The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1869-03-19 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GLAMORGANSHIRE SPRING ASSIZES.  The committee for the above assize of Nisi prius and general gaol delivery was opened at the Guildhall, Swansea, on Monday last, before the Right Hon. Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Knight, and Chief Baron of Her Majesty's Court of Exchegner. His lordship arrived at the Highstreet station of the Great Western Railway, and was met by the High Sheriff, Mr Edward Hominy, of Porthlterry ; and the deputy sherig, Mr Richard Wyndham Williams, of Cardiff, and a staff of trumpeters and constaThe learned judge arrived at Swansea from Carmarthen, where the assizes had  The sheriff's ordinary was held in the evening the Mackworth Arnie. His Lordship (Baron Kelly) opened the Court Tuesday, at eleven o'clock, when the followmagistrates were sworn on the grand jury: H. H. Vivian, M.P., foreman; H. M.P., R. 0. Jones Griffith Llewellyn, _ T. Clarke, S. Berisen, nth' Thomas, T. D. Llewellyn, W. Llewellyn, J. B. Budd, . Gilbertson, J. H. Rowland, C. Thomas 'aeon, Wentague Wilmot, J. Crowe RichardJ. T. Jenkin, N. P. Cameron, J. RichardS. S. Borman Fisher, H. J. Bath, and .B. Wood. . After the proclamation vies and iremorality had been read, the lealeed Baron proceeded to deliver his charge to the grand jury. He said he much regretted that on this, the first occasion on which it became his duty to address a grand jury in Glamorgenshire, he must state he really was quite unable to express himself to them in the same manner as he had recently been enabled to address other grand juries in the Principality. When he looked at the calendar of the prisoners for trial in this county, be must remark that it was most unsatisfactory, as crime had appeared to increase in regard to the number of offences mi compared with the increase of the population. This was of the foremost importance to all who were interested in the administration of the lsw in this county. At the head of this sad catalogue of crime was a charge of ford murder, whieh had been committed, and which would become a subject of anxious inquiry to all of them ; and the duty would devolve on them to consider whether they should have to return a true bill. He also found on the calendar four or more cases of manslaughter, aud several for gutting and wounding; and a great number of burglaries, robberies, larcenies and many additional cases of a serious character. As a stranger to this part of the kingdom, he was hardly in a position to state the precise cause of this state of things; whether attributable to the almost total want of education among the humble classes; or whether it was also to be attributed to that most prolific of all sources of evil, namely, excessive indulgence in drink. It was not for him to state the cause. In addressing gentlemen of the experience of these before him, it would be sriperfluons, and perhaps presuming, for him to do se. He had not only to exhort them earnestly to avail themselves of every means in their power to extend the blessings of education among the labouring classes, but also strongly and earnestly to avail themselves of the power which the law vested in them, to put down this great prevailing vice —excess in drink. The legislature was already engaged in considering measures which had for their object the strengthening of the hands of the magistrates with that view. He could only add that he most earnestly wished them success ; and he trusted that they would all, by tha exercise of every means in their power, endeavour to put down crimes and vices which disgraced the community of this county. With regard to the calendar itself, there was but few offences which called for particular observation on his part, and those cases were then briefly referred to by His Lordship.