The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-21 00:00:00

ARMAGH, Auc. 6.
The Hon. Justice .)ebb arrived in this city
from Monaghan at ten o'clock, and took his
seat in the Crown Court at twelve.

Judge Jebb, after some preliminary remarks
on the state of the Calendar, said—l have been
happy to observe a very gradual diminution of
crime, both in enormity and extent. This chew-
ed an improved state of society, a great part of
Which is attributable to the industrious habits
promoted so much by the linen and cotton ma-
nufacturers. Such is the general character of
your county; and from which I am sorry there
should exist the slightest drawback. I allude,
gentlemen to that unhappy spirit of party which
has been the cause of so much tumult and out.
rage in this :md dither counti,?s of Ireland. I
hope that in making ti few observations on this
subject, and with respect to the jurisdiction Of
the Magistrates, it will not be considered am
exceeding the limits of my proper duty. iVly
anxiety for the well-being and peace of this
county (and I am sure you are all equally aux",
ions in this respect) induces me to make these
observations, at the same time that I feel I ani
treading on dangerous and slippery ground. I
would again express'a hope that whatever obsee-
vation may now proceed from the Bench, it will
be attributed entirely to an anxious desire to
make all acquainted with the law as it really is,
and an earliest wish at the same time to pro-
mote the interest and well-being of this county.
Nor, be assured, do I speak from any distrust
that I have of you, gentlemen, either as Magic=
trates or Grand Jurors ; my object is, that what
I am now going to say may be conveyed by you
to the people, ter whom it is more particularly
intended, and I wish it to be so deeply impressed
upon their feelings, as that the Magistrates may
hereafter have less difficulty in exacting due
obedience to the law. You are all aware tha t
the recent mischiefs originated with certain pro-
cessions customary in this country—procession s
which it is my duty to declare, are not in them-
selves unlawful. They were in commemoration
of an event dear to every real friend of religious
and civil liberty, and of the last importance to
those united countries ; to put 'a violent stop to
them would, therefore be acting in direct viola-
tion of our free Constitution, for, abstractedly
taken, they are, I repeat, lawful. History, we
may all remember, informs us that, at former
periods, all classes—all, from the highest to the.
lowest in the land—cordially joined together in.
publicly commemorating the events to which I
allude—and clearly, there was nothing unlawfui•
in this. But circumstances have since then
changed, and the present aspect of the times ren-
ders it necessary that prudence should be con-
sulted. Such public commemorations, at one
time unobjectionable and even praiseworthy, now
excite feelings of a most unpleasant and exas-
perating nature in others ; and it was said that
such celebrations alone constituted the ground of
offence. Until very lately,it had notbeen,con-
sidered unlawful in people to manifest their
opinions in this way ; now, hoWever, it was con-
sidered by others, who seemed to take it as an in-
sult to their feelings—irritation is ,thereby pro-
#4itceil—angrypmords-generally ensue—recourse
- liatrfo'blo;iitheriOAd I a confused
scene ofriot afictiiiitrage, annfiet ffEilt too-often' -----
eventuates in a profuse shedding of human blood.
My opinion, then, decidedly is, that the
mere act of publicly commemorating a legal event
is not in itself unlawful ; but if such com-
memoration have a tendency to riot, or if
a breach of the peace be apprehended to re-
sult from it, then indeed it becomes unlaw-
ful. I will add further, that if persons comme-
morating even a legal event are attacked by an
opposite party, and an engagement ensues, they
are equally liable to be indicted for riot, though
not equally guilty. So much for these comme-
morations.
Now, the other party—you, Gentlemen, will
understand whom I mean by the other party—
have meetings and assemblages for the purpose
of preventing and resisting the commemorations*
I have mentioned. Such meetings, the object'
of which is to disturb tie public peace, are un-,
questionably in themselves unlawful; none but
the constituted authorities have a right to inter-
fere in the dispersion of any such assemblage,-
and this they should do wherever they would
find them ; at the same time the law should be
equally administered on both sides. It is the
duty of Magistrates, whenever an assemblage in
procession is contemplated, and where they have
reason to apprehend a collision of parties, to use
every entreaty to induce them to desist, and also.
to warn them against the consequences of so as-
sembling ; and if, notwithstanding this cau-
tion, they do assemble, the Magistrates will
then act in such a manner as may best con-.
tribute to preserve the peace, and to punish every
infraction of it. If the authority of the Magi-
strate be disregarded by the assemblage, and,
there be a reasonable ground for expecting riot
and outrage, the Riot Act should be read and:
the people ordered to disperse. (The people:
should know that those who 010 not obey the
statute law, incur a charge of felony.) The Riot
Act being read, it will then be a matter of dis-
cretion with the Magistrates either to resort to
force for dispersing the assembly, or to acquaint
themselves merely with the names of the rioters. •
My advice to the Magistrates would be, to be
very cautious before they resort to force ; and
the much better way, in my opinion, would be
for them to satisfy themselves with taking down
the names. It should be at the very last extre-
mity, they would resort to force. As to the op-
posite meetings, they are in themselves clearly
unlawful. The Magistrates should tell those
persons they are not to take the law into their .
own hands : and if they do not at once disperse, -
force should be resorted to. From the expe-
rience and knowledge I have of this county,
am of opinion that the sentiments I have ex-
pressed cannot be too often inculcated upon the
people ; and, in this respect, I count much,
Gentlemen, upon the influence which you indi-
vidually possess as Magistrates and landlords;
and I doubt not that you will always act upon
that sound and equitable principle on which the
law is founded, and by which alone you may
expect a ready obedience to the laws of the
land. His Lordship then called the attention of
the Jury to the state of the gaols, roads, &c.

We understand that the Court Martial on
Captain DICKENSON, which commences this day, is ex-
pected to produce some di%eosures equally extraordinary
awl lamentable. Tile facts to which we allude are of so
delicate a nature, that we cannot, until the evidence has
been given, describe them•more minutely; but we venture
to say they are without precedent among naval .
Brighton Gantt'.