The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-05 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

TVINTER CIRCUIT.—CHELMSFOXD, age- 3.
Charles Hall was placed at the bar, charged with
having administered, or caused to be administered,
to William Pyman poison, with intent to murder him.
William Pyman sworn and examined—l am a
publican. The prisoner is a farmer. On the
morning of the 17th of July last the prisoner came
to my house in company with another man, who
soon after left. They had some porter. I then
told my servant to get me my dinner. This was at
half-past twelve. Hall said he should like to have
some too, and we both sat down. I told the ser-
vant to bring me half a pint of porter, on which
Hall said she might make it a pint, and we could
drink together. When we had done dinner there
was about half a pint left. The mug wus at the
prisoner's side. He placed it there. I went to the
cupboard for some pie. When I returned Hall
had changed his place, and was sitting near the fire
his head resting on his hand. I took the mug, and
was about to drink, when I ob-erved something
white in the mug. Drank some of the beer. It
had a horrid taste. Swallowed a little, and spit out
the rest. It burnt my throat. I told Hall some-
' thing had been put in the mug since I drank before.
Ott which he got up, put the mug to his mouth,
pretended to taste, and then said, " There was
something hot." Did not think by what
was left he drank any. He said, " How could it come
there ?" I said, " There is only me and you in
the room. I did not put it there." During this
conversation the mug was in my hand. Shook it,
and saw it was very much corroded at the bottom. It
turned the porter very thick, and it was quite in a
ferment. I said to the prisoner, "If I live I
will send this to Mr. Turmin at Colchester, to find
out what it is." I poured it into a small glass, and
then into a phial, and gave it to George Jay be-
tween seven arid eight in the evening.
Cross-examined—ls a married man. Prisoner is
a widower. On the day in question my wife was
out in the prisoner's chaise. Had some tares of
him. Bought them as [ should from any other per-
son. Has had dealings with him. Never quarrelled
with him. Does not think the prisoner wishes to be
on better terms with my wife than he ought. She
is about three-and-twenty. There has been a good
deal of talk about my wife and the prisoner, but
newer observed any thing wrong.
The prisoner in his defence called several wit-
nesses, who contradicted the prosecutor's story in
several points. Verdict—Not Guilty.

OLD BAILEY, DEC. 4.

THE BUSINESS OF THE COURT.-•MIDDLESEX MAGIS-

TRATES.

The COMMON SERGEANT shortly afrer two o'clock
came into the Court, and communicated to the Re-
corder that he had finished all the business in the
other Court ; but in consequence of the Grand Jury
being still sitting at Clerkenwell, he could not dis•
charge the Jury in attendance, who were most
anxious to be liberated. He was at a loss how to
act, and was desirous of knowing whether there
were any bills ready, or likely to be soon sent down.
The RECORDER said it was really shocking the
confusion and inconvenience arising to the public,
the Judges, Juries, and Counsel in attendance on
this Court, from the manner in which the business
was arranged and conducted at Clerkenwell.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS said it entirely arose from a
recent departure from the old system on which the
business was formerly conducted, and by which, if
now followed, the present Session would terminate
in an hour or two at the farthest. By the course
now followed the Session might be protracted, with
no business before the Court, until Saturday next,
for until the Middlesex Grand Jury were discharged
the Sessions could not terminate, nor could the gaol
be delivered.
The COMMON SERGEANT said that if no more
bills were presented, the Grand Jury would of
course be discharged immediately.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS said that the Magistrates con-

tinned, as it were, feeding the Grand Jury with
and the system, if persisted in, would have the
effect of creating a perpetual Session.
The RECORDER concurred with Mr. Phillips in
thinking the evil of the prevailing practice at Clerk-
enwell a very serious one in every point of view,
and was of opinion that some means ought to be
, ,
airoptea for the purpose of putting an end to it. He
thought if some representation were made by the
gentlemen of the bar to the Secretary of State, it
would have some effect in redressing the evil.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS remarked that the Secretary of
State was already well aware of the inconvenience
arising from the course pursued by the 'Middlesex
magistrates, but nothing had as yet been done to
amend the system. It ought to be known, and
publicly known, that no confusion or inconvenience
arose during the time Mr. Const filled the chair,
and that it was only within the last six months that
anything of the kind had occurred. The new sys-
tem had arisen solely from a gra,ping attempt, on
the part of the Middlesex magistrates, to increase
their jurisilic. ion.
The RECORDER observed it was quite notorious
into what an extent of inconvenience and confusion
this Court had been plunged, by the alteration in
the mode of business with respect to bills sent up
before the Middlesex grand jury.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS repeated that this had never
occurred in Mr. Const's time. It was some proof of
the manner in which business was now done by the
Middlesex magistrates, when the fact was remem-
bered that there were now in Newgate eleven per-
sons who had been tried illegally, and had been
brought back to be retried, but in consequence of
the refusal of the magistrates to return the records
of the former convictions, they must remain in
prison until after the next term, before their trials
could by possibility come on.
The RECORDER observed that he could not see
how the evil of the present system could be rerne-
died until regulated periods were fixed lot holding
the Clerkenwell Sessions.

Mr. C. PHILLIPS said the bar were unanimous in
their opinion that the remedy was to revert to the
course pursued in Mr. Const's time, and which
practice had shown to work well.
Mr. CLARKSON remarked that the issuing of a
new commission for the county of Middlesex mould
be another remedy.

The RECORDER thought a greater part of the evil
now existing might be got rid of by a short Act of

Parliament, empowering this Court to summon its
own grand juries.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS was of opinion that it would
be a great public benefit if the Clerkenwell sessions
were altogether abolished, and the power taken
from the magistrates of selecting what cases should
be tried here. In consequence of the committal to
Coldbath-fields Prison, there was now a record in
Court of a party charged as the principal felon being
acquitted in this Court, while the accessary was
convicted at Clerkenwell for receiving that which it
was no felony in the principal to steal. (The
Learned Counsel was understood to refer to the
cases of John Minter Hart and Henry Palmer.)
He (Mr. Phillips) was satisfied that no sessions
in the country, except the Middlesex sessions, would
have dared to take the trial of such cases as those of
Hart and Palmer, but they had been designedly
taken.

The conversation here dropped, but in a few mi-
nutes afterwards—

The RECORDER had just received a communica-
tion from Mr. Justice Littledale, in which that
Learned Judge wished to be informed whether his
attendance would be again required. As the Court
was kept in a state of uncertainty by the Middlesex
Magistrates, he (the Recorder) must request one of
the Under-Sheriffs to proceed to Mr. Allen, the clerk
of the peace, to ascertain whether there were any
more bills to be disposed a in this Court.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS said it was monstrous that the
Judges of the land should thus have to wait and be
kept in uncertainty by the Magistracy of any county.
Last week Mr. Sergeant Arabin had been obliged
to adjourn the other Court at an early hour, in con-
sequence of Tuesday and Wednesday having been
occupied in finding bills for the Clerkenwell Ses-
sions, instead of bills for offences to be tried here.

The Under-Sheriff (Sandal!) was about to leave
the Court and to proceed to the Clerkenwell Ses-
sions-house, when—

Mr. PHILLIPS requested him to look at any bilk
he might find there, in order to ascertain whether
the offences charged were capital, " for," said Mr.
Phillip, " it was but the other day they did not
know a highway robbery was a capital offence until
I told them."

Mr. Under-Sheriff Sandall then left the Court, hut
returned in about half-an-hour, bringing one bill of
indictment for a simple larceny, and with the fur-
ther information that the grand jury were not yet
discharged.

Charles Blundy was capitally indicted for feloni-
ously assaulting, on the King's highway, Edmund
John Bentham, and stealing from his person a silver
watch and appendages, value 4/.
The prisoner, in his defence, had found the watch
in the road.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.

NEW COURT.
BUSINESS OF THE COURT.

The Court was at a stand-still several times du-
ring the day for want of bills of indictment.
The COMMON SERGEANT informed the jury that
the grand jury were still sitting at Clerkenwell, and
therefore he had no power to discharge them, al.
though they had nothing to do.
Several learned counsel complained, that not only
was the time of the Judges of each court, and that of
the jurymen and counsel, wasted, but as long as the
present system of doing business at Clerkenwell
continued there would be no end to delay and con-
fusion.

The COMMON-SERGEANT did not wish to throw
blame upon any individual; as soon as the grand
jury were discharged, he should be happy to dismiss
the pedt juries.

The Jury, after some consultation, handed up a
paper, signed by them all, of which the following is
a copy :

"To the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home
Department.

"We, the undersigned jurymen for the county of Mid-
dlesex, having been detained a considerable time at the
Old Bailey withoet any cases before us, and having been
informed by the Court that we could not be dismissed
befare the discharge of the grand jury at Clerkenwell,
respec fully suggest to your Lordship that some inquiry
should be made as to the cause of such delay, and that
measures should be taken to prevent future juries from
suffering similar inconvenience.
" THOMAS BURTON, JOHN GALE.

Foreman. GEORGE CHAPMAN.
T. BR USHFIELD. A. Filar.
W. GAN DY. A. BUTLER.
JAMES FELTON. H. DAVIS.
W. GARDNER. THEOPHILUS CARR."
S. B. GAZE.

The COMMON-SERGEANT said it was a very proper
remonstrance : he should certainly forward it with-
out delay.
At 5 o'clock a new jury was empannelled, but
Mr. Sergeant ARABIN informed them that
from the irregularities which prevailed there was
nothing for them to do at present. It was the
old practice at Clerkenwell to take those bills which
were intended for the Old thiley first, and then the
business of the Court suffered no delay; but now
he Grand Jury had adopted a new method, and
hence the present inconvenience.
After a pause, the Court was adjourned for an
hour.

Two prisoners were arraigned, but they had only
been in custody one day, and were not prepared
with their defence, in consequence of which the
Court consented to postpone their trials until this
day.

The Court was compelled, for want of bills, to
adjourn two hours earlier than usual.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, DEC. 4.

THE GRAND JURY.

Mr. Sandell, one of the Under-Sheriffs of the
county, appeared on the floor of the court, and ad•
dressing the Bench said he had been sent to that
Court from the Old Bailey, by the Recorder of the
City of London, to inquire the reason of the great
delay which had occurred in returning bills to the
Old Bailey, where there were three juries at that
moment sitting idle. It was an evil of a serious
nature to all parties concerned. He should feel
happy if measures were taken to obviate it ; the
remedy would be for the Grand Jury to take the
Old Bailey cases first. He pressed for a decisive
answer, as Mr. Justice Littledale wished to know if

it would be necessary for him to attend at the Old
Bailey to-morrow.
The Chairman (Mr. HALSEWELL) said that a
rule had been laid down on which the Grand Jury
acted—namely, to take the bills in the order they
stood upon the list. He believed the delay had
occurred in consequence of a case of perjury having
been under the consideration of the Grand Jury,
which had necessarily taken up a great deal of time.
He could not interfere with the Grand Jury, or dic-
tate to them. He would, however, recommend
them to take the Old Bailey bills first.

---TheF-oreman of the Grand Jury said they found
that when they took a bill out of its ordinary course
the witnesses were not in attendance.
The Under Sheriff requested the Court to use its
authority in the matter.
The CHAIRMAN said he had no control over the
Grand Jury.
The Under Sheriff expressed his surprise at that ;
he understood the Court had directed the Grand
Jury to adopt the present plan.
The Foreman said he would pledge himself to
take the bills for the Old Bailey first.
The Under Sheriff then bowed and retired.

The following is among the regular toasts at
the celebration of St. George's day in Quebec, " England
and the United States of America--may the Atlantic
which rolls between them always be a Pacific Ocean."

We regret to learn that scarlet fever is at
present very prevalent in the neighbourhood of Forres,
and has, in many instances, proved fatal.—Scotsman.

A person was lamenting the turn out of the
Paris bakers; and asked, in case their example should he
followed by their brethren in England, whether we wouldn't
proceed against them? "To be sure," replied a wag,
" in the Rolls Court!"