The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-28 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE

sou-rn LANCASHIRE SPRING ASSIZES

OPENING OF THE COMMISSION, &c.
The Assizes for the Southern Division of this county com-
menced on Saturday last, in this town, before Mr. Baron
Parke and Mr. Justice Coltman.
The High-sheriff, William Garnett, Esq., of Manchester,
arrived on Saturday, at twelve o'clock.
The Judges arrived shortly after six o'clock, basing set out
(ruin Manchester by the five o'clock train. They arrived at
the courts a few minutes after seven, where the commission
was opened in due form in the Crown Court.
The High-sheriff was attended by the Under-sheriff, Thos.
Carson, Esq., of this town.
The commission having been read, it was intimated to their
lordships that counsel was in attendance to make a motion.
Their lordships hereupon took their seats, and Mr. Atherton
entered the court.
Mr. ATHERTON said that he had a motion to make on a
writ of right in the case Rishton v. Nesbitt, for four knights
to appear in the court girt with swords.
The writ was handed to Mr. Hopkins, who read it to the
court. The writ was handed to the High-sheriff, and com-
manded John Ogle and Richard Sellars to summon four
knights—namely, Sir Thomas Potter, Sir Thomas Brancker,
Sir John Tobin, and Sir George Drinkwater, to appear in
the court girt with swords. The knights were to appear
under the writ, and to choose eight other jurors from the
panel to decide the right of the parties to certain lands, tene-
ments, and hereditaments.
Mr. ATHERTON moved that the knights be brought forth-
with into court.

The Clerk of Arraigns called on the knights above named
to appear. Sir Thomas Brancker, Sir George Drinkwater,
and Sir John Tobin, each of whom wore a dress sword, stood
up as their names were called. Sir Thomas Potter did not
answer.

Mr. Baron PARKE asked if Sir Thomas Potter bad been
duly summoned.

The Under Sheriff called

• Richard Sellars, the summoning officer, who was sworn.
The witness deposed that he summoned Sir Thomas Potter
personally, at his counting-house, on the 23d instant.

• Mr. Baron Parke (to Mr. Atherton) : Well what do you
propose to do?
Mr. ATLI ERTON..--1 can't proceed, my lord, in his absence.
The case was brought forward at the last assizes, when one
of the Knights was absent, and it was arranged that it should
stand over by consent.
The ATTORNEY for the defendant said he had no authority
to consent to any thing.

Mr. Baron PA RKE.—What is the next procedure?
Mr. ATn ERTON.—i can't say, my lord. It is but a short
time since I received my instructions, and these proceedings
are so unusual. The recreant Knight is in the hands of the
Court.

Mr. Baron PARKE.—I suppose you will have an alias?
Mr. ATIIERTON.—Yes, my lord : I suppose we shall have
o take an alias.

The proceedings here terminated, it being understood that
an alias writ was to issue.

The court was adjourned till twelve o'clock on Monday.
The calendar, as we stated last week, is extremely heavy.
.The number of prisoners for trial is 219. The following is a
correct analysis of the calendar :—Murder, 3 ; attempt to
murder, 1; robbery, with assault, 20; manslaughter, 17;
cutting and wounding, 14 ; burglary, 59 ; horse stealing, 4 ;
forgery, 14 ; cow and bullock stealing, 3 ; breaking and en-
tering, 7 • stealing, 6; highway robbery, 14; bigamy, 9;
sheepatealing, 1 ; arson, 2 ; embezzlement, 1 ; assault, with
intent to ravish. 1 ; poaching, 3 ; rape, 5 ; false statement to
Registrar, 1 ; maliciously shooting, 1 ; shooting, with intent
to maim, 1 •, unlawfully receiving, 2 ; using seditious lan-
guage, 1 ; offences against the Mint, 23 ; in custody to give
evidence, 1.

It is intended that, as soon as the grand jury is discharged,
there shall be three courts open. Mr. Baron Parke will
preside in the Crown Court, Mr. Justice Coltman in the
Nisi Prius, and Mr. Sergeant Starkie will sit in the third
court, which will, we believe, be held i❑ the magistrates'
room, for the trial of certain cases in the calendar.