The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-08 00:00:00

Horatio John Webster, cotton bioker, Rumford-street
Harmood Walcot Banner, accountant, North John-s

George Brown, rectifier, Vernon-street,
David Taylor, broker, Royal Bank Building

James HOulbiook Srnith:mere

hant, Roddei-!

William Reynolds, broker, Clare-terrace, Eagehili

William Mathew, lead and copper merchant, Goree,
Chas. Moore, merchant, Rumford-street.
The proclamation against vice and immorality having been
read by the Clerk of the Peace,
The RECORDER addressed the Grand Jury at some length.
He said in effect that he found from the returns before him
that there were no fewer than about one hundred prisoners for
trial on this occasion. These cases had all been sent for trial
within the short space of the forty-five days which had elapsed
since the last sitting of the court. Large, however, as was the
number 01 prisoners, it was not perhaps larger than might be
expected, from the severity of the season, the want of work,
and the distress that had prevailed amongst large portions of
the working and poorer classes of the community. The cha-
racter of the offences generally with which the prisoners were
charged was not very aggravated. He found but very few
artisans or mechanics amongst those to be tried ; and from
this fact it appeared to him that many of the unemployed
workpeople had borne with exemplary patience and forbearance
many sufferings and privations. Still, from the nature of the
offences committed by those now in custody, it became natural
to inquire how those on whom devolved the administration of
the law for the prevoition of crime had executed their trust ;
and he thought that all those who watched the proceedings of
that court, would admit that every case that was brought be-
fore it underwent the fullest investigation, and that the offences
proved were visited with adequate punishment. But it should
be remembered that offences were committed which the law
could not suppress, or even sometimes reach. The law could
not of itself implant those true principles of morality and feeling
which were the principal safeguard of society against vice and
aggression. These could alone be disseminated by religious and
moral instruction. He had lately seen a statistical table, show-
ing the deplorable condition of a large proportion of in-
habitants in Vauxhall Ward, and he had himself seen such
a want of instruction in religious and moral princi •
ples, amongst the poor in that quarter, as would be
scarcely credible were it not known. Other parts of the
town were no doubt nearly or perhaps as much debased. Again,
they had had a constant and great influx from Ireland of per-
sons in a state of destitution and ignorance which rendered
them quite unfit to mix with civilized society. He would ad-
vert to an instance in point. A young girl, whose name was in
the calendar had left Ireland in quest of employment here ;
her parents had died of fever; her uncle had paid for her pas-
sage, and she arrived in this town with but one shilling and
sixpence in her pocket. On telling her story, she was fortu-
nate enough to get a place as a servant ; she was but a few days
there when she robbed her master. It was then found that she
was lamentably ignorant of all religious or moral principle.
She had never been to school, or at any church or chapel. It
was a difficult, consideration how to deal with such culprits.
The law, however wielded, could not do all; neither could
courts of justice, or gaols. Punishment must of course be in-
flicted, but much was wanting beside in cases so deplorable, in
order, if possible (as we understood him to imply), to bring
such offenders to a sense of rectitude of conduct, so that so-
ciety might not he affected by a continuance of their reckless
conduct. With regard to the manner in which the grand jury
should perform their duty, it would be superfluous in him to
offer any remark to so intelligent a body, and he should there-
fore dismiss them to consider the bills that would be laid be-
fore them.

The grand jury then retired, and in a short time several true
bills were found. The trials were then proceeded with, but
none of the details were of peculiar interest.
The following was the result of the principal cases yesterday :
Richard Colefield, 17, for stealing wearing apparel from Wm.
Williams, in Liverpool, ten years transportation ; Ann Mack,
15, Wm. Handley, 16, for stealing boots from R. Davies, and
John Jones, fora repeated thefts, ten years transportation.

COURT OF PASSAGE.—YESTERDAY.
(Before C. CROMPTON, EsQ., Assessor.)
There were ninety-three issues, and in addition, three writs
of trial. _