The Sun.
London, England, 1817-08-28 00:00:00

OPERA-HOUSE.

This case was once more postponed, on account
bf I±lr. Hart having gone away. It was fixed for
to.-morrow.

JUDGE FLETCHER.

The following passages in this learned Judge's
charge at the Derry Assizes are well entitled to
attention :

" He lamented the extent of the Ctiminal Ca-
lendar, tv Inch appeared to him to be nnitsally
great for trre county of Derry. He hail iust come
from discharging a most painful duty at Omagh,
where no fewer than twenty-six capital convic-
tions had Jake') place. He' was 'happy to fitid,•
however, that his progress he hail not disco-
vered any thing tending hi conspiracy against the
,
laws or Government. The pressure the'iimes
Lid led, in some instances, to the commission of
crimes: but generally had given a prete:ia to the
•abandoned for the perpetration of all manner Of
wickedness. Ile noticed an Act lately passed in
the Imperial ParliaMent; for as3hultting he prac-
tice of Irish Grand. Juries, in
.the finding ot: bills
of indictment,- to the custom- uniforodv practised
in 14,:ngland,
,of which he highly approved, as
tending greatly 'to check the conduct of Magis-
trates,' who, either front ignorance, prejudice; or
malignity, were too much in the habit of grant-
ing committals wantonly and unnecessarily. He
also approved of another Bill, which emanated
from the one in question, which tended to the en-
forcing the penalty on forfeited recoguizances.
He adverted to the late Act for-altering the laws
with respect to road-making. All must admit, that
some change was necessary ; but whether the one
proposed was the most efficacious, time alone
could shoiv. He had some doubts, however, whe-
ther a general law could be acted upon, with be-
neficial effects, in all the counties of Ireland.

" The proposed Inspector of Roads, if indeed
it would be found practicable for him to peram-
bulate the whole county, would. require to be a
man possessed of rare judgment and incorruptible
integrity ; otherwise abuses were more likely to
inereaSe. than be remedied. .

" He'lamented the great inclination to swear-
ing which prevailed in this country, for which he
attributed a variety of causes. He conceived they
originated chiefly in the propensity of the lower
classes to form secret and illegal combinations,
which bad existed as long as he remembered.—
The parties were generally bound together by an
oath,-which frequently engaged them to the com-
mission of all matmer of atrocities. Such were
the Hearts of Oak and Hearts of Steel, White
Boys, .Peep,o7,day Boys, Carders, Threshers, &c.
&c., and latterly they have Come to the colours of
Orange and green.
" He censured the present mode of administer-
ing oaths in Courts of Justice, as wanting in pro-
per solemnity ; and suggested the• propriety of
having the various kinds of clergymen in attend-
ance on such occasions, whose presence he con-
sidered would be a check on their respective
hearers.

" Prosecutions for perjury were not pursued
as they ought, nor were the pu►►ishments such as
to correct the evil. He was.afraid that the Sun-
day Schools and Bible SoCiWties were not calcu-
lated to repress the general depravity—it was be-
ginning at the wrong end. It woi►ld be necessary
to begin with the parents first, in older to coun-
teract the general depravity. .1-ie entered into a
Variety of other topics, and concluded by instruct-
ing the Grand Jury how to act upon the late law
for examining witnesses before finding bills of in-
dict►nent."--(lrish Paper)

Commitments for crimes, upon an average of
9 years, in proportion to population, have been
estimated as follows Manchester, I in 140;
in London, 1 in 800 ; in Ireland, I in 1,600 ;
and in Scotland, 1 in '20,000 ! Taking this upon
a wile. Much_ less favourable to Scotland, what
an irresistible argument. doeS afford for.the re-
ligions, moral, and mental culture of the'buntan
race !

I;XECUTiaN of W. OR (:. A' 3 G. SIGGINS

On Thursday last William Morgan, aged '2B,
and George Stg ins, aged 23, were executed at
Penenden-heath, pursuant to the sentence passed
on them at the late Kent Assiies.—The crime for
winch Morgan suffered was that of rilbhery attend-
ed with cruelty. On the 9th of June, he attacked
a poor old woman named is:Vishett, in her cottage,
at Erith, and not only took away froin her some
money, but also beat her in a most cruel 'manner.
He eca's convicted on circumstantial evidence ;. and
though, the property taken was but trilling, the
Judge considered hini a fit object for the extreme
eunishment of the law, as personal violence, joined
to r .hhery, is an off.lace whiCh, most wisely, is
rarely if ever pardoned. George Siegins was con-
victed of an abominable Offence. From the time
of their efinviciion both the prisoners condected
themselves With great propriety. The Rev. Mr.
Argles, chaplain of the Gaul, was unwearied
in his endeavours to prepare them for the solemn
change they were about to 'Undergo. Morgan
evinced great contrition, and was frequently moved
to tears by the exhortations of his pions instructor.
He luny acknowledged his guilt, and made a' con-
fession of a series of crimes which cloning i'he` last
nine years he had committed. He expressed a
wish that his confession might he made public, it
being all theatollelnent then in his power to make
to the world for his past guilt. With respect to
Siggins, though he behaved with great decorum,
and was grateful for the kindness of the reverend
Chaplain, it is to feared he was not fully
a wArned to a sense of his guilt. We understand
that he denied having committed the crime for
which he was doomed to die, and in that, denial
persisted to the last. On Thursday, about eleven
o'clock, the prisoners left the county gaol, and being
seated in a waggon, were taken to the place of exe-
cution on Penenden-heath, accompanied by the
usual ofFicet sand guard. When the waggon drew up
under the scaffold; Morgan took off his straw hat
with his right hand, and with a very quick motion
threw it with considerable force behind him among
the crowd. The Chaplain having ascended the
i.vgeron, he joined in prayer with the unfortunate
men for several minutes. The last solemn duty
being performed, the Rev. Gentleman shook hands
with them, and having left them they were resign-
ed into the hands of the executioner. Morgan
first mounted the platform. Before leaving the'
‘vaggon, he exclaimed to the spectators " God
bless you all, my lads." While the rope was ad-
justing round his neck, he several tittles requested
the executioner would not shorten-it too much.
Siggins being placed under the fatal beam, he
being a very short man, -the executioner found
it—neces#ary to place him on some steps : be-
tore the rope was finilly adjnsted on the neck
of Siggins, Morgan said to the executioner,
Leave plenty of slack, mate, you need not
rtbe
.afraid of our running away," The dreadful
fpreparation being completed, Siggins said with ai
ifirui voice, .." With the 'assistance of Al Mighty
-.Good we will sing a hymn; if he will give ns
strength so to do." He then opened a paper, its.
whiclm was written a hymn, and 'he and evlore,n
joined their voices in singing it. The hymn being
,conelutted, Morgan said to the
.spectators ; "
hope this will be a warning to you all, God bless
:yon all;" the caps were then pulled over their
`titres, and they prayed very fervently till the with-
drawing of the fatallbolt_deprived them of eiisf:
:ence.._ Morgan appeared
,to suffer little, hitt Sig-
gins was very much convulsed for several minutes.
'After hanging the usual time, the bodies were con-
veyed- t'o'the Maidstone church-yard, where they
were interred. And here we cannot help noticing
a circumstance which has been much and deS'er-v-
-aly reprobated. The clothes of persons 'eXecilt-
ed being considered the perquisite of the execu-
tioner, the coffins of these unfortunate men were,
previous to interment, opened in the church-yard,
and the bodies publicly stripped.

DUBLIN, AUG. 23.'—Further Paiticiaars ff the
Descent of the Aeronauts.—ln about eleven :ninnies
after the ascent, Miss Ton►pson and Mr. Living-
stondescended in perfect safety, in a shrubbery,
which was divided by a quick-set hedge from the
Park of Marlay, the seat of Mr. Latouche, about
five miles from Dublin. A person having imme-
diately come up, Mr. Livingston threw him a'
cord, requesting him to hold it fast, and then
throwing ont a little hallast, 'ascended about 20
feet, when the man drew the balloon by the rope
Over the trees into the field. The balloon had
never been out of sight front the time of its ascent
ulna! it reached Marlay. It had gone to the height
of something.better than two miles. An immense
concourse assembled at Marlay, having followed
the direction of the balloon. Miss Tompson was
Conducted to the hospitable house, of Mr. La-
touche, and Mr. Livingston remained with the
balloon, to get it secured ; every possible assist-
ance being afforded him, it was soon accom-
plished and packed up in the car. The populace
then placed Mr. Livingston on the top of the car,
and carried hint with shouts and huzzas round rhe
roaftls, for a distance of nearly two miles, and at
length brought Mini to Mr. *Latouche's, where
Miss Tompson and he dined. In the evening they
took leave. of Mr. Lmonche's family, and arrived
in town about ten o'clock.

HIGHWAY. RoßßEßY.—Monday evening about
7 o'clock, as an elderly Gentletnan, named Simp-
son, was crossing the .Five fields, on his way to
Chelsea, he was accosted by two stout looking
men, who craved charity. 11.1 r. Simpson tcfmmsd
to give them any tiling, observing, that were they
willing to work it was an easy matter to get ctn.-
ployment. The fellOws became impertinent and in-
sisted !limn having some money given them. Air.
however still refused and !inn ied on opon which onto
of the men seized him by the collar,' and throwing
him on time ground, kept hiruvin that position
while the other rifled his pockets of a Watch, and
a pocket-book containing 111. in Bank Notes:—
The villains then made off wtkili their booty; le„.-
lug the unfortunate Gentleman lying on the ground
in an exhausted state. A ,mot who accidentally
'passed 'near the spot a short...time afterwards,
came to his assistance; and,with ditgeoity be..pro,
cecded on his journey.

tIOLICt I.I'rfI.LL:GE,NCI7:,

FoRG yestertlay finati.ir
examinott upon a charge ot forging and uttering
cheek fur '...1,25t: poqiortiitg to be tlra,vii its
Ateheson, 1'4,41. on theliOnte of NVillianis and Ct:.-,'
of I.3i.eniti-lane, (bankers.---The depositions in. 64:.
te,4d over, anti the .witnesses prisutuzi`
was tt.nly committed for trial.

• BOW-STREET.
James Mason and Joseph !fait were yesterday
brought üb,.chargeei with endebvunrtng to detrain(
the Adiniralq ; the first pretending to he a native
Of .Mcinel, and an out-pcnsioocr of Greenwich
and dc-rnandimLr two 'years' advanced
prey to enable hint to return to his native country
and:the sectind for Proritjing the said Mason
Certificates, us coming tlOlll the Russian A nrhat.7
sador. Mt. Dyer, of the Admiralty, Eitieuded fOr
the prosecivion, having -detected the (rand ; anti
the prisoners, after the eiansination, were boas
remanded.

GUILDHALL.
- William Grant and William Reid, two young
men, as desperate as,they ate notorious, were yes-
terday brought befo're •the Siccing Magistrate,
charged with violent asSaults:on the street offiCers,
and an attempt to pick I►ockm4.—The Magistrate
inquired if they could procure good and sufficient-
bail.—Harrison, the ()Meer, immediately 'stepped
forward and said, "These men, !our Worship,
can yely readily find bail, althoUgh they are tkNo of
the most desperate tieveS in London ; but 1 trust
you will remand Om on this ground—a robbery
was attempted to be committed a tewUights since
at Hackney, when one of the robberS was shot. -
Upon examining-the hat of Grant, it appeared to
be perforated with a ball."—The hat was pro-
direct!, but Grant said the hole was a hurts, and
not from powder.—The Magistrate directed every:
inquiry to be made, and the prisoner was re. •
mantled.