West Kent Quarter Session...
The Times, 1824-10-23T00:00:00

-Ins morning tne messions comnsencea before THOMAS LAW HonOEs. ESq., Chairman, P. AL.NTT, Es(j-, T. H. Doucy, Er.q., %V. P. IE GEY'r, Esq., nnd other county Magistrates. -There are 48 cases in the calendar; but the only case of import- ance contained in it is the following:_ "C -Gorgc rak, committed. by the Rpv. J. ilMesiiter. Sir J. Webb, Knt., assd . Stace, Erq. on the 15th of Seutember, 1824, for want of suretieq, charged on the oaths of Henrv Ridout, W. Bevan, and others, with unlawfully nublishing and distributinz tmongst thc gol. diers of his Majesty's Royal R'egiment of Artillery, and corps of Royal MAarines, at Weolwich, divers printed papers, thereby'at- temnytine and endeayouring to excite a spirit of insubordination aad Mutiny in Hii MaJesty's said soldiers, avainst the peate." The Chairman, TuOMAS IAW HODGrgs. Esq., in his address to the Grand Jury upon the state Of the calendar, made some very imp*rtant observations, which he particularlv addressed to thc far- m-ets and agriculturists, upon the practice of their paying their la- bourersin husbandry leus than a remunerating price for their labour, -a practice which, in his opinion, and in the opinion of manv of his brother magistrates, wns very much to the injurv of that iniportant class of perhons, who were continued in a state of pauperization, at a time when aRriculturc was in a thriving state, and was paving the farmer a remunerating profit. He therefore hopetd that the farm. ers would consider the observations he addressed to themi upon this important subject, and instead of the labourer being paid part of his earningg out of the poora' rates, that he be paid by them an arnOunt equal to the labour performed by him. He was sure tile farmers could not adopt a more efficient plan to give aatisfaction to the labourer. and ultinately to the advantage of thc farmerg them- scires. He knew mand firmerit, who at this timc did not pay their labourers equal to the %uork they perfornsed. though they could well afrord to do itj but suffered them to remain pauperss: he hoped a higher rate,or. as he before said, a remunerating price, would besoon given to the labouagr in husbandrv generally throughout the country. The calendar was liehter bv one-half in the number of pTiseners for trial, than in the corresponding quarter last year, an(d the only case ofany norel nature wVlS one in which he had been informed there were no proceedings intended to be taken. fie therefore dismissedr them to their duties. The Court was occupied the greater part of the day in hearing pa- rish appeals. blR. G- stAl.E. . Mtr. C5-.AiXSON, as counsel for AIr. Hale. moved for bis (lls. chdrgc eout of the csistodr'. of the keeper of Alaid:tonne gisol. ltr. Clarkson stated, that his clent had been committed bhv the mnagis. trateisofWVoolwich foruttering pamphlets amongst the soldfeiyin thge garrigon, and the, defendant stood, as the learped Chaititan would fee hy referring to No. ?1, in the calendar. 'TIe 4tounds of his notion were thesc-tno bill hadl been pref'ered figainst hinm before thc Grand Jurv, anti he uinderstnod there was no intention on the part of the pr&tecutora, whom Mlr. Bicknell, the respectable clerk to the 'nagiatrates, represented; to p)rcfcr any bill: the prose- cution being, therefore, entirely xbandoned, he prayed for the pri soner's discharge forthbwlth. He (thie counsel) knew it seas not ax?ctIv regoalar to move for'the discharge of a prisoner till the Gran4i Jury were distnissda-: hit as no ohjertion was made bv the prose- cutors to ar. ffld's being set at liberty, he hoped the Court wotlfl complv with the motion. Cn~airnan.-No proceedings are intended to be taken against the prisoner, you sAy? Mfr. Bicknell-None whabterer. Chairman.-Let hiu be discharged forthwith. WEST KTgNT QUARTER SBSSIOZVS. MAIDSTONE, OCT. 19.