The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-17 00:00:00

OLD COURT.

The August session of the Central Criminal Court
commenced this morning, beton the Lord Mayor, Al-
derman Sir C. Mat si,all, Alderman Sir R. W. Carden,
M.P., Mr. Sheriff Ideates, Mr. Mr. Under Sheriff
Anderton, and Mr. Under Sheriff Crosley. There ar
106 prisoners to be tried, which is under tLe usual ave-
rage, considering there has been an interval of nearly
Fix weeks since the last sessions.

The Common Sergeant, in charging the grand jury,
congratulated them on the comparativelysmall number of
prisoners to he tried, and the light character of the
offences. With the exception of one charge of murder
by a man Lamed Payne, in St. Martin's-lane Work-
house, and a charge of manslaughter against the engine-
driver, stoker, and signalman on the North Kent Rail-
way, the charges that would bo brought before them for
investigation would be of the ordinary description.
During the present cession a bill had been intro-
duced in the House of Commons, but withdrawn, for
the abolition of grand juries. Undoubtedly there were
some strong arguments for their abolition, but at the
same time it could not be wondered at that a great deal
of constitutional jealousy should be expressed at the
abolition of an ancient institution that had been and wee
of so much advantage to the liberty of the subject, espe-
cially against the improper use of the prerogatives of
the Crown. There were no doubt many cases in which
their inquiry, following that taken with great care by
uncgistratae, might be dispensed with, but in others it was
essentially necessary they should be called on to pro-
nounce an opinion. After alluding to the charge of mur-
der, the learned gentleman said there was a charge of
' manslaughter against three men, servants of the London
and South. Eastern Railway Company, arising out
of the melancholy and fatal accident that occurred at
Lewisham station at:the end of June last, by the prisoners
running into a stationary train at that place. Man.
slaughter was murder without malice, and might arise
as much from culpable neglect or omission in doing a
lawful act, as well as the perpetration of an illegal act ;
and the question they would have to consider was
whether the deaths of the unfortunate persons who were
killed by that accident resulted from the neglect and
carelessness of the parties charged, when in the discharge
of their official duties. The learned gentleman in cor-
elusion referred to the case of stabbing in the Queen's
prison, to a charge of burglary against certain parties
who entered at night an unoccupied house, where goods
were stored, for the purpose of regaining possession of
them, from a belief that they would be defrauded of
them, which he thought could not be sustained, becaase
the law held that to constitute burglary it should be en-
tering premises within certain hours with the intention
of stealing. That he did not thick applied to this case,
which was undoubtedly an unlawful act, laying the
parties open rAher to a charge of trespass than burglary.
After tome further remarks on one or two other cases,
he dismissed the grand jury to the discharge of their
duties.

LIGHTS OF SHIPS AT SEA.

Some time back the Admiralty appointed a com-
mittee of naval officers to consider the expo liency
of altering the systemof lights established for steam
and sailing vessels. It consisted of Admirals Chads
and Beechy, and Captaina Sulivan, Ellerby-, and
Harris, and it examined several witnesses, and
finally arrived unanimously at the following con-
clusions :-
1. That no alteration should be made in the pre-
sent system of steamers' lights.
2. That the bright light now exhibited by sailing
vessels when under sail or being towed should be
abolished, and that, instead thereof, such vessel
should exhibit between sunset and sunrise to any
vessel or vessels, a red light on the port side, and
a green light on the starboard side, corresponding
to the coloured side light now shown by steamers,
without any reference to tacks.
3. That these coloured lights should be fixed
when practicable, and that when such light' arenot
fixed places should be provided in which the lights
should be kept on their respective sides, ready for
exhibition.
4. That all lights, whether fixed or exhibited by
band, should be so screened as to render them in-
visible on the opposite bow or side of the vessel,
which the committee consider quite practicable.
5. That the lights proposed to b..: exhibited by
sailing vessels should in so case be of less size or
power than the lantern which the committee recom-
mend, a!A which shows an uniform and unbroken
light over 16 points of the compass.
6. That all vessels at anchor, whether steamers
or sailing vessels, should exhibit, "where best
seen," between sunset and sunrise, a white light,
of uniform size and power, in a globular lantern of
six inches diameter, at a height not exceeding 20
feet above the hull of the vessel.
7. The committee consider it desirable further to
recommend tbat the pilot vessels of the United
Kingdom should be designated by particular lights.
They would therefore submit that, in addition to
the red and green lights now proposed for all
classes of sailing vessels, pilot vessels should be per-
mitted to exhibit a white light on a level with the
red or green light.
8. The committee having taken into consideration
the subject of signals during fogs would recommend,
for the reasons stated in the foregoing report, that
steamers should'useleither the steam whistle or bell,
and that all other vessels should use a fog horn.
Finally. The committee are of opinion that the
above regulations, if approved by their lordships,
should apply to all vessel: of the United Kingdom
in every part of the world, unless specially ex-
cepted by the Admiralty.
The committee cannot close their report without
stating that the evidence adduced proves that the
number of collisions is chiefly attributable to the
neglect of a " good. look-out," and they submit
that it should be strongly impressed on the masters
of all vessels that this important duty be more
rigidly attended to.