The Sun. — 1844-11-28 (London, England)

WINTER ASSIZES. HOME ClRCUlT.—Maidstone, Non. 27.  The Commission of gaol delivery for the county of Kent was opened on Tuesday by Mr. Justice Williams, and this morning the business of the assize commenced. There are forty prisoners for trial, some of whom are charged with murder. There are also several other serious offences. John Cogger, 33, a person of respectable appearance, surrendered in discharge of his recognisances, to answer an indictment charging him with having unlawfully acted as an attorney at the Quarter Sessions at Maidstone, without being duly qualified or admitted to practice in that capacity. The defendant pleaded guilty. Mr. BODKIN' who was instructed to prosecute, said the indictment had been instituted by the Law Society of the county, with a view to put a atop to the practice of unauthorised persons acting as attorneys. They had, of course, no vindictive feeling towards the defendant, and as he had acknowledged his error by pleading guilty, the prosecutors would be satisfied with his entering into his own recognisance to appear and receive the judgment of the Court, if he was called upon to do so, which would, however, not be done unless he repeated the offence. The defendant having entered into the required recognisances, was discharged from custody. THE CASE OF RICHARD DADD, THE PARRICIDE 7 Mr. BODKIN made an application to the Court in reference to the above prisoner, who, it will be remem• bered, after having murdered his father, made his way to France, and was eventually brought back to this country and committed for trial. The Learned Counsel, after having briefly alluded to the circumstances of the case, said there was no doubt that the unhappy young man was insane, and he had been removed, by order of the Secretary of State, to a criminal lunatic asylum, where he now remained. As the trial, therefore, would not come on, he had to apply to the Court to discharge the recognisances of the witnesses who had been bound over, and to order that the money and other valuables taken from the person of the deceased gentleman at the time of the discovery of the murder, might be delivered to his friends.—The Court made the order. Mr. HORMI applied to have a person, named Richard Snoard, whose name appeared upon the calendar as charged with forgery, called upon to appear in discharge of his recognisances. The circumstances connected with this case are of rather an extraordinary character. The accused is represented to be a man of very considerable property, and the offence with which he is charged was alleged to have been committed upwards of four years ago, and the indictment has during all that period been upon the files of the Court, but has been postponed under various pretects until the present time. The accused was admitted to bail in the sum of 1,0001. to appear and answer the charge, and in his failing to do so, the recognisances he had entered into were entreated, and the amount was eventually paid into the Exchequer. The defendant was afterwards taken, and was again admitted to hail, and the trial was to have taken place at the last Summer Assizes; but upon the application of the counsel for the defendant, it was again postponed, and the indictment now once more came before the court.  The defendant was called upon to appear, but did not do so.  Mr. Hoare then applied to have the recognisances cstreated. He said the case had now been standing i)ver for several years, and it was very hard upon the prosecutors that they should be trifled with in this manner. He trusted, therefore, that the Court would either insist upon the defendant appearing and taking his trial, er else estreat the recognisances. Mr. Justice Winni Alts said that if the party did not appear in pursuance of his recognisances, they would, of course, be entreated_  Mr.' BODKIN shortly afterwards said that he and Mr. Clarkson were instructed to defend the accused, and he was in attendance iu the Court, but was, not prepared at that moment to take his trial, but he would be ready to do so, if time was afforded him to obtain the attendance of some material witnesses. Mr. Justice WULLIANIS said the trial must come on in its turn during the assizes, or else the recognisances would be estreated.