The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-08 00:00:00

Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,—ln addressing you at
the beginning of a new year, I shall make no allusions
whatever to the tremendous war which reflects a crim-
son glare on our past, present, and future, except to ex-
press gratitude to God that, notwithstanding that war,
the country is more steadily and vigorously than ever
prosecuting another war—the War against Crime.
What progress has the glorious reformatory move-
ment made even since I eat here last— three short
months ago! We now can scarcely take up a daily paper,
without seeing county after county bestirring itself in
the good cause,—the good, the great, the titled, the
wealthy, the gifted—men of all shades of politics—of
every form of our common Christianity—Protestant and
Catholic here joining their force against the common
enemy—all giving their counsel, their money, their per-
sonal exertions, their influence, to do what ? To give a
chance to the poor outcast of being once brought within
the fold—and afford society the heart's luxury of seeing
prodigal sons returning, in all directions, from the far
country of vice. Oh, gentlemen, I address you in this
strain with an emotion which I feel a difficulty in re-
sisting ; for the country is exhibiting itself iu a nobler
attitude, to my eyes, than when bearing in her hand the
ensanguined laurel of that other war in which she was
engaged. It has taken her a long time to convince her
what a concurrence of considerations exited to stimulate
her into carrying on that other war with which we are
here concerned ; but having put her hand to the plough,
she will not look back ! The juvenile and the adult
criminal have become to her objects of equal, and now
enlightened solicitude ; and she finds that the only
way of dealing with the latter is to diminish the
recruiting their ranks from the former ; to prevent
the unhappy urchin who is too often driven irto
crime by bad example, growing up before our
eyes into the grim ticket-ofleave man 1 Gentlemen, I
speak of enlightened solicitude ; for during the last six,
and especially the last three months, I have been most
forcibly struck with the discreet practical tone pre-
vailing all that is being said and written on this great
subject. I rarely iniss reading a' report of any charge to
a Grand Jury, any report of a Chaplain to a Gaol, any
account of a meeting called on the subject of a Refor-
matory institution ; and instead of vague though elo-
quent declamation, it appears to me that we now see a
cautious Red discriminating spirit, dealing with general
principles, and the important and often difficult facts
connected with the origin and progress of crime, not fall-
ing into the errors of a false philanthropy, on the one
hand, nor, on the other, into those of a harsh and india-
' eliminating severity. We may perceive, for instance,
an anxious attention paid to the question of imprison-
ment, with reference to the length of it, as affect-
ing its efficacy as either a deterrent or a punitive
act ; and age, character, temperament, and the cir-
cultestee6nees of each particulaar case—its antecedents
end probabilities—taken into careful consideration,
as the elements of the question to be kept steadily in
view, in dealing with the question for practical purposes.
Gentlemen, we are beginning to feel that in a criminal
we have a seri: n; and often difficult case of morbid hu-
manity to deal with ; requiring much knowledge of hu-
man nature, sound and unsound, and also of the. moral
healing art., and every one who has a criminal to deal
with, judicially, is biund to bring to bear on each one's
Case all knowledge attainable by experience and reflec-
tion, enabling him to satisfy his conscience that he has
awarded that curt of punishment, in kind and degree,
which will tend to vindicate public justice, but in doing
so, deter the offender by barely sufficient penalty from
again offending, and also give him adequate means
and inducements to return to a life of honesty and
virtue. I know by considerable experience how diffi-
cult a task this is to a conscientious judge, who ought,
considering the inestimable value of a human soul, to
deal with each ease as anxiously as though it was the
only one he should ever have to try ; feeling that only
just too much, or just too little punishment, may make
all the difftrence in the particular instance, between
ruin and salvation. Now, gentlemen, this question arises
in its commonest form in the case of imprisonment, and
the proper duration of it ; and that touches the whole
of the great question of a wise, that is an efficient Re-
formatory System, and is attracting to itself, I rijoico
to say, the best consideration of those hest qualified to
deal with so momentous a subject. I humbly think that
in the eye of our Almighty Judge, beheldieg his crea-
tures sitting in justice upon one another, you ought to
keep as steadfastly in view the effects, upon society and
the individuals of even punishment, in the case of a
petty first theft by a child, a fiftieth theft by an
adult, or the gravest offences of any kind with which
earthly tribunals are called upon to deal. Applying
this principle to reformatory discipline, you see the
true difficulty with which we have to deal, and which
requires the utmost practical sagacity in those who
undertake the duty. We must take uncommon care not
to disturb and dislocate our entire system of punitive
justice, in devising the scheme of our reformatory pro-
cedure ; we must take care to keep punishment, punish-
ment prison, a prison : and preserve a bright distinction
between guilt and innocence. I say this last with em-
phasis, because considerable sections of the humbler
ciaeses of society may begin to be injuriously affected by
the treatmeet which they sec administered to those who
hare yielded to temptation which others have resisted.
Gentlemen, you may see two principal, practical ques-
tions rising uppermost in men's minds, in the recent and
present stages of the reformatory movement. The first
is, whether the State, or individuals, should originate
and support these institutions. A doubt on this point is
at the present moment palsying much energy, or at
least suspending its action—and I know that doubt to
be entertained by many hearty well-wishers, and in
high places, too, to this great movement. It is certainly
difficult to a degree to see why a prison, or a lunatic
asylum, should stand on a different footing, as to volun-
tary or compulsory support, from a Reformatory Insti-
tution, which is but a branch of prison discipline—and
that is a matter directly, unceasingly, and vitally affect-
ing the public welfare. But the Legislature has not
hitherto recognised the obligation, and we know not when,
or whether it ever will, but, in the name of all that is
good and holy, is that any reason why those who see a
great evil to be cured, and are able to contribeta to cur-
ing it, can stand ootiscientiously acquitted if they abstain
from doing sot Oh, let us all hasten to have practically
a hand in this good work—to give our individual impulse,
however slight, to the machinery for amendment, if we
would please Him who came to seek and to save that
which was lost. The second practical question which you
may observe discussed by the sincere and zealous friends
of this movement is, whether they should be content
with small local reformatory institutions, or seek to esta-
blish is principal and central one in given districts. Ido
not wish to speak too confidently on this subject ; but
I always was and continue to be in favour of the for-
mer. All I want to see is an actual beginning made on a
limited scale, and with limited funds. Let the public see
a nucleus established-=in working trim ; and if they be-
hold five or six little brands actually plucked from the
burning, it would go further than a thousand speeches,
and all' the rank and influence which are so laudably
brought to bear upon their efforts. If you have the
plough in the field, put man and horse to it, and begin to
turn up the soil! We are all of tis, in all things, only
too apt to hang back frottt individual sacrifice and exer-
tion of any kind, as long as we have a secret conscious-
ness that our doing so will induce some ge_neral mode of
action diminishing individual pressure, With these few
remarks offered in an earnest and candid spirit for your
consideration and that of the public, I leave this great
and pressing social problem, commending it faithfully to
your individual, and, front your public position in this
populous and influential borough, responsible considera-
tion. I pass on to point your attention to a matter of
great interest and importance, even as affecting ourselves
here, and our duties this very day t I mean the opera-
tion of the act of the lad seesion, for enabling Justices
of the Peace, hi petty sessions, to deal summarily with
what I may conspicuously term the minor cases of
larceny. It had been in operation for a short time
before the last ttession, and of course has been so ever
since ; and what is the result on our labours this ses-
sion ? Very decisive. Nearly, if not quite, 24 cases
have been dealt with summarily under this act since I
last met you, which but for it would now be before us ;
and we have left only 22, or at most '23 cases to deal
with, which is indeed a novelty at these sessions. What-
ever may be the result. as affecting the professional inte-
rests of the bar practising at sessions, and which seems
likely to be extremely serious,—all that concerns you
and me on the part of the public is,—to see that the ser-
vice of this summary power acts well. Now no one can
venture to form an opinion concerning the propriety or
impropriety of a judicial dealing with any particular
case, who either was not present, or has not had authen-
tic information from competent authorities. But from
such source as I have of judging—the police reports of
your weekly newspapers- —I think these responsible
powers have been exercised in their place, with discri-
mination and care. But it is manifest that here, and
wherever the act is in operation, may be seen exempli-
fied the paramount necessity of applying the principles
regulating the infliction of imprisonment, so as to make
it salutary and effective for reformatory purposes. As far
as concerns myself, I cannot repress the anxiety I feel in
apportioning punishment fitly, in the cases of new or
old offenders—and I entertain no doubt that those
feelings fully influence the exercise of their new and
great important jurisdiction, in their place, in petty ses-
sions. • The act very wisely provides, that if the pri-
soners have been previously convicted, or if the justices
(or stipendiary magistrate) consider the charge to be,
from any other circumstances, fit to be proceeded with
here, rather than before them—they are to send it
hither : and the efficient working of the act depends in
no small degree on the exercise of this vigilant discre-
tion. Now, I know of a case, I will not say where, in
which the ju Cate dealt with a case as it was presented
to him, as if it were a first offence, whereas in truth, the
offender had no fewer than eight convictions for felony
standing against him—which did not come to the know-
ledge of the justice till it was too late to act upon such
important information. I would recommend a little
delay, gentlemen, if it were only for a day or two, in
these cases, in order that due inquiries should be made
nto the antecedents of the prisoner, which may lead
to a hardened and incorrigible offender being sent
hither, where a fitting measure of punishment may be
awarded. Gentlemen, connected with this subject,
I wish to call public attention to the existing state of the
law— as I have done in very high quarters since we last
met, and to offer a suggestion which appears to me of
no little practical importance. A few years ago, the
Courts of Q ,arter Sessions were stripped of a very large
shore of the jurisdiction which they had previeuely exer-
cised, and it was consequently transferred to the assizes,
at no little additional inconvenience and expense. No

Ag©

A letter from Singapore, of Nov. 22, gives the'follow-
ing movements of and in the China squadran :—At the
time of her Majesty's ship Spartan leaving Nangasaki,
her Majesty's ship ezybille, 40, Commander the Hon. C.
Elli ,t ; Hornet, 14, Commander Forsyth ; Encounter,
14, Captain O'Callaghan ; and the Barracouta, 6, Com-
mander Fortescne,, went to the northward again, it was
said to the Gulf of Tertary. The Tartar, Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's vessel, has
been purchased by Government, and commissioned with
the following officers :—Lieut. Nares (flag to Sir James
Stirling) in command ; Mate, Mr. Twiss, from the Co-
mus ; Second-Master, Mr. H. D. Sarratt, from the Spar-
tan ; Assistant-Surgeon, Mr. T. Warren, from the Co-
mus. It is supposed that she will be employed in the
suppression of piracy in China. Several courts-martial
ha-e been lately held fur the trial of various officers of or
belonging to the fleet. The second-lieutenant of the
Pique was tried on a charge of drunkenness, and was
sentenced to be dismissed his ship, and placed at the
bottom of the li,t of lieutenants. Mr. Thomas Wilson,
of the Rattler, was tried for riotous and insubordinate
behaviour, and for being drunk ; ho was sentenced to be
dismissed her Majesty's service, mulcted of all pay, prize-
money, &c , and to be imprisoned in one of her Majesty's
gaols. Lieutenant Phipps, of her Majesty's ship Nankin,
was tried on a charge, preferred against him by Captain
the Hon, Keith Stewart, for writing a certain letter,
the tone and spirit of which implied insubordination
and subversion of discipline ; he made no defence, but
threw himself on the mercy of the Court, which sen-
tenced him to be severely reprimanded, and admonished to
be more ca.utieus in future. The 10-gun brig Rapid,
Commander Blane, was to be sold by auction on the
15th of December, and most of her officers will proceed
home, it is expected, in her Majesty's ship Grecian, 16,
which sails shortly for England, Captain Blane to corn.
mind. Her Majesty's ship Spartan, 26, Captain Sir
William Hoste, relieves the Grecian et Singapore, pro
tern. She has a portion of the Russian prisoners on
board, who are to be conveyed to Trincomalee. Captain
the Hon, G. D. Keane, having obtained post rank, left
for England by the mail of the 15th of December. Her
Majesty's ship Winchester, 50, Rear-Admiral Sir James
Stirling, was expected to arrive at Singapore about the
15th of December, en route to Bombay, to be docked
for repairs. Mr. Johnson, her second master, has
been promoted to the vacancy occasioned by the
death of the master of the Bittern, Mr. W. Tur-
ner, who was killed in a brush with the pirates off
Ningpo."
The following members o
the pendant, fitting out, or

lishnient at i'ortaM'outh':—
Guns.
Duke of Wellington l3l
Marlborough l3l
Victor Emmanuel 9l

_
Ciagar 9l
Calcutta B4
Colossus Bl
Blenheim

Ajax
Shannon 5l

Imperieuse 5l
Arrogant

GUN-:
Guns.

Dapper
Stork
Gleaner
S winger
Biter
Skylark
Snapper

Havoc..

MORTAR
Bomb.

the fleet are preparing for
.efitting, on the war estab•

Guns.
Fox (steam transport) 42
Pylacies
Harrier .. 14
Ariel
Sampson
Gorgon
Dragon
Centaur
Fury
Geyser
Vulcan

Pincher
Jackdaw . . .
Starling
Hind
Weasel
Beaver

Guns.
1
1
1
1
1
1

VESSELS.

Bomb.

Blaser..

Porpoise
All these are in commission, except the Marlborough,
Victor Emmanuel, Shannon, and Fox, and they are be-
ing expedited for the pendant. So many ships, and fresh
arrivals nearly every day, give ample employment to
every department in the port. The Clarence-yard, Gos-
port, is full of stores in readiness for shipment.
The newly-launched screw etean -sloop Flying Fish,
in charge of Assistant Master-Attendant Tonkin and a
navigating party, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday from
Pembroke, to join the fleet fitting out. She is a fine
vessel, and her lines promise great speed. The following
are her principal dimensions .

Feet. In.
Length between perpendiculars 2OO 0
Length of keel
Breadth, extreme 3O 4
Ditto for tonnage
Ditto moulded
Depth of hold
Burthen, 871 tons. Her engines are to be of 350 horse
power.
The Hee:a, 6, steam sloop, Commander Mecham, and
the Avon tender, Master-Commander Veitch, arrived at
Portsmouth yesterday from the westward, the latter with
supernumeraries.
The Perseverance steam-trausport did not get away
clear on Sunday, but was detained until yesterday to
carry out a number of Royal Marines, whom she em-
barked from the steam tender sprightly yesterday after-
noon.
Her Majesty's steamer Driver, Capt. Gardner, is to
proceed forthwith to the Baltic.
The cylinders which form the pontoon of the experi-
mental mortar-raft, having been strengthened and re-
paired, were yesterday morning received at Woolwich
from Messrs. Seaward's factory. The raft will be imme-
diately readjusted and conveyed to Shoeburynoss for a
continuation of proofs.
A number of schooners having arrived off Woolwich
Arsenal from Hull are discharging their cargoes of mixed
shet and shell from the contractor's foundry at Low•
moor. Piles of shut and shell of every description now
encumber all the available epace along the wharves. The
monster bombs form a prominent feature there.

The following appeared in our late edition last
night :

PROMOTIONS.

Lieutenant John Hutchinson to be Commauder on the
reserved list, under the Order in Council of 1851.

• • ••• -
APPOINTMENTS.
Captain Francis Liardet, to CAreenwi.h Hospital, vice
Cll2pago, deCPaF4f?fi.
MASfER.
James Pyper to the Ajax.
PAYMASTER.'
Bernard T. Colley (confirmed), to the Barracouta,

STAFFORD, Jan. 6.—The excitement occasioned in
this town and district by the committal of Mr. Palmer,
of Rugeley, for wilful murder, in connection with the
death from poison of Mr. Cook, so far from having sub-
sided, appears to be still upon the increase. In fact, it
is almost impossible to exaggerate the public feeling
upon the subject, or to over-estimate the alarm created
in the minds of some people by the facility with which a
man tituated like Palmer may deal destruction
around him, and by the apparent ease with which de-
tectioe, if nut altogether eluded, may be long deferred.
Statemeets implicating Palmer in the sudden deaths of
individuals, of recent or comparatively remote occur-
rence, in and around Rugeley, become day by day more
rife, and are day by day more readily received by the
public as demonstrative facts, and if only a small portion
of these statements should turn out to be true, Palmer,
the surgeon of Rugeley, will leave behind him a fame as
a poisoner, compared with which that of a Laffarge, a
Brinvilliers, or even a Borgia, will dwindle into insigni-
ficance. Int, whatever may be the result of the trial
for the murder of Mr. Cook, and of the coroner's in-
quest, to be concluded on Friday, as to the cause of
death of the prisoner's wife and brother, Walter Palmer,
many of the statements alluded to are doubtless
entirely destitute of foundation, as in the present
state of excitement it appears to be quite suf-
ficient for the mere fact of a endden death, or death
under circumstances at all out of the common way to be
mentioned, in order to lead to the conclusion that Palmer,
the surgeon, was accessory to the fact. The more en-
lightened part of the public receive these rumours with
greater caution and reserve than the mass of the people ;
but everywhere an intense anxiety is displayed in antici-
pation of the proceedings before the coroner on Wed-
nesday, as, although the fact seems to be established, or
at all events taken for granted, that both in the case of
the prisoner's wife and that of his brother death
resulted from poison, the precise nature and qualities
of the poison used are at present only matter of con-
jecture.
As is by this time pretty generally known, as soon as
enspicion was entertained by the London offices in which
the life of •Mr. Walter Palmer was assured for a heavy
amount, that the death of that gentleman had not been
strictly natural, Field, the experienced detective, was
employed to investigate the circumstances. Being, how-
ever, from some cause or other, unable to give the case
his immediate personal attention, he committed it to the
care of Simpson, a shrewd and intelligent assistant, who
at once came over to Stafford and made preliminary
inquiries. Ife then proceeded to Rugeley to continue
his investigation. Finally, little doubt was left an his
mind but that Mr. Walter Palmer had died from poison,
and that if en, his brother, to whom the assurance
policy had been assigned, was the person who had ad-
ministered it. Positive proof as to the 'cause pf death
was altogether impossible, without the exhumation and
examination of the body of the deceased, for which
Simpson had no authority at that time, his only object
being to do justice to his employers by protecting them
against a demand for the amount of a policy supposed to
be illegally claimed.
To accomplish hie object he obtained an interview
with Mr. Palmer, at itegeleh where be found him at
home seated over his wine, and apparently as much at
ease as possible. After some commonplace remarks,
Simpson turned abruptly to the subject of Mr. Walter
Palmer's • death, hinting that suspicions were enter-
tained by some that it wad of a mysterious nature, and
alluding to Palmer himself an being best qualified, both
from his relationship to the deceased and his medical
knowledge, to set suspicion at rest. A momentary shade
of anxiety passed over Palmer's features, but nothing
more.
He replied that he was not aware of any suspi-
ci3us circumstances connected with the death of his
brother, that he did not think there were any such cir-
cumstances, but that if there were, strict inquiry' ought
to be made, and the murderer, if discovered, punished.
All this was said in an unfaltering voice, and with the
most perfect command of feature. Simpson, without
further beating about the bush, suddenly announced that
the assurance offices had decided convictions that the
death of Mr. W. Palmer had been accelerated or pro-
cured by poison, for the purpose of obtaining payment
of the amount for which his life was assured, and that if
the claim for payment were preferred it would be met
on their part by a charge of murder. Palmer sipped his
wino, apparently still unmoved, repeating that if there
was ground for inquiry, inquiry ought to be made, and
that guilt, if it existed, ought to be punished, and he
hoped it would be. Simpson repeated his warning, and
they parted.
A day or two later, while Simpson was sitting in the
coffee-room of an hotel here, Palmer entered with an
easy air, and perceiving his recent visitor, crossed the
room hastily, shook hands with, and expressed great
pleasure at seeing him, a,ithough there can be little doubt
that a more unwelcome sight could hardly have presented
itself before him. After a brief conversation, they shook
hands again, and Palmer quitted, him with the most cor-
dial air possible. _ _

A fev; days more, and Mr. Cook died, and Mr. Palmer,
who even under present circumstances is said still to pre-
serve remarkable self-possession, was an inmate of our
gaol upon a charge of murder.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Jan. 5, 1856 £18,73i 19 7
Corresponding week last year 17,291 18 4

Increase in 1835 •••••••

. ,;1,417 1 3

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic return for the week ending Jan. 5,
1816 ........................................... ; ,C10.5.18 5 5
.. .
1:(4:ti 01 Lou LAO-year to airyUM,' loet 10,548 5 5
Total of the half-year to this date, 1855 10,171 3 2
GREAT LUXEMBOURG RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for the
weak entlingDec. 30, J.SO 1,i,,,,,;,,,,,, ,,,,,£293 10 0