The Sun. — 1854-04-04 (London, England)

OLD COURT.  The April sittings of this court commenced this Morn"; ing, before the Recorder, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Mr. Alderman Kelly, Mr. Alderman Farneomb, Aldermen Carden and Salomons. The calendar contains the names of 147 prisoners, one of whom stands charged with murder, one for manslaughter, three for cutting and wounding, one for feloniously shootinz with intent to murder, and no fewer than 47 for passing bad coin, and three for coining. The Grand Jury having been sworn, The Recorder said, it was with much regret he saw that the calendar before him was a very heavy one, heavier in point of numbers than any that he had ever had before him, but, still he was glad to find that the crimes charged were not so very heavy. Although there were some cases of cutting and wounding, he was glad to find that the crime of violence to the person was diminishing, a circumstance he attributed to the spread of education. With re.rard to the case of murder, there could be no doubt that the unfortunate woman met her death by the act of the prisoner, and although a question might arise as to the state of the prisoner's mind, their duty would be to find the bill, and leave the petty jury to decide that issue. All the cases in the calendar had been investigated by the magistrates, but doubtless some bills would he brought before them that had not passed that ordeal, and those bills they should look upon with jealousy, as, generally speaking. the course was an objectionable one. Still he did not say but that in some instances it was a proper one. Another case which he would draw their attention to was, that of a person who, charged with embezzlement, had fired a pistol at the prosecutor, and the act was attributed to an accident ; that would also be a question for them to leave to the petty jury. He now came to a case of which they (the grand jury) had doubtless heard through the press, which was th t of two persons named Harrison and Desaux, which would come before them as a charg- of conspiracy, with others not in custot'y, to obtein the prostitution of a Belgian girl. The only difficulty that arose in the case was, that part of the transaction took place in Belgium and part in France, for which parts they could not be charged in this indictment ; but if they conspired in this country to commit any part of the offence, that was an offence at common law. He did not know of any case in point, but-it was certain that the act known as the Bishop of Oxford's would meet the case, and said, that he should recommend them to fled the bill, and leave any point of law to be discussed in court. He thought it likely that duri► g the session there would be another bill preferred. fur an asault an l false iinprisonment arising out of the same  Me. WALPOLE said clause 5 dealt with persons who offered bribes, and clause 6 related to persons who received bribes. By this clause they made a person guilty of bribery who asked for any place on account of having voted for any particular candidate. Suppose a person who voted for the noble lord (Lord John Russell), and within a year after he asked for place which he was perfectly competent to fill, was he to be deemed guilty of bribery? Col. SIBTHORP said a wink was as good. (Laughter.) The whole of this bill was nothing more nor less than an attempt to undermine the fair and legitimate right of those who possessed the property—he meant the aristocracy. The