The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-16 00:00:00

THE QUEEN V. GRIFFITHS.

In this case a rule for a quo warranty had been ob-
tained, calling on Charles Robertson Griffiths to show
cause by what authority he held the office of clerk to
the guardians of the poor in the parish of St. Martin's-
in•the-Fields. It appeared that Mr. Griffiths was elected
by a majority of 11 to 10 votes, but the chairman of the
meeting at which the election took place, refused to vote.
On that ground the election was contended to be invalid
and void.

Sir F. KELLY, who appeared to show cause against
the rule, intimated that, if the Court thought the ob-
jection fatal, he would consent to the rule being made
absolute on such terms as would prevent any future
litigation.

Lord CAMPBELL said the Court wero of opinion that
under the terms of the order of the Poor-law Board the
chairman of the meeting ought to have voted.
An egreement was then entered into to make the rule
absolute, Mr. Griffiths undertaking t 5 resign within a
week, and to discharge the duties of the office until
another person should be elected to fill the vacancy.

EXCHEQUER.—(THIS DAY.)
(Sittings in Banco.)
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL v. THE LONDON DOCK
COMPANY.
The arguments in this lengthy case were resumed
again this morning. Mr. Macauley concluded his ad-
dress, which was unfinished when the Court rose on Sa-
turday, and he was followed by the Attorney-General,
who occupied their Lordships during the remainder of
the morning.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
The June sessions of the Central Criminal Court were
opened this morning, before the Lord Mayor, the Re-
corder, and Aldermen Sir James Duke, M.P., William
Hunter, and D. W. Wire, attended by the Sheriffs of
London and Middlesex and the other civic functionaries.
The first edition of the calendar contains the names
of 174 prisoners, of whom 23 are for London, 102 for
Middlesex, 36 for Surrey, and 13 for Kent and Essex.
Some of the offences are of a serious character, 3 being
for murder in Surrey, 10 for cutting and wounding with
intent, &c., 2 for manslaughter, 6 for forgery, and 2 for
rape. The other cases aro of the ordinary description.
The grand jury having been sworn and empannelled,
The RECORDER proceeded to charge them as follows:
—He said it was a great satisfaction to him to be able to
congratulate them upon the unusual lightness of the
calendar. He was happy to tell them that in the per-
formance of their task as grand jurymen they would find
the list of prisoners to be both light in the character as
well as in the number of the offences. Comparatively
speaking the calendar was exceedingly light,
but at all events- he could Safely say this,
that in this court they had been in the habit
of. dealing with much heavier. It was gratifying to find
that while the streets of the metropolis had been more
than usually crowded, so far from that circumstance
having produced any increase of crime, there was an
absolute reduction in the number of offences returned to
this court. He confessed he was one of those who bad
thought it impossible that a large assemblage of persons
collected, not only from every part of the country, but
almost from every district in the globe, could be brought
into .the narrow focus of this metropolis without having
the effect of increasing the labours of those who were
entrusted with the administration of the criminal law.
They found, however, that had not been so, for the ex-
perience of six weeks bad enabled theta to discover:that
it would produce no such results as those which were
originally anticipated. It was also thought that amongst
those whom the Exhibition would draw to London
would be a large number of foreigners of doubtful
character and questionable reputations, who would
come here seeking to encourage political agitations and
promote illegal purposes; but he was happy to say that
his eye over the calendar, he found nothing
in upon casting
itto
encouragethat impression, indeed, it did not con-
tain the name of a single prisoner. Having said thus
much, be might almost dismiss them at once to the dis-
charge of their duties, for there was no case in the ca-
lendar that called for any special remark from him, and
certainly none that presented any point of serious legal
difficulty. There was one case of manslaughter, where a
woman appeared to have destroyed the life of another;
but in that case the only point he thought it necessary
to direct their attention to was this—if it should
appear that the wound inflicted by the woman
should have accelerated, if it did not actually
produce the death of the deceased, it would be sufficient
to justify
their sending the case for further investigation.
There was another case in the calendar which he thought
it right to direct their attention to. It was the case
where three men were charged with the murder of a
policeman, and even with respect to this be need not
detain them with any detailed
explanation of the law as
it affected murder. It was sufficient primafacie that
the death should be caused by the violence of the ac-
cused, but at the same time, in order to make the offence
complete, it must appear that the parties were actuated
by malice. Now in this:case it appeared that a police-
man, while in the discharge of his duty, was attracted
to a number of persons who were in a state of intoxica-
tion, and creating a disturbance in the public tho-
roughfare. He desired them to go quietly home,
but instead of doing so these three men, who were of
the party, went deliberately and collected some stones
Pith which they afterwards inflicted the injuries that
were the immediate cause of the policeman's death.
That fact he thought v,as sufficient to establish that the
prisoners were actuated by malicious motives, and it
would be for the Court to decide on their trial whether
or no there was any extenuating or justifying circum-
stances which would reduce the offence below the crime
of murder. These were all the cases that he deemed it
necessary to remark upon, and thanking them for the
attention they had paid to his observations, he would not
detain them longer, but at once dismiss them to the dis-
chargegereateadei
jyreirmportant functions.
then retired.
The

Wednesday next will be the thirty-fifth anniver-
sary of the battle of Waterloo; it will be celebrated by the
Duke of Wellington with the usual banquet to the heroes of
the 18th of June. _
An attempt is being made to introduce salmon into
the rivers of New Zealand, and also to naturally the grouse
9 §g9tlo4lo PRA tho Izillo 9i that c,9l9Py.