The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-26 00:00:00

GRAND JURY.

William Clare, cotton-broker, Exchange-buildings, foreman.
Samuel thilley, stock and share-broker, ditto.
Alfred Bower, cotton-broker, ditto.
James Browne, merchant, Great George-square.
Edward Brodribb, tea-broker, Everton.
Nicholas Crook, merchant, Brunswick-street.
William Clare, cotton-broker, Exchange-buildings.
Thomas Oldfield Cooper, merchant, Rumford-street.
Henry Cram, ship-broker, South John-street.
Gerard Lynch, merchant, 14, James' street.
Edward Dennill Maddock, gentleman, Everton village.
Francis Maxwell, corn-merchant, Water-street.
John Jackson Starkey, ship-broker, India-buildings.
John Tomlinson, merchant, St. Anne-street,
Owen Tudor, share-broker, Dale-street.
Edward Tennant, merchant, Dingle-lane, Toxteth-park.
A braham Banks, seed-crusher, 7, Pembroke-gardens.
Charles Inman, insurance-agent, Netherfield-road.
Thomas Arthur Hope, gentleman, Everton-terrace.
Michael Humble, ship-broker, Waterloo-road.
The proclamation against vice and immorality having
been read,
The RECORDER then proceeded to address them to the
following effect : On the present calendar they (the
Grand Jury) would find the names of 119 persons charged
with felony, and 24 with misdemeanour. If this number
was large, it would be some satisfaction to them to learn
that the evidence to be adduced in these cases was ex-
tremely simple, and that the general character of the
offences was less grave than usual. There were two classes
of cases in which the complainants might do much, but in
which the court could do but little to•check the frequency
of depredations, He alluded to the charges which had
arisen from the loose and imprudent conduct of men with
disorderly women, and the too careless exposure of shop
goods at the various marts where such goods were offered
for sale. He could point out at least fifteen cases under
the first head, and twelve under the second. In this cal-
culation he excluded many cases which were of a doubtful
nature ; and he thought that it was not too much to assert
that at least one-third of the charges of felony brought
before this court belong to one or other of these two
classes. He was glad, indeed, that the attention of the
local authorities had been drawn to the latter head, that
of exposing goods for sale outside of shops, and over the
footpaths, and that, under the local act, there was a
likelihood of the system being put a stop to. With
respect to the female prisoners he had before alluded
to that subject ; there was no town in England where
the female offenders were so numerous as in Liverpool.
Much of the crime, however, of this elms was shop-
lifting ; but much of it also was attributable to the loose
and vicious conduct of the parties who were but too fre-
quently brought before them. He was of opinion that
this evil would go on increasing until it becomes so great
that the legislature will, at last', be forced to interfere,
and take measures by which the public and this most un-
happy class of persons will be benefitted ; he meant by
the decrease of their numbers; There were no cases of
great moment to be brought before them ; the most se-
rious case being one of embeaalement by a tax collector.
There was also another case of importance—that of an
emigrant being robbed of a belt containing £l5, together
with a bunch of keys and other valuable property ; but in
most of the cases they would find. the value of the pro-
perty to be unusually small. There was an evident and a
gratifying absence of that high class of crime which for-
merly they used to have to investigate. There were no
cases of warehouse robbery ; no robberies of offices ; no
robberies by gangs or fellows breaking into dwelling-
houses, -or shops ;; there were no cases of receiving stolen
goods; -and only one case of stripping lead' from buildings.
Therefore, notwithstanding the number of offences on the
present calendar, there was some reason to believe that
the law as put in force was sufficient to'-check the most
serious-depredators. There were on the calendar the
names of many persons who were tried before ; but what
else was-to be expected, when they found that even the
honest and well disposed had so much difficulty in ob-
taining an honest livelihood. They knew from experience
that when one of these unfortunate persons once
found themselves entangled in the meshes of vice, they
seldom, if- ever, reformed until their vicious career was
terminated by their being removed from all that was near
and dear- to them in this country—for although the
offences with which they were charged were generally
small, yet'their frequent- repetition brought on them the
severe sentences of the law : and if he should happen to
pass any such severe sentence during the present sessions,
he would be guided in agreat measure by the previous
character of the prisoner.- During the session of parlia-
ment just concluded, one or two important acts had been
passed, which would have reference to that court. One
of them related to the manner of taking the examination
of witnessesin cases of felony ; it had also sanctioned a
practice which had formerly existed in this country :
that was the indicting of the thief and the recipient of
stolen property• in the same indictment. In all these
matters parliament had shown the most laudable deter-
mination not to allow any technical strictures to screen
the guilty, and yet they secured to the parties accused the
full benefit of the law, and every just means of defence.
He wished, however, that they had given courts-the Juris-
diction to punish witnesses who appeared before the ma-
gistrates, but who neglected to appear before the grand
jury to sustain the indictments in which they were con-
cerned. He hathreason to fear that in cases where there
were gangs of swindlers concerned—such, for instance, as
those who rob and defraud poor emigrants—the witnesses
were frequently tampered with in the interim; and the
ends of justice thereby frustrated. He had the power to
estreat their recognizances, but he was of opinion they
should be armed with larger powers. With theseobserva-
tions he would leave them to the discharge of their duties.
The grand jury then retired-; and shortly after returned
true bills against various of.the prisoners, who were ac-
cordingly put upon their trials, but there were- none of
them of any, importance.

EXHIBITION OF THB LIVERPOOL ACADEMY.

(SECOND NOTICE.)
No. 1, The Expulsion.. J.. Sant. This is &large and
very meritorious picture, by an artist whom we have not
before observed as having prominently distinguished him-
self. The subject is from. Milton's Paradise Lost ;"
and our common parents are depicted as observing in the
heavens the signs of coming calamity and change of their
state :

" Ohs Eve ! some further change awaits us nigh,
Which Heaven by these mute signs in nature shims,
Forerunners of his purpose."
The treatment of the whole is very fine ; and the artist
has exhibited proper attention to finish, &c. The flesh in
the two figures may, however, be complained of as want-
ing in warmth.
No. 36. Queen Elizabeth discovers thati she is no
longer Young—Augustus Egg—isone of the most talented
and pleasing pictures in the room. The subject is thus
stated, as a quotation-apparently from some author, whose
name, however, is not given in the Catalogue —" In the
melancholy of her sickness she desired to see a true look-
ing glass, into which she had not looked for many years."
The result is strikingly conveyed in the convulsed attitude
anti features of the unfortunate Queen,. the latter of
which, especially, are exquisitely painted, conveying, fully,
our ideas of her masculine character, bowed down by
advancing years and sickness, yet still susceptible of strong
passion. We can almost imagine that we see in them the
source of some of the darkest events of her life—deeds
resolved upon in the tempest of an excited feeling, and
repented of so soon as her reason and affections resumed
their calm state. The expression of mingled sympathy
and awe in the features and attitudes of her attendant
maidens and ministers, is very fine. We almost see the
very hush and silence f that sick chamber. Mr. Egg has
added to his previously acquired laurels by this picture.
The finish, colouring, &c., are, as usual, in his works,
perfect; but we may hint as a fault—no uncommon one—
a too apparent likeness of some of the faces to each other,
which we suspect has arisen from his having drawn too
much from the same study. This want of variety and
contrast in the features of a groupis to be deprecated.
37. Flora and Zephyrus.—G. Patten, A. R. A.,—is
characterised by his usual excellence as a colourist. The
female figure has, although nob in so great a degree, the
fault of his last painting inithe exhibition. She is a little
too large in form to satisfy the generally received ideas of
female-bcautyi---Thre-face-is faultless and most lovely..
Notwithstanding the exception we have taken to it, and
in which others may not participate, this production, as a
classical work, deserves to rank very high.
133. The Battle of the Standard—R. Ansdell—is a
noble picture, and worthy of the talented artist, although,
from its very large size, and the crowded state of the
rooms, we could have wished to have seen it elsewhere.
Such large pictures sadly interfere with the hanging in
• their just places of many less pretending but equally
meritorious pictures. The subject is that memorable in-
cident on the field of Waterloo, :in which the eagle
belonging to the 45th regiment of Invincibles was taken
from its bearer, by Sergeant Ewart, of the Greys, and de-
' fended against a Polish lancer and a foot soldier, all three
of whom he killed in succession, until at last he was called
to by Gen. Ponscnby, with the well-earned expression—
" You brave fellow, take that to the rear : you have done
enough till you get rid of it." The horses engaged in the
melee are finely painted, especially the bay in the fore-
ground. The form of the sergeant is equally good ; but
we have heard his face complained of as too quiet for the
occasion. We can only see in it ourselves that expression
of high daring and coolness fitted to the character and the
occasion, and can excuse the absence of melodramatic
passion. The calmness of the soldier—the human being--
contrasts well with the somewhat violent action, in which
Mr. Ansdell delights in pourtraying his favourite studies—.
the animal creation.

228. Highgate Fields, during the Great Fire of Lon-
dan.—E. M. Ward, A. R. A.—Our readers will remem-
ber the painting of this artist—a Scene in 'Change-alley
during the South Sea Scheme Mania—for which the prize
of £5O was awarded to him last year. The present picture
is one of the same class, and is founded upon a passage in
Evelyn's Diary, descriptive of the congregation of all
classes in Highgate Fields, during the great fire in London.
The grouping is most picturesque; and the variety of
character introduced very great. The group in the left
foreground is finely conceived and well painted, and the
distance in the left, exhibiting the " Solomon Eagle," of
Defoe, in his attitude of frenzied denunciation, realises
our idea of the period. The admixture of puritan and
cavalier is also characteristic. One figure—that of a lady
in white in the foreground—strikes us as injuring the
effect of the picture, the colouring being somewhat out of
keeping, and there being little to tell as to the history of
the intereit which is apparent in her features, With

Sept. 26, 114

some artistic faults, this picture is a most meritorious one
although scarcely equal to the artist's last year's pro'
duction.
From a further visit, or rather repeated visits, to the
exhibition, we are strengthenel in the opinion which we
expressed last week, that it is one of superior merit ; and
we are glad to perceive that te üblic are bearing us oi!t
by the purchases already madeh p . There are some splendid
little pieces, especially, to which we shall advert in the
course of our notices.