ford up a
ors for the more ache of the coals to be allowed by the court.
He wee informed, and indeed knew, that several frauds
bad ban committed in this way, which would form the sub-
ject of inquiry, with a view to en adjustment; and it was a
Try wise and proper discretion which Mr. Allen, the officer,
bad exercised, and by which he had defeated many of theme
attempts. If Mr. Ribose, brief was endorsed with the nand
of a respectable attorney, the oasts would be allowed by Mr.
Allis, r of course, if not, they would be refused.
Mr. Erten rid be was regularly instructed by an attorney,
and the rule, If enlaced as his lordehip had laid it down,
would no doubt bar a salutary effect, and would be a boon
to the profeee'on.
Mr. Cooler remarked that the subject of the ale of costa of
criminal proterationes wax now seriously ander the considera-
tion of the whole country, particularly in widely extended
counties gird as Yorkshire. The administration of public
*des would ho completely defeated, unites an alteration
were 'veld, made, and that was the universal opinion.