Star. — 1825-02-17 (London, England)

PUGILISM.  The Grand and Petit Juries having been sworn. The RICCORDER addressed the former at considerable length.—He was happy to congratulate the Gentlemen of the Grand Jury that the calendar of prisoners was much lighter than it had been at corresponding Sessions in preceding years, nor were any of the offences marked with airy extraordinary degree of moral turpitude. There was, however, a case of manslaughter, which would claim their particular attention, and it was probabb. that, in the case to which he alluded, a bill for murder would also be preferred against the acrcased. It would, therefore, be their province to find tither one or the other of the bills, or both, should they think proper, on the evidence which would be laid before them. The Recorder was extremely sorry to observe, that that part of the calendar which related to' the county, contained no less a number than five cases of manslaughter, which were alleged to have been cornmitted during the short interval since the last Session. It appeared to him, as it had to others, that much of this evil was to be attributed to the encouragement held out to those notorious violators of the law, denominated pugilists, whose profession it was to fight for money; hence it was that the lower classes of the people were frequently led into disputes, and terminated them in the disgraceful manner to which he alluded. It was lamentable that men of rank were to be found who debased themselves so low as to sanction and promote such proceedings, which were shameful and flagrant misdemeanours against the public at large. He (the Recorder) could not help regretting that persons of distinction should, by their patronage, sanction such violations of public peace and public decency, and thereby contribute to the deterioration of public morals. In order, if possible, to stem this tide of iniquity, fraught as it was with destruction to human life, the Court was determined, as far as its power and influence went, to yield its assistance; and should ant case of this description come before it, the parties Convicted should be punished with the utmost rigour of the law. The Learned Recorder also intimated, that not only the principals in such contests, but these who had provoked, excited, or abetted them, should also be prosecuted, and that neither rank nor station should prove a shield against the powerful sword of the law. The Recorder attributed the diminution of offence in the City to the promptness with which the daily prowler had been prosecuted, and condignly punished (alluding to the crime of stealing handkerchiefs, 'cc.) it was, therefore, by such a procedure, that crimes of other descriptions might, if not abolished, at least be rendered much less frequent. After the Recorder had made some general remarks oe some of the cases contained in the calendar, the Gentlemen of the Grind Jury were dismissed until to-morrow morning.—Several cues of assault were disposed of, but all totally void of interest.  According to accounts from the Bank of England, it appears that amongst the public balances in the hands of the Company, are 41 April 6, 1824, Lottery Prizes not claimed, 14,6241. July 5, 1824, ditto, 11,75 W. October 10, 1824, ditto, 7,7681. and January, 6, 1825, ditto, 7,27.11. making together 41,415 V and respecting the Dividends due and not demanded, there were quarterly Returns, eQ to January 5, 1825, of about 1,800,0001. •