The Sun. — 1844-11-11 (London, England)

STATE OF TIPPERARY. _ _  Mr. HARDWICK said the complainant had not seen his way clearly in his venture ; the parties had put their own value on the prints, and this had disappointed the complainant's expectations. The complainant had used some strong language previous to the blow, and this circumstance would go in mitigation of the punishment. The Magistrate then inflicted the fine of forty shillings and costs.  Mr. Sergeant Howley, in addressing the quarter sessions grand jury at Thurles, on Wednerday, thus alluded to the recent murders in this county • I. feel I ought not to pass over, without remark, the crimes—the many heavy and dreadful crimes—which have been lately perpetrated within this riding of the county. If they do not carry with themselves a strong persuasion to the welldisposed portion of the community, of the necessity, upon their part to awaken from their criminal inditfireacc—l will not say sympathy with the murderers —and vigorously to co-operate in the detection of the guilty delinquents, I cannot think that any means I might employ could be more effective for that purpose. How many are there who would themselves shrink from the crime of murder, think it no harm to conceal facts which might help to the detection of offenders if promptly stated to the official authorities ? Such persons may weakly imagine that it. tends to their own security not to mix themselves up with such matters—they are as foolish as criminal in thinking so. No man knows, if daring villians gain confidence from impugnity, how soon the blows may reach himself ; for every transaction of life, no matter how trivial, may lead to such crimes, and has been in this county a sufficient motive to the murderer to strike his victim and carry out his sanguinary proscription. Instances are well known of men who have refused to impart information they were capable of giving, failing in their turn victims to that system of crime which, if they had nut actually promoted, they did not at least aid in checking and putting down. It may, gentlemen, be very desirable, with a view to prevent the continuance of such violent crimes, to endeavour to trace the motives which may be supposed to have produced them—to ascertain what causes may have produced them—to see how far those causes (if proper to be removed) should be set aside, or be so qualified as not to stimulate to violence and blood the passions of the people. I will not say that those who enter upon such discussions may not be actuated by the best intentions, and with a perfect desire, by the modes to which they resort, to dry up or to exhaust the springs of crime ; but I cannot help thinking that it is not quite wise, while the act of murder is still recent, to raise up collateral discussions on the general causes of crime, or the particular motive that may be supposed to have produced the offence in question. Explanations at such a moment are too likely to be interpreted .as a justification of the dreadful act, and not only to give additional boldness and confidence to the ill-disposed, but tend in some measure to keep back others from aiding in the detection of the criminal, by throwing round him the false colours of retributive justice. Whilst the pursuit is hot, the only cry should be against the murderer—and it appears to me that clinical lectures on the exercise of rights over the mangled remains of the unhappy victim, are, to say the least of them, ill-timed, and may be very mischievous."