The Sun. — 1841-06-15 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD CO UILT. ''( Before the REcoanEa.) They Sessions at the Old Palley commenced yesterday before the Itecor.ler, Lord. Mayor, Aldermen, and other civic authorities.  The Calendar, which is nnu?ually large,.contains the names of 251 prisoners, several of whom are charged with very serous off, nces— two being for murder. The Grand Jury h..ving been sworn, the Recorder delivered his charge to the following cffec, was sorry to find the Ca!ender contained the names of so many prisoners. 'I his Calendar differed only in point of number from these they had been in the habit of considering at former Sessions. It was painrul to notice from time to time the coritinuanee of the crime of violence to the person, espee'allv towards females, which apparently was on the increa,e ; and that the punishment ritherto extended to offences of the'description did not appear to be a sufficient check, or to afford by example sufficient terror to those who miy be disposed to commit them. observation he did not elude to the extreme penalty of the law. The calendar contaired two cases cf murder. One was a charge against a woman for the murder of her husband. She was charged with having caused the death of her husband, by violently basting him dOwnsstairs. There would be probably some circumstances of the case requiring their serious and attentive consideration. If it should appear that the husband Land wife hid been previously quarrelling, arid that in a transpert of passion the violence was committed witheut intending any s.Tious injury—if There circumstances in the it juigment rendered it questionable whether a charge of murder cou.d be supported, then itibeeame their duty to find a bill for mans'aughter. The other "'ease •of murder was one under very peculiar circumstances. - Happtared that a vessel was off Algiers, and that a quarrel t.,ok place ,between the cook belonging to the vessel and one of th-4 sailors. In the cour,e of the quarrel a carving knife was employed by the cook, with which he struck the seaman, inflicting. a wound from which blood flowed. The seaman 'was carried on shore and subsequently died at the hospital in Algiers. This was a case which, on referring to the Statute, he thought was a!tilidecl with come difficulty. The Statute applied punishment for offences committed en the high seas within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, but it did not apply to offences committed on ~shore, and 'consequently out of the jurisdietipn of the Admiralty. Had the man died on board tyre ship there would have been no difficulty whatever. But under all the circumstances of the case, as the blow .was struck on board the ship, which was within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, and death having ensued on shore, which was not in the jurisdiction of the Adminliy, he thought the safest and best way would be to find a bill for cutting and wounding, with intent to do some grievous bodily harm. The other cases comprehended in the calendar were of minor importance, 'and did not appear to peesent any matter of difficulty, nor did they involve any point of law. He would, therefore, not take tie any of their time by remarking on the facts of which they "(the Jury) were properly the judges. With these observations he would dismiss them to their several dutii.s, intimating the probability of their being detained for some days. John Thorne, described as a surgeon; pleaded guilty to having ut!ered a forged letter fur the purpose of obtaining money. '1 he prisoner had been remanded from the last sessions, and in consequence of the preiecutor recommending him to mercy and his having already been in prison for four months, he was sent, need to one month's imprisonment.