The Sun. — 1803-04-28 (London, England)

DERRY ASSIZES.  7ohn Dinsmore, John Stewart, George Stewart, 111;n. 111' Kay, Charles Stewart, and John Dempsey, being indided for the Murder of Neil M'Teer and John M'Reynolds, at Kilrea, on the 7th of June last, and for a Riot; and John Hanna, Hill Campbell, John Kane, Thomas Hart, Patrick Kane, Pat. Bradley, John M'Kenna, John O'Neil, and Hugh Mooney, being indkled fur a Riot at the same time and place, Mr. JAMESON, of Counsel for the Crown, having begged to refer the Court to the examinations of Henry Paterson, Esq. in which the whole case was fully disclosed, stated, that the magnitude of the riot, in which some hundreds of Freemasons were engaged on the one side, and some Orange. men on the other, and for which the Traversers stood indkted, had arose to such a pitch that it seemed as if the late Rebellion had still raged ; and that in the dreadful conflid two men had unhappily lost their lives, and several their limbs; that the Government of the Country, determined to punish all offenders against the public peace, whether Orangemen or Freemasons, Protestants or Catholics, had sent the Crown Solicitor to the spot to investigate the fads ; that in consequence of his exertions eight of the rioters had been conviaed at the last Assizes, and the persons charged with the murder, and the other persons .now in the dock charged with the riot, had been brought in for trial ; that on the ftillest and most minute examination of all the persons who could be produced on both sides, there appeared to be nothing of murder in the tin. happy killing ; that all parties, both Freemasons and OrAngemen, having felt the strength and effect of the Laws, and being sensible of their own crime, had wished to become friends, and return to their industry, and to cultivate a good understanding with each other, and to shake hands ; that the Counsel for the Crown thought it unnecessary to take, up the time of the Court in further investi. gating a killing, which was now so fully ascertained to be free from any of the circumstances which constitute the crime of murder ; and as the public Justice of the Country has been satisfied by. the punishments rrhich had taken place, in order to as. sist in the-restoration of the peace of the county, he would not trouble the Court by producing any wit. nesses against the Traversers or Prisoners. The Prisoners and Traversers having been ac. quitted, the Hon. Baron GEORGE, who presided on the trial, said—" You, Prisoners, who are now. going to be discharged from the dock, being acquitted of the murder, and you Traversers, who have been acquitted of the riot, you are all about to return • to your homes and your families, and be. fore your departure I wish to address a-few words to you, as your common friend. You have heard from the Counsel for the Crown, that the Government is determined to prosecute all description of offenders against the public peace of the country, without resped to parties or persuasions, whether they be Freemasons or Orangemen, whether Protestants or Catholics, until they shall have restored the morals of the people to that good order and p,,,,;,ce. able disposition to each other from which they have been torn by the late horrid Rebellion. I exhort you to embrace one another, and return to your homes ; lay aside all differences ; vie with each other in obedience to the Laws—vie With each other in In. dustry—vie with each o:her in Loyalty : you are all subjects of the same King ; you arc all inhabitants of the same Country ; you all worship the same Almighty God ; you all hope for salvation through the merits of the same blessed Redeemer ; you pray for forgiveness of your faults—forgive then one another ; open your arms and embrace one another as friends and brothers, and bear enmity to none .but the foes of your King and Country, for they are your only mortal enemies : you will then live more peaceably ; you will die more happily ; you will not be hunted by Constables or Officers of Justice ; you will not be confined in a Jail, nor brought to the bar of a Criminal Court. Go home, then—,return to you habits of industry, peace, and obedience to the Laws, and so may God bless you all."