The Sun.
London, England, 1815-10-19 00:00:00

'MIDDLESEX *GRAND JURA'.

The grand Jury for the ensuing Sessions far
the County, w is yesterday sworn in at the Ses-
sions House at Westminster. After the usual
formalities had been gone thrmigh,
Mr. WATSON, the Chairman, addressed the
Jury, and observed, that atter the personal ex-
perience which lie himself had had, of the Manner
in which the duties of the Grand Juries of the
County of Middlesels. paid heretofore been
per-
formed, he 'felt that they required very little in-
struction from him respecting the labours upon-
which they were about
,to -enter; nevertheless,
he thought it watald. lint, he considered imperti-
nent, if . he took the liberty of delivering a
short but perspicuous comment on the oath
which the Gentlemen he had the honour to
address had just taken. This oath 'comprised four
distinct divisions. The first required the Juiy to
use special diligence in the exercise of the du-
ties assigned them, and true 'presentineut to
-Make of all that should be given them in charge.,
:or should otherwise come to their knowledge.
From this it would be seen that they were not alone
to attend to such bilk 83 might be brought before
them by individual. prosecutors, and to examine
witnesses thereon, but they were “Is to attend to
such matters. as had attracted their notice, in-
jurious to the.public weal; and to present these
matters to the Court as fit subjects for legal re-.
dresS., The second
.division of their oath called
Upon them to keep secret such matters-,as came
before theM, and not to divulge either the
-substance of their deliberations, or even the
`finding of a bill, they announced it in
public Court. The -Nportance of the observ-,
&lice of this pledge we - so self-evident, that it
scarcely required exi;,:l•.7,:ation. Every Gentleman:
'must see, the it %skis of infinite consequence,
both to the cause of Justice, and the individual ac-
cused, that nothing should transpire respecting
the. ccusation made, till the matter should conic
forward "in public Court_ s here the accuser and
the accused, would `,..z7e equal advantages in the
situations in whict, iney were respectively placed..
The third division called -upon the Jury to pre-
sent no liersons from hatred,, undies, or
from fear, favour, or alift.:tion, nor from re-
ward; or the hope 0, promise of reward hereaf-
ter.. This requiretii them to- discharge their du-
ties faithfully, and wit,' ut any other motive
than. a .strict and kripan.ill anxiety to do- juS--
tic.e tat al.t partie9 They were neither, on the one
hand...to'she Lzessekby. the_lTser feelings of per-
sonal enmity; or, on tint ether/ by the Wore 4tai'

neither place die guiltless in a sittratiOn of <ME
cUlty„ nor screen the guilty rim that,ppnishinct.t
which their crittie and the public safety demanded.
The fourth division of the oath directed then.
to Present all thingS truly that should Come to
their knowledo, to the, best of their under-
'grading and belief—that was to say, they were,
to preSent all things as trul',7 as they were enabled,
according to such evidence as might lie brotight
before them, Or as their own personal obser-
vations • might warrant. The only remainin2,
point to which he bad to advert ‘va!;:, as to what
the law meant by true presentment. Sir Ma-
thew is ale was of opinion, that a true pre-
sentiment was that which was founded upon pro-
Joible evidence. Not a remote or slight proba-
bility, tint such an :approximation to truth. a,
.voids! Warrant the _Grand :fury considerirL
they were safely justified in making an accusa-
tion for the King. The result of this grand in-
qiiest was, simply to place the accused upon trial
before a second JurY; and hence the great ex-
cellence of the British Constitution, by which
it was indispensable that four-and-tiventy indi-
, viduals must concur in opinion, before a 'sub-
ject could. he deprived of lite, of liberty, or of
a limb. For before a Bill could be found by
the Grand Jury, twelve at least of their number
must have agreed that there was just ground of
accusation ; and on trial afterwards the whole 12
Jur)men must coincide in,opinion,.baore the ac-
cused could be pronounced guilty. With this
explanation of the oath, the Learned 'Chairman
left the Jury to proceed to the discharge of their
duties. . _

The-Jury was then directed to ,attend at Ii ck's
Hall, Clerkenwell, on Monday next.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.