The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

BULL BOROUGH SESSIONS.

THE RECORDER'S CEIARGE-THE QUEEN'S

VISIT.
The Michaelmas sessions for this borough were opened
on Friday last, before Samuel Warren, Esq„ Q.C.,
D.C.L., Recorder. The court was crowded witl) persons
who evidently were there for the purpose of hearing the
learned Recorder's charge. During its delivery there
was the most profound silence observed ; indeed, when-
ever the least stir took place in the court there was at
once a hushing for silence.
The usual forms of the court having been gene
through,
The Learned Recorder proceeded to charge the Grand
Jury. He said :
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,—ln commencing, as Ido
this day, the third year of my occupation of this andseat
before I proceed to the serious and painful duties which
this day devolve on yourselves and me, I feel constrained
by a sense of duty, as a loyal subject and as a servant of the
Queen, by whose direct authority I sit here to administer
justice in her name—to advert to the event which so splen-
didly signalised the close of last week—the personal pre-
sence amongst us, for a considerable period, of the Queen of
this mighty empire. She did not merely flash momentarily
before you eyes, like a meteor, but lovingly deigned to accept
your invitation to visit, and to rest, with you ; to see, with
deliberation, this ancient portion of her dominions, and all
that invests it with historical interest and importance : to
look on its loyal inhabitants, and hear the welcome paeans
of their intense and enthusiastic love and reverence. She
came accompanied by her illustrious Consort, by the Prince
of Wales, and others of the Royal children, attended by
her greatest Minister of State, and by distinguished mem-
bers of her Court. What would you have had more ? And
consider the time of this memorable visit, in gracious and
most considerate performance of a long-standing promise,
which the Queen had doubtless been told had last year
induced her faithful subjects in this borough to incur, in
their eager joy, no little expense, in order to afford her
Majesty a reception of befitting splendour. Gentlemen,
shortly after her Majesty had ascended the throne, in the
commencement of the year 1840, occurred one of the grand-
est and most affecting incidents in the history of France
and England. The French Jovernment requested England
to give France the remains of their mighty hero, Napoleon,
then reposing, in lonely state, at St. Helena. The Queen di-
rected her Ministers instantly to comply with the dignified
and moving request ; and but a few short days ago, I myself
beheld the tomb preparing for the reception of those re-
mains. I thought of the noble wish expressed by the Queen,
through her Ministers, " that the act might be regarded as
a proof of her Majesty's desire to efface the last trace of
those national animosities which, during the Emperor's
life, had driven the two countries to war ; and that if any
vestiges of such animosity should unhappily still exist, they
might be buried for ever in the tomb destined to receive
the remains of Napoleon f' words, as a. living historian has
j astly remarked, of dignified generosity, worthy of the chi-
valrous days of a great nation. Fourteen years have since
passed ; and the cannon of the Invalides, while I gazed on
that magnificent mausoleum, and on the coffin of Napoleon,
were about to announce to France the tidings of a fearfully
glorious victory by the Allied Armies of the two nations,
each shedding their best blood, together, on the heights of
Alma, in defence of the liberties of all Europe, and to re-
pel aggression on a gallant and unoffendine state. History
does not record a more wonderful event than that alliance,
nor exhibit a spectacle more sublime than the attitude and
aceiop of these two mighty champions of civilisation ;
each the radiating centre of profound statesmanship,
and military and naval glory, seeking by the aid of
their enormous powers and resources no object of
ambition or aggrandisement, but becoming, under Pro-
vidence, joint arbiters of the destinies of Europe. Gen-
tlemen, my official position here conferred on me, as
one of two or three, the distinction and privilege of
being in immediate personal attendance on her Majesty; and
here let me say in the names of us all, that the demeanour
and converse of her Majesty and the Prince were charac-
terised by a stately affability, exquistely tempered with
cordiality, and intended to be bestowed, through us, upon
all the inhabitants of Hull. Amidst all the cheering emo-
tions excited by the acclamations of her enthusiastic sub-
jects, crowding every spot from which a glimpse might be
caught of the sacred person of their sovereign, it may be
that every now and then there flitted over her counte-
nance, and I think I saw it, a shade of deep anxiety, when
possibly reflecting what might, at that moment, be doing,
and being suffered by her valiant troops and those of
France in the East, among whom, too, her own royal
cousin was gallantly sharing the toils and mortal perils of
every private under his command—such, gentlemen, are
the circumstances investing the late royal visit with a most
special significance, and even of themselves entitling your
sovereign to your profound gratitude. Gentlemen, I
several times heard from the lips of her Majesty and the
Prince expressions of high gratification at the affection-
- ate enthusiasm with which they were received. She
then, indeed, "saw spontaneouslyexemplified," as Edmund
Burke expressed it, " the cheap defence of nations, the
unbought loyalty of the heart ; ' and her Majesty men-
tioned a fact which I myself then heard for the first
time, that not a single special constable had been sworn
in on the occasion of her visit ; the Prince adding with
energy, that the people were their own special constables,
and had kept the peace themselves. Let me also mention
the astonishment with which the Queen and Prince ap-
peared to behold, so gaily and picturesquely developed,
your great dock capabilities. In that astonishment the
humble individual who addresses you shared largely ; and
is satisfied that the scene has left a deep impression on
the minds of your royal visitors. The last words which
her Majesty uttered, in my hearing, were in admiration of
the position of Hell, and the magnificent Humber. Gen-
tlemen, I know that the Queen and Prince were deeply
affected by the overwhelming exhibition which met their
eyes, before quitting their night's resting place, on Satur-
day night last. I, too, shall never forget that vast area of
exulting fellow-subjects, which surrounded her, nor the
thrilling peal which burst from upwards of twelve thou-
sand school children, of every denomination, singing the
National Anthem, aided by as many enthusiastic adults ;
but amidst all the array of intermingled banners, my
eye caught one which possibly may also have attracted
the watchful eye of her Majesty. It bore the words
" Poor, but Loyal," and I found that it was borne by
the Workhouse children ! lam not ashamed to say that
my heart and my eyes overflowed. That banner, with
its simple and moving inscription, hung before my mind's
eye incessantly, even in the vivid presence of Majesty
and Royalty ; and had I but been able to trust my feel-
ings, I should have ventured to tell her Majesty of that
banner ; and I know' how she would have received the
intelliegence : for she is the loved and loving Queen of all
alike, young and old, high and low, rich and poor, wher-
ever on the face of the whole earth they may be ; wielding
God's authority even over us all, aid herself ever paying
the same implicit obedience to the law of the land, which is
due from, and which she is legand to see paid by, every
one of her subjects. I thought, as she moved along, and
such joyous unanimity of a great feeling was manifested,
oh that this may last, and in all its intensity, that all may
always equally love her, as she loves all equally : that her
radiant presence here maynot in its effects pass away like
the dew or the cloud, but long continue to soften and melt
away every element of discord, civil and religious, fusing all
into one glowing sentiment of piety and loyalty. Gentlemen,
her Majesty's presence has not kindled (forthat was needless)
the spark of loyalty in the heart of every inhabitant of this
borough, but fanned it into a perfect flame, which as it is
now illuminating-all eastern Yorkshire, so I hope may warm
and irradiate every heart, so long as it continues to beat.
She whom you have so lately had among you appears, in her
regal capacity, under two aspects with which we are at pre-
sent concerned. She is the fountain of justice ; not be it ob-
served, as the author, or original, but as the distributor of it,
in pure and constant streams—not as of her free gift, but as
the steward of the public, to dispense it to whom it is due,
as their birthright ; not the spring, but reservoir, whence
justice is conducted by a thousand channels to every indi-
vidual, and one of these channels we here see in existence,
this day. But, gentlemen, the other aspect of her Ma-
jesty's sacred office is, that she is the fountain of honour
and privilege ; the true fountain, in the strictest sense-
the real and only source of honour in this vast empire.
The law supposes that none can be so good a judge of the
merits and services of those who serve her as the Sove-
reign who employs them ; and it has intrusted her with
the sole power of conferring dignities and honours, in con-
fidence that she will bestow them upon none but such as
deserve them ; and the last act of the Queen, in this her
exalted capacity, and while still your majestic visitor, was
the public and graceful exercise of this her prerogative, in
conferring upon the amiable and accomplished chief magis-
trate who sits beside me, to the universal delight of his
fellow townsmen, as her Majesty had taken care to ascer-
tain, the honour of knighthood. But, .crentlemen, amid
all the splendour and excitement of that clay, my own
heart was sometimes suddenly saddened by reflecting how
we should be engaged here, in one short week—on this
very day ' • and as I looked at such countless happy and
exulting thousands as greatly surprised your royal visi-
tors themselves, I thought with grief of one miserable
section of the Queen's subjects, shut out from the joyous
and ennobling spectacle : seeing and hearing nothing of
what was going on without; but either undergoing the de-
grading punishment of their crimes, or awaiting, under
heavy suspicion of guilt, the assembling of this court to-
day ! For indeed we must now turn from so recent and
richly emblazoned a page in the ancient records of the
borough to the gloomy document before me—the calendar
laden with the names of so many who are accused of hav-
ing forgotten their dray to both their Queen and their
fellow subjects,
violating those laws which both
Sovereign and subject are equally bound to obey. Gen-
tlemen, I am disheartened by this heavy calendar from
saying much that I had intended, on recent and impend-
ing changes of an important character iu the criminal law
since we last met. I mint therefore be brief. Since I last
sat here three very interesting events have occurred in this
borough. First, its Parliamentary
longer in abeyance, bat Hull has nn representation
w is no
its two members in
the Commons House of Parliament; and I cordially con-
gratulate you all on the exemplary manner
exciting contest was conducted. Ithas in which that
not furnished, as
a former one did,
a single case for these sessions : and
I hear that drunkenness and violence were nowhere to
be 88se. I warmly congratulate you on such hopeful
evidence of moral progress in this important and now
so greatly distinguished borough. Secondly, the num-
ber of justices of the peace has been increased by the names
of four gentlemen of high respectability anil
station here,
one of them your mayor. Thirdly, your wishes have been
complied with, and
'
you. now possess essa stipendiary
.magis
magis-
trate, in whose learning, temper, impartiality, and inde-
pendence, many years knowledee, of him on circuit, I be-
lieve, warrant me in saying that" y
Gentlemen, what effect this last a yon
may safely confide.
mately have upon yourselves asgr antipp.jouirnytmuleenntitmisanyout lftoir-
me to say • but I fear that attempts will again speedily be
made in Parliament'
to dispens
altogether, with your invalua7lieth a great extent, if not
eryices. The hands of
those wishing to inaugurate this serioussryreo intnovaticn have
been certainly strengthened by a very recent carefully
expressed presentiment of a Middlesex
former times," they say, " no doubt our forefajtua. wisely"En
d and
personseofmrommi
ttthe
del
instituted this tribunal, to stand between the aecurs
t? protect innocent
a court of justice;
painful ordeal of a trial, who might have been
from either the ignorance of the magistrate, or political
causes, when party spirit ran high. But by the intel-
ligence of the magistrates of this day, and the power-
ful influence of the press, these causes are no longer
in existence. The present utility of ourselves as a
grand jury is in respect of indictments, which, being pre.
ferred entirely on exparte statements, we consider would
be much better dealt with by the magistrates, on bring-
ing face to face before them the accuser and the accused.
We, therefore, trust that the Legislature will relieve us
from being summoned to attend to business i
which may be
considered a matter of mere form—ours,hese topics being an
desery-
nstitu-
tion which has outlived its utility." T
grave consideration undoubtedly; but speaking for myself
personally, and reminding you of the solemn oath which
the grand juryman takes
and which you have all just taken,
I say, leave me the grand
let me have the concurrent
voices of twelve (at least) ijnntreylligent sworn fellow-country-
men, that *he case alleged against me really requires me to