The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-22 00:00:00

couNTY GRAND JURY.

Joshua Spencer, Foreman.—Thousas White ; Sir A. B. King,
Bart. ; William Rathbourne ; William Bellingham Swan ; Robert
Shaw ; Francis Savage ; James Gray ; William Porter ; Anthony
11. Neville ; Michael Murphy ; Bladen Sweeney; Thomas
Osbry; James White; George Hapleton ; Matthew Todd Byrne;
George Alker ; Cuthbert Eccles ; James Orr ; Jonathan Sisson ;
Thomas Fry ; Thomas Kirwan ; and Benjamin Eaton, Esqrs.
The Judge (JostxsoN) then proceeded to charge both Grand
Juries in the following words:—
GENTLEMEN OF BOTH GRAND JURIES.—_I have now to end
your attention to an offence of very unusual occurrence in this
country. I find from the Clerk of the Crown, that examinations
have ken lodged -with him charging certain persons with the
the publication of seditious libels. It is in the power of the
prosecutor to scud the indictments to whichever of the Grand
Juries he may please to select. It is right to say, that
in this case there are a number of distinct informations. It has
been communicated to me, that hills, grounded upon these infor-
mations, are being prepared, and when such bills shall be sent, it
will be the duty of the Grand Jury &fore whom they shall come,
to be perfectly satisfied that the persons charged in the indictment
with the publication, did actually publish, or authorise such publi-
.7ation. Your first inquiry will be, is the publication a libel, and
if yoe are not satisfied that it is, there is an end to the inquiry.—
If you are satisfied that it is, then you are to inquire whether the
persons charged did publish • it. - The allegej. ;:üblicatioit is set
out in the indictment as a seditious libel. There are few living in
satiety at all who are not able to determine whether a publication
be of a seditious tendency, and calculated to disturb and distract
the country. You will find the offence set forth in the indictment
and you are to determine whether it be of that description.
You will read the publication as the rest of mankind, with the
ordinary and common understandings of individuals edu-
cated and living in the world constantly—you will not give
to it a strained or forced construction—you will review it with
common sense, and then say whether the publication charged he
a fair discussion of public matters—you are to remember that in
a free country like this, a discussion, when confined within the
limits of the law, is no offence. But those limits are not to he
passed—the public peace is not to be endangered, nor incitement's
administered to work upon the public passions—you have two
ditties to perform, one to the public, the other to the individual
It is of the highest importance that the lowest individual shall be
protected—how much more, then, does not the body of the
public at large demand and deserve ysur protection ? In the
one. case, you must guard the State against public disturb-
ance; in the other, you must protect your fellow-citizens from
unjust prosecutions. The publication of a seditious libel is
an offence in its nature calculated to work extensive mis-
chief. I shall not go further. I have stated to you the ge-
neral principles of the lass- on this subject, and I do not
mean to take up more of your time. If you are satisfied of the
publ.cation, and of its being of the tendency charged in the in-
dictment, you will find the bills. If, on the contrary, you eon_
sider it a fair discussion of public matters, not calculated to
excite the public passions—to disturb the peace of society, or to
invite an insurrection against the laws, you will, gentlemen, throw
out the bills.
The Grand Juries here retired to their respective chambers.
Several witnesses were sworn and sent up to the Grand Juries,
to he examined in support of the different indictments.
The bills against Mr. Sheil are not to he sent up till Monday,
(this day.)
The Court proceeded to the trial of a case of perjury that stocd

over from last Commission. This trial occupied the Court 4uring
the day. It was not possessed of any public interest.

THE COMMISSION—MoNnAT.
(From The Dublin Morning Register of Tuesday.)
Yesterday the Judges took their seats upon the Bench at ten
o'clock precisely. The City and County Petty Juries were then
sworn in.

James Kearney was put upon his trial for having on the 10th
inst. passed a forged Bank of Ireland note, in Kings-town, know-
ing it to be a forgery. The fact was fully proved from the exa-
mination of the witnesses, and the Jury without hesitation found
the prisoner guilty.
At 11 o'clock the Attorney and Solicitor-General, Serjeants
Lefroy, Goold, end Blackburne, and Mr. Green, entered the
Court. The bills against Mr. Sheil were then sent up to the
City Grand Jury. Messrs. Kemmis and Carmichael, Crown So-
licitors, and Mr. Farquharson, who attends the Association
meetings, were sworn, and sent up to be examined by the Grand
Jury. _ _

kr. HAstivroN said, that in the case of the King, at the pro-
secution of certain persons, against Toole, he had to move that
the bills of indictment be again sent up to the Grand Jury. He
grounded his motion upon an affidavit, which stated that Olivia
Slater, a material witness, had not been before the Grand Jury
to be examined in support of those bills. She was servant to the
traverser when the alleged offence took place, and was in care of
the house where the Sre occurred.

Judge Jour-ox inquired if the had Lzen ignore„?
Mr. HAMILTON—Yes, my Lord, and we wish that they should
be returned to the Grand Jury, in order that they may examine
this witness, who is now in the Court.

The Court ordered that the bills should be sent up again.
Simon Mean) was indicted for burglariously and feloniously
Mitering, on the night of the lst of February, the house of Francis
gmith, Esq., of Clondalkin, and taking therefrom several silver
spoons, &c. The burglary was not proved, but the prisoner was
found guilty of the robbery.