The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-08 00:00:00

HERTFORD. MANCH 3.

The busineas of the Assize for the Hume Circuit
commenced at Hertford on %%etliiesday, Ihe jud6,l
%very, Sir .lobo Bayley and Sir Aii..n Pui k. Their
Lordships arrived in town early in tl:c iroe:.ing, at.
tended by Samticl Heatlico:de U.( wlO I IV3tilt'...d. ,
of'hephollbury, the High Siienti; toe javeii:( men, and
others, and at eleven 0 clock ((ivy procce'.ied cio.irth,
Here the Rev. ..;r, 1.11(..(1 (Lk:LT...! ant NI. eX.ciurt
and appropriate &scums:, fr t:e au, a I
is it
reproach tt) 14:11. •it': 1117..;
a111:11el'i7:;.: ! r. I 'A:O.,. ;1* Vi Lie
1::.• I[l l ; Wih'll the Liieji.
!la Llol'
: Ile. Seat ill 1..1; Cr.lwu Jule, anti
./ (.- I:ay ley ilresided et I Tins.
Thu I.:0(.41(1,1r of the primmer.. is unusually heavy
Ira, however, iti crime, I.Ut iiti::(:(ers, %Lind( ahuhoit to
nearly tot. •i.t were cOarge! with burglary, Mar with
(muse:in.:4,l:lg two wi; h aison, six with Uibktvat rob.
two shooting with intent to kill, one with killing
:ma slaying, two wit.. bigamy. four with passing coon.
terfeit coin, live stci.ling from the person, three with
poaching, tweuty with grand larceny, and right with
petty larceny.—On the civil side there arc ten (two of
them SpevialJury) 431111Sed kg down fur trial ; mid upon
the whole the Assize, it i. toought, will continue to au
unusually pro:racted perio(l.—ln the Cfllll/11 otat,
after the usual itoleiguities, the Grand Jury vs
swGru in.

Jit-tire Park addressed the Grand litluert at
great leit,th and nearly in the following terms
•‘ Gentk men of the Graiel Jury,—We are here asscin.
bled this day to discharge arse of the most important
ditties which pertains to ctvilised sneiety, by the admi-
nistration of justice. It is, is fact, a duty which, if
impartially and faithfully performed, will have the
due effect of proving a terror to wicked doers while it
will also be u security to the upright and the innoceir,
as subject matter of example and protection. In appear-
ing latfureyou, however. tar the first time in this country,
I lament that I sheull have roamed to my notice, so
hea•y a calendar of pris.nsers; and this in a cuuuty too
which has hitherto been distinguished for its emu
mull the general correctness of its Magistracy mid pe-
pulation. Ido not melon to say that the calendar pre-
sents any thing shocking eves now ; but recollect, all
crimes are serious, and we who, ere entrusted with the
exercise of jurisprudence, must even the most
trifling additiun to offence There.is one crime, however
upon which I wish to animadvert, and I do nut do it in
order to influence you, t God turbid !) but rather to ad.
dress it to the tridentate %elm hear me. I allude to the
crime of sheep-stealing, practised of late so generally,
and indeed almost wholesale, throughout the cutnit.
This u a crime which. in my opinion, demands the west
exemplary punishment of the law, because such pro-
perty from its nature must be exposed ; a..d the law,
'het...fore, is the protection of that property, to whom-
soever it belongs. In counties where I have had the
honour to preside as I now do here, I !intact the oance
of sheepeitealin,; to have been carried, on as I before
Sind, almost wholesale, and in several instances the law
took its dreadful course upon the offenders In this
place the same uffect must pursue the crime, fur tie
law still continues to inflict its desperate extremity,
until the offence of which I am speaking is crudicatcd.
I have not, Gentlemen, gone so minutely into a detail
of all the oances in the calendar, because in some in.
stances there have been wa ling the depositions tuken
betbre the Magistrates. This incunvenience, however,
if time would permit, might readily be obviated, by the
ample attendance of the Magistrates thetnse.ves here
this day. There is a circumstance, however, conneetc3
with the business of the Magistracy,. which I feel my-
self bound to advert to, and that is, that in making out
the commitment of prisoners, by the Clerks of the Mts.
gistratca, it is done in too general a way. I will net
point out a particular instance of this nature iu the ca.
hinder now before me, but merely state, that the coin-
mitmnt of prisoners et all times should be clear and
specific. I should dismiss you, Gentlemen, with these
few observations, but a subject presses itself upon me,
winch I feel it my bounden duty to present to your se-
rious notice. It is a subject which at present eri;agcs
much of the public attention, and of the Legislatute ii
particular. I allude to the State of Gaols, and of course
to the prison of Hertfotd more particularly. Unfortu-
nately for you, I understand that is crowded at the pre-
sent moment to a dreadful state, and iiteupabie of af•
fording that room and uccutninuilation which arc so es.
sentially no .miry in a prison. This, however, can be
no feint with the Magistracy, or the county generally,
who could never have furesern or expected that increase
of crime which would have thus lined the gaol with
wretched inhabitants. The subject of gaols, Gentle-
r men, u I said befsre, bus inane a considerable noise.
but I must imam, that having read, heard, and consi-
'tittered all which has yet been adduced, or which even
could be thought of by the philanthropiet upon the sub.
jest, I do think that the Legislature has most amply
provided a remedy fbr almost every evil exists.