The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-10 00:00:00

CRIMINAL LAW.

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Before the grand jury were discharged, they banded in the
following presentment :
" The grand jury assembled and sworn at the assizes held
at Salisbury, in the county of Wilts, on Wednesday, the sth
day of March 1845, beg leave respectfully to submit to the
hon. the Judges (for the consideration of the Commission for
Criminal Law), that they are fully impressed with the ex-
treme hardship which frequently falls on those persons who
are brought before the magistrates, charged with depreda-
tions on agricultural produce, wood, and other property of
the same description, in those cases where a previous sever-
ance has taken place, and consequently -where, under the
present law, they must be committed (unless bailed) until
the next assizes or quarter sessions,—that the term of
this previous imprisonment frequently exceeds that which
would probably have been inflicted by the Court if the
parties charged should be found guilty. That in
consideration of these previous commitments, the sen-
tences of those courts are necessarily very slight, and to the
public apparently inadequate. That some degree of invi-
dious reflection is thrown en the petty sessions by such com-
mitments, when scarcely any distinction, except the fact of
previous severance, can be perceived from those cases where
the statute law permits a summary conviction. That the
business of the courts of assize and quarter sessions is greatly
increased by the trials of such cases, the present calendar
presenting about twenty indictments of this kind. For these
reasons the grand jury submit for the consideration of the
Judges and the other Commissioners, whether the process of
summary trial and sentence before magistrates at petty see •
sions might not be advantageously extended to those cases of
depredation before-mentioned, where the person is not charged
with entering a dwelling-house or curtelage for that purpose,
or with any other circumstance of aggravation."
(Signed by the foreman of the grand jury.)

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—Oxford, March 8.
CROWN COURT.—(Before the CHIEF BARON.)
Thomas Darvile was charged with stealing a pocket-book,
containing bank-notes to the amount of 301. in value, the pro-
perty of the Rev. Mr. Matthews.
Mr. Willi.sms appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Pigott
conducted the prisoner's defence.
It appeared that as Mr. Matthews (who is a magistrate of
the county) was proceeding on foot, accompanied by his sln,
to the town of Bicester, for the purpose of discharging his
official duties, he dropped from his coat pocket two pocket-
books and several letters ; one of the pocket-books contained
the notes in question, and in each the rev. gentleman's name
and address were printed. The evidence disclosed that the
prisoner followed Mr. Matthews through a field between
Weston and Windlebury, no one else having passed along
the footpath in the meanwhile, and the prisoner was seen by
a witness to stoop and pick something up, which he exa-
mined for a few minutes. The witness, however, saw no-
thing In his hand. About an hour after the prisoner had
passed through tha field, two young men found one of the
pocket-books lying in the footpath; of course, however, it
was not the one that held the notes. There was also evi-
dence of some of the prisoner's remarks made at the time
when he was accused, but which were of such an ambiguous
nature as to render no assistance to a just conclusion of his
guilt.
After an address from Mr. Pigott in his defence, and an
able and careful summing up of the evidence by the Learned
Jude,
Thge jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of—Not
Guilty.
The assizes were concluded at half-past four o'clock, and
at five o'clock the Learned Judges left the town on their
road to Worcester.

L lac ESTER STATE OF TRADE.-Trade remains
much the same as last week. Wools are still reported firm,
and fine foreign wool is on the advance. The spring trade for
hosiery and fancy goods is flatter than usual, owing to the
prolonged winter, but hopes are entertained of a brisk demand
as soon as the weather improves.—Leicester Mercury.
Lord Duncan had en interview with Sir Robert Peel on
Saturday.