The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-11-05 00:00:00

INUTSFORD MICHAELMAS SESSIONS.

These Sessions were opened in the New Court.
honse, on Tuesday titer:Atli of October. Between
eleven and twelve o'clock in the forenoon the fol.
loon% Magiatrates took their sent* on the Bench,
folly proviog all that we have before asse►ted of
the high consideration in which the Magistracy of
Ow County of Chester, usually iissetublitig at Knuts.
ford Sessions, ought to be held :
Sir John 'norms.' Stanley, Bart Chairman; supported by
Sir El. If Matiorrittoti, Dart.; Edward Stricey, Erni. t WO-
- Ezerion, FAT ; her. Thomas Binekherne,
1..1 O ; Davira l.q. M P.; Colunel Parker;
Trafford Trsffurd, ; Etlicitd Vroables Townasend,
Esq.; Randle Wilbraham, Esq.; Ezertun Leith, Esq. Poet
Langford Brooke, Esq.; John Husky's. Harper, Esq.; Na.
ihasiel Maxey Pattison, E-q ; Juhn BaskerhyleGlegs. Eig.;
H. Gleya, Esq ; Thomas Bayley Halt, E•q,; Edwin Corbett,
E.q ; Robert Harrison, Esq ; E Tomknoton, Esq.; John
Esq ; Rev. J. H. Mallory. M.A.; Rev. John Browne,
M.A.; Rev. Edward Stanley, M.A.; said P. Maraland, Esq.
After the Court had been °petted with the pin.
per forms, the Grand Jury sworn', and the Pro. ,
clamations against vice and immorality, hind been
►ead, the highly respected Chairman addressed the
fliratid Ju►y.
He began by stating, that although the Calen-
dar of Prisoners who would be put upon their
trial% was a heavy one, yet he had no occipital to
animadvert on the peculiarity of ttily of the offence%
since they consisted only of cattalos) cases, Ile
theft, in a cursory way, read the titles tif such Acts
of the Legislature, as in the last Se .ion of Par•
habitat had become law; and which it wait lilting
the Grand Jury should keep in view, as being more
immediately connected with the ditties to which
they had been sworn, or as particularly ititereeting
to the public, of which they formed so respectable

a part.
• 11:eving enumerated the recent Acts of Parlia-
ment. he said, he was aware that he should cause
some disappointment, if he did not take occasion
to
,allude to the New Court, now first npetwil fo►
the aelmiuk•tratiou of justice. lie said he was sure
sin one could look room!, and not feel the dignity
of a Coors was no longer degraded by ►he. mean
appearance to winch they had formerly been ac-
customed is the old SesSinsis Itelion; but that the
respectaliihty of the Court was enheoced, e Veil ill
the present unfinished state of the room in which it
was now assembled, and which promised, when
completely finished. to exhibit ■n appearance woe.
thy of the purpose for which it was designed. lie
proceeded heat to pay sonic mart, and certainly
well-earord creinpliments to the architect. under
whose di•rctiosls the room hail, in so short a apace
of time been erected, and to the tradesmen who
had sn ably seconded him in carrying his designs
Into execution.
Ile swirl, in looking routed the present Court, it
was impossible slot to revert to the former inconve-
nient one, where. intleptntlently of the want of
every thing which eddied to the di•;nity Of a Court,
it was almost impossible to secure the respect and
attention which was due to it ; and where. hut ft'r
the protection which some rode iron liars had Id-
fouled, it would not have been possible to have sat
ire se.fety, to administer justice. Beet, be said, ex-
ertions had not been criiiipieti to a Court only; a
P►is,on. on a most ►atisfactory plan, was in a ►tate of
great fore/Artiness, which, *hen finished, would
supersede the inconvenient and insecure House of
Correction at Midellewich, frown which, not inner

than a fortnight ago, fifteen prisoners were, with the
greate►t difficulty, prevented from malting their
e►cape. In that prison there was nu opportunity of
either separating or classing prisoners ; for every
etegree of guilt, and of short or long experience in
the Cit err of crone, were obliged to be pr 1111 l 's-
eriously blended together; airither was there an op-
portunity of providing the means of labour, that the
;dimmers might he properly employed ; but in the
piison which was then in process, ample toovision
had been made for separate coistintinerit, for a dis-
criminating classification, and for furnish's% the
prisoners a it li employment.
It was becoming, said the Chairman. a County
su opulent, and of such high consideration as that
of Cheshire, that its public Courts of J usoce should
he worthy of its respeciabtlitv ; and though this
was not equal to the Court at Chester, it was suffi-
cient to afford a proud gratification to the Gentle-
men of the County, and indeed to every man in it.
This, said the worthy Chairman, is no inferior
Uourr, and it was oat intended that the building,
in which it is in future to he held, should vie with
the magnificence of that of Chester; still, lie said,
very justly, there is amply suffix to glee, or
more correctly, to add dignity to it as a Court of
Justice; rind yet the Court itself would not, in rea-
lity, be more respectable than it was when its duties
were performed in the now deserted room ; since it
was impossible that the Bench could ever be filled
with more respectable Magistrates than those in
commission ; nor was it to be expected, that snore
valuable characters would he assembled es Grand
Jurymen, or that Counsel more learned in the law,
or more valuable fur their talents and professional

integrity, would grace the Bar, thauthose who had
usually attended the Knoisford Sessions; yet it was
no little gratification to reflect, that the accommoda-
tions would be so much getter, moil that the im-
pression to he made on persons atte'•diug on the km-
aniess of the Court, would be much strengthened
by the dignified appearance it preseirteil. And
sorely, he said, it was not fit—it was not decent—
in a county which can boast of private linu;rs
which rival palaces, that her Cow a of Justice
should appear like barns! Every natio'', in every
age, has endeavoured to make its Courts of Justice
unprrssi•e in 'appear:nice. They are intended to
guard the persons, the property, mid the privileges
of subjects; they are, iu fact, particularly in this
nation, Courts of Wisdom, more than Courts of
Persons. Of wisdom composed of the accumu-
lated experience of past ages; each succeeding one
superadding to the foreguilig ; and each better
able, so instructed, to extract truth from the con-
fusion of clashing evidence; and, of course, cons..
pow! of minds better in the exclusion

• when the nausea of the (:and Jury were celled over,
one of them put in a plea of exemption, lughly interestiog
to the Antiquary and the sill read in the flistory of England.
ples wits grounded upon the circumstance of the lam'
which he occupied, having formetly belonged to the 8-'Ol s
cf the Order of 21. John of Jerusalem, sad frum the °CCU-
VI* IA baring always claimed an earnipinto from serving uti
Juries. The claim no this tieca,ion was devoted valid ; sod
she Gentleman who Ind becn called, was allowed his tx•
tasption.

of Prejndiee, and better able to judge coolly and
dispassionately. The Judges of former eves were,
many of them, most certainly, wise luso ; but they.
as certainly, could not be so learned es those of the
present dat ; since the latter are in possession of
the whole collected experience rod wisdom, accu-
mulated by their predecessors from age to wr"e.
He had called this an inferior Court. but he
meant, not he said, to infer, that it was, in any
way, inferior in point of reel value, or of conse-
quence. Courts of Quarter Sri-ions, in any county,
would contribute In its honour; but it] the comity
of Chester, which could boast of Nobility, who
could vie with the Princes of the Continent. end
of private gentlemen who were tuore thou ;o
the Nobility of other nations, giving their attend.
once, to assist in the due administration of the
laws of their romitry, lush a Court must be re-
spectable in the very highest—in the superlative
sense of the word. A Court of Quarter Sessions,
thus constructed, he truly said, was a subject for
until:mat exultation, on constitutional principles.—
Lawyers certainly may he better able to expound
and define the law, and better able to state the
deci-
s►ona which are founded upon it, but independent
Country Gentlemen, if they are wanting in the
level subtleties whit li distinguish lawyers, ore the
better able to decide upon the, prieciples of com-
mon setts., suit seldom cottfoond the letter with tile
spirit of the law ; a mistake, witch Lawyers, in
the fulnett. or their professional zeal, are sometimes
liable to fall into. In dose comiex.on with this
advantage to tine came of jusit, e 111 a Court of
Quarter lie very pro:6erly obsrtvrcl, %Iv. a
British Jury, whose ditty it w.n. to keep clear of the
nice di-titictions of the professors of the law, in
forming their decision. 'fins was as it plit.eld be;
for not Lawyers, but Jurors taken from - m tss of
the iwoule, toe the constituted and actual judges of
even life and death.

On this imporiaot subject, he said, lie could
dwell without apology. Our ancestors have record-
ed their tarns, and every sncceelling av,r has fol-
lowed them up with improvenicuts ; and ns Eng-
land has towered so high, and has distilignislied
herself among nations, her jurisprudence has bells
looked up to with revesesee Ur the rest of the
world, and has become a model to them; for other
nations are imitating us, in li:ism,: 6,,sial Juries.
The higbly respet tt.l ChAirmots. hcfore hr con-
cluded, matte a very Fataisaine, but certainly uo-
necessary apology, fur having taken up so much of
the tiuteof the Court; but the riccAsion, 1w thought,
idled for some no; ice ; though the circumstance
of a new Sessions fluuse irtmld not give a tight
to expect a better or mure respectable attendance
on the Bench, or better informed, or snore con-
scientious Juries, than before; set hr would in-
dulge the hope, that the Court might continue to
improve in the power of disci Mitigation and correct
decision.

When the ehnitman hod conclotted, the hut:t-
riers of the Situbionx evt 1111 l roved or *mod, WILIt
hea►ing appeal!. by Couto,el ; which weir followed
by the trials of the l'ilsonero.