The Sun. — 1853-07-19 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  HOME CIRCUIT.—LEWES, JULY 13. The Commission for the county of Sussex was opened here on Saturday, and this morning business was proceeded with in both courts at twelve o'closk ; the Lord Chief Baron presiding on the Crown side, and Mr. Justice Cresswell on the Civil side. The business of the assize is very heavy for this place, especially at the summer circuit, the gaol calendar containing no less than three very serious charges of murder, two of arson, one of manslaughter, one of burglary, rape, &C. On the Civil side ten causes are entered, seven of which are special jury cases. The Lord Chief Baron, in his charge to the grand jury called their attention to the incovenience that was created by the committal of persons for the crime of arson, where the evidence against them, at most, amounted to suspicion. He said that it would appear that from the nature of the crime, and the difficulty, and, indeed, almost impossibility of obtaining direct evidence, there was an opinion that less evidence was sufficient to justify a committal than was required in an ordinary case of felony. This, he said, was a most erroneous opinion, and one which was calculated most materially to affect the interests of justice, for in proportion to the serious character of an offence, care ought to be taken not to commit a prisoner to take his trial for it, unless the evidence was such as would justify any reasonable mind in coming to the conclusion that there was a pro, bality of a conviction. He was happy to say that mischievous offences of this description had latterly very much decreased, but every one must feel the mischief that was created when a person against whom a strong suspicion of guilt prevailed was acquitted through being committed for trial upon insufficient evidence, and in all such cases it was much better to wait untilreasonably conclusive evidence was obtained to fix the guilt upon a particular individual than to commit upon mere suspicion, when the result must inevitably be an acquittal, and the party accused would thus 'altogether escape. He said he was induced to mention this from what had occurred during the present assizes in a neighbouring county, and he merely threw out the suggestion, being fully aware that with gentlemen of their experience it would be properly acted upon in future. John Broome the pugilist, was called upon to surrender to take his trial for misdeamour, in having unlawfully obtained a large sum of money from William Hamp, by means of fraud and cheating at cards. The defendant did not appear. Mr. Parry said he was instructed on behalf of the defendant, and his solicitor informed him that he was ill in the early part of the morning, but that it was his intention to surrender in the course of the day and take his trial.  Mr. Creasy reminded his lordship that two persons had already been convicted of being concerned in the act imputed to the defendant, and that be had absconded. He surrendered at the last assizes, and the Court postponed the trial to these assizes, with the understanding that it should then positively come on. Under these circumstances he thought the recognizances of the defendant should be entreated.  Mr. Johnson, who was with Mr. Creasy for the prosecution, said, in point of fact, he was not prepared to go on that moment as the prosecutor was not present. He was under a recognizance of 5001. to appear at these assizes, but he was informed that he was not present, and he would not go on in his absence. The Lord Chief Baron said that, under these circum stances, as neither of the parties were ready, the case must of course stand over for the present.