The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-15 00:00:00

COMMENCEMENT Of TERM--This Day.

The Lord Chancellor entertained her Majesty's
Judges this morning at breakfast, on the occasion
of the commencement of term. After the break-
fast the Judges, attired in their state robes and
attended by their clerks and trainbearers, went in
procession to Westminster, to open their respective
courts.

There were a great number of persons present
in the ancient hall to witness the arrival of the
Judges.

THE PRISONER ANN JUS? ICE.

The following letter has been addressed to the
Secretary of State for the Home Department :
" 38, Red Lion-square, 11th April, 1868.

" Sir,—lt is, I think, most necessary that you
should be informed of the position of Ann Justice
with reference to her defence against the charge of
being in some way mixed up with the explosion in
December last at Clerkenwell. It is generally sup-
posed, so I gather from the newspapers, that she is
adequately and properly defended ; while the fact
is that such supposition has no fair foundation.
➢ly own connection with the business is simple and
short enough. About a fortnight ago I was re-
quested to undertake the defence. Being then in
London, and likely to remain so, I consented to this.
That is, I consented to be the prisoner's attorney,
and to do the work which an attorney is permitted
to do, preparing briefs, taking instructions from
the prisoner, examining witnesses, conferring with
counsel, and attending to the general conduct of
the defence. Nothing was said to me about
money, the payment of fees to counsel, expenses
of witnesses, &c. But I was under the belief—at
all events I permitted myself to believe—that sutli-
cient money would be forthcoming from friends, or
a subscription, or from some fund applicable to such
purposes. But as day after thy went by my belief
and hope became much qualified. Ann Justice has
no means whatever of her own. Strictly speaking
she cannot, being married, have any means. Her
husband is' away—his residence unknown—he has
sent no money. The woman indeed is so poor that
she has been obliged to content herself as to food
with the prison allowance. It is right, however, to
add that she makes no complaint of this ; and also
that the stringency of the ordinary prison rules has
been relaxed in her favour. For the prisoner's de-
fence counsel of weight, courage and influence, and
also of learning and experience, will be required.
Her case is peculiar. It is an absolute necessity for
her protection that she should be tried alone, so that
she may have only to contend against the evidence
that relates solely to herself. To insure a separate
trial will be attended with much difficulty. Counsel
who could easily be put down, or frightened, or led
away, or who were not of large experience in cri-
minal courts, would not only be unequal to the
work, but they might, notwithstanding their zeal
and talent, do harm instead of good. Of course
I have in mind the fact that an apparent faci-
lity is, in cases of importance, granted to pri-
soners by the judge who presides assigning coun-
sel for their defence. But this so-called mercy of
the law is in truth a miserable deception. It is
absurd to suppose that counsel can be expected,
any more than others who work for their living,
to give their labour, industry, and anxiety to a
business which gives them nothing in return. The
work of reading and thinking—of comparison, ana-
lysis, and study—entail heavy labour where the ser-
vice required is to be done faithfully. And where
there is no payment the real work of a defence is
often put off and avoided. Counsel may not be
themselves aware of this, but attorneys are painfully
sensible of its truth. The end of such defences—
where all the gain is the honour of being assigned
by the judge at the request of the prisoner—is
usually a flashy speech, after an indiscreet cross-
examination. No talent in the world will compen-
sate for the want of that knowledge which only
industry and reflection can give. Talent and readi-
ness are indeed sometimes successful. But it may
be safely asserted that no prisoner was ever
fully defended by counsel whose only payment for
his work was the honorium ' which, a long time
ago, was spoken of by the inexperienced as a suffi-
cient substitute for money. Permit me, then, to ask
you to give a favourable attention to what I have
written. I have waited till now in the desire not
to trouble you if I could avoid it, and in the hope
that I might obtain aid from other sources. But
that hope is gone. The only friend I have seen of
the prisoner is her brother, who is nearly as des-
titute as she is. He can do nothing. He has fur-
nished me with shillings enough (perhaps, for I
am not certain) to procure a copy of the indictment,
and that is all.

‘, I beg therefore most respectfully to ask for such
assistance as the Treasury may feel it right to give.
The prisoner is a woman, weak in health, with no
money, married, her husband away, with no friends.
If you grant my prayer I pledge myself to use
honestly for the prisoner's defence, and under what-
ever directions you may give, whatever you may
think fit to trust to my discretion. The trial will
probably be on in a few days. No counsel are as
yet retained ; but I have spoken to Mr. Montague
Williams. That gentleman kindly made an appli-
cation in the prisoner's favour a few days ago.—l
have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient ser-
vant, " W. P. ROBERTS.
44 To the Right lion. the Secretary of State,
Whitehall."

L'iNDON GAZETTE-LAST EVENING.

WHITEHALL, APRIL 11.
The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to
be passed under the Great Seal, granting- the dignity of a
Baron of the United Kingdom of Groat Britain and Ireland
to the following persons, and the respective heirs =Jo of
their bodies lawfully begotten :
The Right Honourable Sir John Trollop°, Bart., by the.
name, style, and title of Baron Kesteven, of Casewick, in
the county of Lincoln.
Sir John Benn Walsh, Bart., by the name, style, and
title of Baron Ormathwaite, of Ormathwaite, in the county
of Cumberland.

Sir Brook William Bridges, Bart., by the name, style,
and title of Baron Eitzwalter, of Woodham Walter, in the
county of Essex.

William O'Neill, Clerk, by tho name, style, and title of
Baron O'Neill, of Shanes Castle, in the county of Antrim.
. _

ADMIRALTY, APRIL 11.
Commander David Aird has been this day promoted to
be Retired Captain, under the provisions of her Majesty s
Orders in Council of Ist August, 1860, 9th July, 1864, and
24th March, 1866.

APRIL 13.
The following Flag Promotions to date the Bth instant,
consequent on the death of Admiral Sir Henry Ducie
Chads, G.C.8., have this day taken place :—Vice-Admirals
on the Reserved Lists : The Lord John Frederick Gordon
Hallyburton, G.C.H., Robert Contart M'Crea, Michael
Quin, John Balfour Maxwell, and John Rivett Carnae to
be Admirals on the same Lists.
Vice-Admiral Thomas, Earl of Lauderdale, K.C.8., to be
an Admiral in her Majesty's Fleet. Roar-Admiral Henry
Kellett, 0.13., to be a Vice-Admiral in her Majesty's Fleet.
Captain John Walter Tarleton, C. 8., to be a Rear-Admiral
in her Majesty's Fleet.
Retired Vice-Admirals : William Slaughter, K.H.,
Thomas Gill, Robert Gordon, to have the rank of Retired
Admirals, under the provisions of her Majesty's Order in
Council of 7th May, 1858.
The following promotions to date the 9th inst., conse-
quent on the death of Rear-Admiral Thomas Harvey, have
also this day taken place :--Captain the Lord Frederic
Herbert Kerr to be a Rear-Admiral in Her Majesty's
Fleet. Retired Captains Henry Harvey (a) and Louis
Symonds Tindal to have the rank of Retired Rear-Admi-
rals, under the provisions of her Majesty's Orders in
Council of Ist August, 1860, 9th July, 1864, and 24th
March, 1866.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE—Last Evening.

Amsterdam Short ... 11 18 ... 11 18i
Ditto
Rotterdam — ... 11 194 ... 12 f
Antwerp
... 25 35 ... 25 4214
rirtissels -
Ilamburgh — ... 13 9- ... 13 10f
Paris Short ... 25 12i ... 25 221
Ditto
Marseilles....
~..

Frankfort-on-the-Main ... ... 1204 - ... 1204
Vienna — ... 11 95 ~. 12 U

Trieste ... 11 75 12 0

Petersburg
Berlin 6.261 —. 6_27i

Madrid — 481 48i
Cadiz
7

Leghorn - -. 28 A -. 28 90
Milan... - -. 28 70 _. 28 90
Genoa - -. 28 70 -. 28 90

Naples 2B 70 ... 28 90
Palermo 2B 70 ... 28 90
_ .

Messina
28 70 28 90
Lisbon
Oporto

NORTHAMPTON RACES.-It h been determined by the
committee of management to give a piece of plate, of the
value of 200 sovs, to be run for at the next meeting in
1869, and called the County Cup, under usual Cup con-
ditions (two miles). The piece of plate will be manu-
factured by an eminent West-end firm, and will .be mo-
delled from a subject connected with the history of the
ocanty.