The Sun. — 1832-07-23 (London, England)

THE CARRICKSHOCK AFFAIR.  The Assizes commenced here this day, and at rt-e hour I now write (eleven o'clock,a.m.) the display of military, horse and foot, and of police force, parading the streets, has a formidable appearance iieleed. As for the police, the whole county, with the adjacent parts, appears to have been emptied of all its disposable force, in order still further to awt-ll the array. In short, the place wears all the m hlance of a town preparing for a long siege, and 'irking every precaution for a vigorous defence. As the people, the attendance, on their part, is tole•ably numerous; hut, under the peculiar circum,iances connected with the case, by no means to an •xtraordinary amount. The Judges (Baron Foster id Mr. Justice Torrens) have been here during e entire of yekterday. The Attorney-General and Sr jeent Pennefather have just arrived. Mr. R. W. t;ieen, K.C. is also here on behalf of the Crown. No words can describe the anxiety and fptoe of i..pectation evinced by the friends of the prisoners, old indeed by the people in general, for the arrival of Mr. O'Connell. All is "on the watch" for his c.aning, but up to the present the Hon. and Learned Gentleman has not arrived. The greatest regularity old good order prevails in every part of the town... At ten minutes past four o'clock, Baron FOSTER uttered the County Court, and proclamation having aen made, his Lordship charged the Jury as fol,we Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, the state f the calendar but too plainly evinces that a systenatic combination, for the purpose of outrage, and 'pposition to the laws, prevails in this county at preum% Arid, gentlemen, it is a probl, m which still ;•emains to be solved, whether the constituted law .1 the United Kingdom, or a rival code, enacted by ten at war with that constituted law, shall prevail. ['he state of crime in the county Ktlkenny seems to ne to be very different in its object and character from the state of crime in other counties. Iti the calendar we find five charges of larceny of ,I.:fferent descriptions, eight of hott‘e-breaking, and thirteen of burglary; but, gentlemen, the twenty,rne that constitute these two last classes of offence against the laws, appear further to be connected with the offence of Whiteboyism;' but, gentlemen, that is not all—as we descend in the list .f the series of offences on the calendar of your county, we find no less than 25 individuals charged with murder, the highest crime in the catalogue of human outrage. Of this number 18 were charged is parties in the melancholy catastrophe of Carrickshock, and the other seven are charged with This offence at different places; but, gentlemen, this :till is not all, for there have been murders committed in this, your county, for which no accusation .vhatever has been brought forward against any individual ; and allow me to observe on this, that, in my opinion, theabsence of accusation, under such circumstances, speaks worse, by far, the general cha,acter of the- state of the county, than even do, perhaps, the indictments that may be preferred in the case of the others, because it evinces that however strong the desire might exist in the human mind to bring offenders of this kind to justice, still intimidation was found to prevail over every such aatural feeling or desire. Of the eighteen persons charged with the outrage at Carrickshock, bills had been found by a former grand jury against ten, and, I understand, gentlemen, that in the case of the other eight, bills will, with as little delay as possible, re laid before you. I have no observations upon the law of homicide with which I think it necessary to occupy your time; but unfortunately, these murders have taken place in a most horrible form. What I would caution you against is not to allow hat natural feeling of horror which they were so calculated to impress, to interfere with any conclusion you may come to as to whether the parties charged be guilty or net. You should use the utmost caution in considering every circumstance that may come before you. This becomes the more necessary to remark, as in so great a crowd, some might, perhaps, be mistaken as to identity. Some witnesses were then sworn, to be sent before the jury, and the Court adjourned to the next morning.  On his route to Kew, on Thursday last, the KING changed horses at the Bleck Dog, at Bedfont, at which place his MAJESTY was most loyaly received by the inhabitants, who testifi.-d their joy by the ringing of bells and firing of cannon.— Windsor Express.  Despatches were received this morning at the Colonial-office from St. Lucia.