The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

ASSIZ.

'ENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—HERTFORD, March 3.

Both courts proceeded to business this morning
at ten o'clock, Mr. Justice Wightman presiding on
the Civil Side, and Mr. Baron Martin in the Crown
Court. There are only five causes entered for trial,
one of which is a special jury case.
Baron Martin, in charging the grand jury, took
occasion to observe upon the number of charges of
violence connected with the apprehension of parties
engaged in the offence of night poaching, and said
that it was much greater than he had ever seen
when he visited the Northern Circuit. He said it 1,
appeared to him that the magistrates ought to give
the gamekeepers instructions not to apprehend
poachers, but to summon them, and then those des-
perate conflicts would be avoided. He considered
that so great a number of these cases was rather a
disgrace to the country, and he himself had great
dout whether a gamekeeper was justified in endea-
vouring by force to take from a person found in the
act of poaching the gun which was undoubtedly
his property, but that question would not properly
arise until the cases came on for trial.
William Cannon, 24, a very respectable-looking
man, pleaded guilty to no less than five indictments
charging him with stealing horses.
Baron Martin, in passing sentence, said that it
appeared that the prisoner had stolen four horses
within a very short period, and that he sold them
immediately afterwards, and got the money. The
governor of the gaol had been called to prove that
he had conformed to the regulations of the prison
since he had been in confinement, but he imagined
that every prisoner would be compelled to do this,
whether he was willing or not, and it did not ap-
pear to him to affect the case in the slightest man-
ner. It was a very bad offence, and he felt it his
duty to order him to be kept in penal servitude for
six. years.

CIVIL SIDE.

',Before Mr. Justice Wightman and a Common Jury,

THE QUEEN V. WILLIAM GOODWIN THE YOUNGER.
This was an indictment against the defendant
under the Municipal Corporations Act, for having
wilfully and knowingly made a false statement on
the occasion of the election of town councillors for
the borough of St. Alban's, in November last, in re-
ference to his right to vote at that election.
It appeared that upon the occasion of the election
in question, Mr. Debenham, the then mayor of the
borough, and three other gentlemen, retired from
the office of town councillors, but offered themselves
for re-election, and they were opposed by Mr.
Simpson, an 'attorney in the town, and three others,
and there was a very strong and animated contest.
Among the list of burgesses was the name of Wm.
Goodwin, the father of the defendant, who was en-
titled to vote, but it appeared he had left the town
for more than four years, and on the day of election
the defendant came before the mayor and assessors
and tendered his vote in favour of Mr. Simpson and
the other three gentlemen who stood with him, and
in answer to the questions put to him he said that
his name was William Goodwin, and that his qua-

lification was the house for which his father ap-
peared to be qualified to vote. It appeared that at
this time the defendant was only 18 years old, and
was consequently not entitled, under any circum-
stances, to a vote, not being of full age ; and the
case on the part of the prosecution was, that he had
made the false statement well knowing that his
father, and not himself, was the party entitled to
vote. It appeared, however, in cross-examination,
that the defendant had always lived in the house,
and that all the rates had been paid as usual since
the father had left. _ _

At the close of the case for the prosecution, Mr.
Justice Wightman said he thought the jury would
hardly, under the circumstances, convict the de-
fendant of having wilfully made a false statement
with reference to the matter in question, when it
appeared that his name really was William Good-
win, and that he lived on the premises for which
he elaimed the right to vote.
The jury therefore returned a verdict of not
guilty.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WINCHESTER, March 3

NISI PRIUS COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Crowder and a Common Jury.

RICHARDSON V. STOREY.

In this case, which was reported yesterday, the
jury did not give their verdict until 12 o'clock at
night, and they then found for the defendant.
The cases tried to-day in this court have been of
the most uninteresting nature.

CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
PROSECUTION FOR LIBEL.