The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-23 00:00:00

There were two other cases to be brougE

their notice to which he would direct their attention. They
were cases of murder—one of them by poison. The point
to which their attention in that case should be directed to
inquire whether the crime had been committed by poison.
And as this used in this case was of a mineral nature,
they would see that the only sort of evidence which they
could safely rely on was that of finding the poison itself
in the body of the deceased ; because the human frame
was too apt to suffer change from the effects of various
diseases ; and medical science was too uncertain in those
matters to admit of their judging by the appearances
which the body presented. They should, however, take
into consideration the symtoms of the body ; and also the
conduct of the party ; but still he would impress upon
them that it would be unsafe for them to act on any
evidence short of the production. They would, however,
judge for themselves, as his object was merely to dirct
their attention to these cases

The other case-of murder
was one of those unfortunate cases which too frequently

occurred in this county. He alluded to the too frequent
use of the knife. This case, it appeared, arose out of a
quarrel, and it would be for them to say whether the

sideration any provoking language—no matter however
provoking or injurious to his character it might be—

for that- could not be regarded as a justification
for the awful offence of using the knife, or of com-

being would be destroyed. They would inquire, however,
if any altercation resulting in personal violence had taken
place previous to this unfortunate occurrence. And if
they found that any had been usea by the deceased to the

;ercation an

i►ne when

the latter Used

that they would make all due allowance for the strength
of the human passions, and the infirmity of human nature
in order to enable them to come to a just and rational

by the deceased

ie prisoner was 01

a nature

as to be calculated to provoke him, in a fit of passion, to
the commission of this act, then the crime would be re-
duced from murder to manslaughter ; but above all things
he wished them to endeavour to ascertain, if possible,
how far the prisoner was actuated by feelings of revenge.
He began his charge by alluding to the • distress which
afflicted this part of the country. To it a great deal of
the crime committed at present might be attributed ; for it
could not be otherwise when they took into consideration
the immense influx of destitute people Which came into
this town. Most of these people assumed the avocation
of street begging : but his opinion of their conduct was

such, that he believed they should be put upon their trials
for obtaining money under false pretences. Yes, and he
would go even further, and say, that if any such cases
came before him, he would assuredly transport them
.L for
he thought'they were the' Wofst "daSlif'-of'pefAiiiiVin the

channels. of human kindness and charity, and thereby
prevent those who were worthy_ objects _ for relief.

!...rious working of a merciful God
of this awful calamity could hay(

Perhap

measures would be taken as would prevent the recurrence
of so much misery in the kingdom. That it would lead

to that result he had no doubt. He hoped they would
permit him to call their attention to another subject,
which was closely connected with the administration
of justice. He alluded to imprisonment which
was, about to place in the discipline of prisons as re-
.

Erich both primary ant

punisnments were conauctect. It was some time since tie
had directed the attention of this Grand Jury to one great
defect in the prison rules of this as well as every other
As long as they kept county jails in which were

county

kept collections of all classes or pri
untried, men and women, girls and boy

—so long as these

er in one

hey wou

maintaining a sistemwhich would never reform or amend

"
of prisoners, they should have several, one of which would
be devoted to each particularclass. For instance, why might
there not be a house of detention, or separate prison for
. .

persons who were not tried, as it was not in his opinion
fair to treat such persons whom the law always presumed
to be inocent until after their conviction. Such a house

or gaol of detention should be governed by rules of dici-

pline, totally different to those adopte

in a prison

he one

he persons w

the other should be merely a house of detention for
such persons as were accused of the commission of
crime. It appeared to him that in each county there
should be a gaol of detention. Then, where the prisoners
were convicted, and placed in a state of punishment and
reform, surely no man would say that the punishment of
the men should be the same as the penetentiary discipline

The discipline of boys ought to

more severe than a severe strict school; but that, ue was cer-
tain, would not do for grown up men. Until they established
prisons for each of the three classes he had named, he was
of opinion that they would not have made even the first
step in prison improvement. They might szy that such
a cyst - ---,tail a great deal of expense upon +'
.

em wou

country
itnatv tF

L
however, was not of that -opinion,- for he
hig ennntv they had three goals—Lancaster

Castle, Kirkdalc
having them apr

e, and Preston ; and why not, instead of
propriated to the uses of all classes indis-
ve them converted into separate prisons

criminately

all one common

a view—namely, the prevention of

crime, and r

od s ystern of prison punishment
ac h of the crime, which at pre.

0. Nei

to seem

l'homay
wounded M

'rqi// w
Pother

ry las

the wife of t

he came hor
Leeds. I s

briefly

rgill wa:

dia not wish
down hinisel

me over th(

he aske(
I would
I v

sed the Grand Jury.
aced in' the dock, and indicted
.d Wardale, on the 29th of
cut and wounded George
3 him grievous bodily harm.
and kept to hard labour for

Jane Bak

Joseph (
dieted for r

'idge an
ing Cha

I and kept to
John Hur

xt indicted for haiing cut and
at West Houghton, on the
L intent to do her grievous

after which
,a &nosed.

. .
t the 13th of February,
if I would go with hi
then go with him, but

of January 1

as at the tire, with my chi]
nie to by down the child, a:
He took it from inc, and la
he. took hold of me, and pm
mk up the fire-poker, and sti

I The prisor.
Baron AL

witnesses were exam

iked if he had any defeni
contrition for the rash
nitted, and begged for in

mes llen.yhall were

wo years

f sixty years of age

ned for having, on the
house of Mary Whitalc

from one cushion, on(

and. begged for mercy