The Sun. — 1848-01-06 (London, England)

FRENCH PLAYS::7ST. JAMES'S  disperse them, even although an hour or a minute had  not elapsed. I will now proceed to call your attention to another provision of a preventive kind. By a clause in the Whitehoy Acts it is expressly provided—" That it shall ba lawful for every justice of' the peace, sheriff, 80., to render all necessary assistance, and to call upon all his Majesty's loyal subjects to assist them in preserving the peace." That Act made it the duty of every man, under the penalty of being convicted of a misdemeanor, and suffering its punishments, to be aiding and assisting in enforcing the law of the land ; and by the 16th section of the late Act, in every case of murder magistrates and peace officers in'the proclaimed districts have a right to call on all persons between 16 and 60 Tars of age to search for the culprit or culprits, and make them amenable to justice, and those neglecting to do so were subject to an indictment for misdemeanour, and on conviction to two months' imprisonment. In fact, that which was left at large by the former statutes is now especially enjoined. Gentlemen, there is but onekther provision of the late Act of Parliament to which I feel it necessary to call your attention—a provision which ought to be known to you, and every one in your county, and in • every proclaimed district in Ireland. By a section of the new statute the LordLieutenant has the power of sending a large increase of police, and to charge the proclaimed barony or district in which they are located with the costof their support—he may send whatever number of men he thinks proper, and their maintenance will be levied off the occupiers as well as the owners of land, in the same way that the grand jury cess is levied. Gentlemen, I have now called your attention to all the statutes I thought it necessary to refer to, and I would again impress them upon your careful consideration. I have shown you the nature of the cases that will come before you, and I have stated the law relating to them. I have not myself the least doubt but that the use of those means which are at the disposal of the anthori. ties will be sufficient to prevent crimes and restore tranquillity. I speak, gentlemen, from very ample experience. It is not the first time that conflicts such as the  ,ese have taken place between incendiaries and the aw of the land, but the result has always been the same. The law has always triumphed; the designs of the wicked were always frustrated, whilst the law has been signally vindicated. That which has happened before will happen again, for the law is the same now as it was before. Can any man say there is less zeal and anxiety on the part of these who administer the laws to give them effect ? Can culprits expect to escape now who have been overtaken before? They cannot escape; and I will advisedly say, that those who treat with impunity the law which is made for the protection of all, will find, sooner or later, that they will become amenable to justice, and be punished ; justice will overtake them by some means or other, perhaps by the treachery of their own accomplices in guilt. You will now, gentlemen, proceed to the discharge of your duties, and let me remind you that upon the firm discharge of those duties, and the duties of the petit jury, depend the conviction of crime. I have no doubt you will per form your parts fairly and honestly, and I hope the result will be the means of restoring the country from being a disgrace to our common nature to her proper position, and thereby remove the staina that crime has brought upon her. His Lordship charge occupied nearly an hour in its delivery, and was listened to with breathless silence. The Grand Jury having retired to consider the several bills of indictment submitted to them by the Crown, the petit jury were discharged until tomorrow morning, at ten o'clock, when the first trial will take place. . Their Lordships sat nearly the entire day in calling on the prisoners to plead, according as bills were found. It is scarcely necessary to say that in every case the plea recorded was " not guilty." The Court rose at,five o'clock.