The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-07-09 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL QUARTER SESSIONS.

These sessions commenced yesterday before the Worshipful
the Mayor. and Bailiffs, &c. After-the grand jury had' been
impanelled the learned Recorder• delivered the following
charge :

GENTLEMEN OF THE Gamin JuaY,-'—Your labours will be
somewhat lighter than they were at the last sessions. Still,
however, the calendar is a heavy one, looking to the short inter-
. val betwixt this and the preceding sossions. Some seriotts cases
will be. brought i.iefore you; and I am sorry to find that many
persons have severely suffered from houset;reaking and odic:
Crimes, the perpetrators of which are not yet discoveretl.;
It is with deep regret I learn that dissensions have 'sprung up
betwixt two classes of persons who ought to be united to ad-
; Vance their respective interests. The consequence is most in-
jurious, as it obstructs the exercise of capital and- suspends
much valuable labour. This state of things is prolific of great
evil, spreading from individuals to the community at large. If
there be any combination formed which interferes with the ex-
ercise of capital, or the rights of industry, which prevents the
hiring and disposing of labour upon terms with which many
persons, if left to themselves, would be well satisfied ; if
there be coercion by one set of workmen against. another, all
this is quite at variance with the law, and with what we hear so
much of, the growing intelligence of the age, which seeks to
remove all restraints upon industry, and to make labour per-
fectly free. Arbitrary and despotic proceedings, wherever they
are discovered, and by whomsoever they are practised, are an
infringement of popular rights, when well understood ,and sub-
versive of the great end of society, which, by gooduand equal
laws, binding upon every one alike, seeks to promote the wel-
fare of the Whole community. If, therefore, much wrong has
been done through delusion and deception, and mistaken views
of self-interest, I trust there will be an immediate return to
good sense, and to a restoration of that harmony betwixt mas-
ter tradesmen and their workmen out of which the exercise of
capital will become as free and elastic as formerly, and industry
be sure of meeting with a jii.3t and ample reward. If there be
any concealed attempt to force wages beyond this point, by any
union, be its numbers what they may, it. must of necessity-fail.
Nay more, in making the attempt they recede from the object
they.wish to accomplish, and may at last find,—such are the con-
sequences of folly and of crime,—that the very source of wages
even, to any amount, may itself he dried-up. I therefore hope
that this town, where so much kindness and attention are always
paid to the labouring classes, and whose charitable institutions
have proved, to make use of far better words than any of my own,
"a strength to the poor; a strength to the needy in their dis-
tress, and a refuge from the storm," will not hereafter have
reason to complain of the breach of any duties arising out of
the relation of master and servant; but, on the contrary, re-
joice in observing this important link in the chain of civil so-
ciety firmly secured by the correct knowledge and application
of certain
.principles, well known to mien ot business, and al-
ways terminating, if parties be well disposed, in a fair and
honest adjustment.
There is one other subject to which it -.May beneeessarY to
allude. You are all of you probably aware that a great mea-
sure is now in progress by which, according to the preamble of
the WI, the means are to be afforded to the people of this realm
of having their suits tried speedily and nearer to their own
homes, whereby great expellee and delay may be avoided.
Now, this object is already in part attained in many..of the
large corporate towns in this kingdom, and the local courts of
this town have furnished to the shopkeepers and tradesmen
many facilities for the recovery of debts. Still, however, they
are capable of great improvement, and I am happy in saying,
that in a short time many beneficial changes, which have for
some time past been in contemplation, and not arising out of
the measure of parliament to which I have alluded, will be
effected, in conducting the business of the civil court ot this
town, so that unnecessary delay and great expense will be
avoided. As far as the court contains within itself the means
of its own improvement, they will be brought into full operation,
and when we, on our part, have done all we can accomplish,
further power may be conceded to the court to extend the sphere
of its usefulness. With these remarks I conclude my address
to you. ,

Of the cases tried in the course of the day, the following are
the most important :
James Wills, Hugh Tunny, and Joseph Holwelt were convicted
of stealing in a dwelling-house and sentenced to twelve months'
imprisonment and hard labour in Lancaster castle. .The same
sentence was passed on Ann Anderson for stealing nineteen
yards of gingham, the property of Charles Bamford.•
Thomas Speed, aged 21, and John Plumbleg, aged 22, were
convicted of stealing two pounds of lead, two potinds of brass,
and a brass tap, the same being affixed to a building belonging
to Charles Bird, and sentenced to transportation For fourteen
years.

William Bragyert, aged 11, was also sentenced-to transporta-
tion for fourteen years for having. ripped and cut 50th. weight
of lead, fixed to a.building belonging to Thomas Huntington,
with intent io steal the same.

Michael Neadley, aged 14, and John Blundell, aged 15, con
victed of stealing three hundred pence and six hundred half-
pence, the property of Thomas Richardson, were sentenced to be
whipped twice and imprisoned for six mouths each.
Joseph Murray, aged 22, for stealing, nine shillings and two-
pence from the person of James Houlton, was. sentenced to
twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour. .
John lieges, a boy of 12 years of age, was sentenced to seven
years' transpottation for stealing a soup ladle and two spoons,
the property of Ellen Lloyd, and one spoon, the property of
George Gordon.