The Sun.
London, England, 1816-06-18 00:00:00

SPECIAL COMMISSION AT ELY.

MONDAY, JUNE. U.—This day, at ten o'clock,
the Hon. Mr. Justice ABBOT, Mr. Justice BUR-,

BOUGH, and Eo. CHRISTISN, Esq. Chief Justice
of the Isle of Ely, arrived in this town, preceded,
by a cavalcade consisting of the principal inhabit-
ants, and immediately repaired to the court-house,
where they opened a special commission fur the
trial of the persons charged with having riotously
assembled, and committed various (tirties at Lit-
tlepurt and Ely. The commission having been
read, the Judges proceeded, to the Cathedral,
where divine service was performed, multi sermon
'preached by the Rev. Sir 11. 13. DIJDI;IY:, '[he
Court re-assembled at one o'clock, and the peal-
minary business being concluded and the grand
jury Sworn, Mr. Justice ABBOT addressed them to
the following effect :
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,
" You have been called together at this unusual
period, and with the present solemnities, in coo-
sequence of some very' daring nets of outrage com-
mitted by various misguided individuals hr 'this
town:and its neighbonthood, which must be still
fresh in your recollection. In contemplating the
nature of these atrocities, it is impossible to con-
sider without commendation the conductors of
thisSepronipt nod efficaciotts measures by which,
after it had domineered for several days together,
the spirit of tumult and devastation was' finally
snhdoed. 'f he natural progress of trium-
phant insurrection is to increase in fury, and
to grow larger in its demands until froM rob-
bery it proceeds to the burning of houses and the
marries. of'their iiihabitants., Although no offences
of this lost and highest kind will be laid before
you, .yet it appeals by the depositions that some
crimes of it my deco die hare been cominitted.
Of some of these, considering the situation of
their perpetrators, it may be difficult to penetrate
the motive ; and it may be, as, often liappees' ih
such ceseS, that it cast ',Artily known to the of-
fenders:themselves. The:pretence for, these law-
less distorbances seems to have been the necessity
of an advance in the wages of husbandry ; but
the circumstances of some emong the offenders do
not correspond with the supposition of such an
object. It had happened, that the hardships ne-
cessarily incident to a state of poverty, were
gravated by the pectiliarity of the seasons ; and
the temper of mind which was thus produced
appears to have been inflamed by designing per-
sons into a settled hostility against the higher
orders 'of society. This spirit
,soon manifested
itself in the destruction of property, as if
labour could he encouraged; and wages 'raised,
by the ruin of those wlitkare to employ the one
and to pay the other. In no country in the world
are tbete so many institutions for the humane per-
pOse of administering to the wants and neeessities
of the poor—in no country does both public and
privitte bounty flow into so many streams for the
comfort end relief of the distressed classes of the
community. It is to' be observed, too, that the
money which Was taken from individuals on this
meliocholy,oecasion, was not applied to the,sup-
port of the families of the offenders, but was con-
sumed in.. riot and intoxication, by which the
blood' was heated, the understanding confused,
and the spirit inflamed to acts of further and more
violent aggression against the persons , anti
property of their neighbours. The, number
of persons engaged in the commission, of theie
offeoces is so considerable, that it has been
deemed occessaryibus suddenly, to call you, to-.
getner, in order that the innocent may .be
restored to liberty without delay, the guilty
brOnght to Ounitionent, end the peaeeable, in halt'.
tam convinced that the laws are effectual for his
protection and his vindication. It is the first time,
that such it proceeding has been deemed necessary
in this place and I sincerely hope it may be the
last.- I am ntit'aware that the task which you are
now called upon to execute, however painful, will
he attended with any extraordinary diflicolties.
Judging irons the depositions which lie before
rue, the' capital felonies which will be presented
to pot rettorve themselves into the three &fie-
feet crimes of burglery, robbery from the pet suns,
and stealing io tt dwelling-house. It is fit, however,
that 1 should here make One observation, which is,
that there are niaity offences committed' by large
assemblies of men, in which the guilds not eonfined
to the individual whose brunt executes the felonious
act., All those who-are present at its COttilliisl4ol),