The Sun. — 1844-08-19 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY  OLD COUR7'. These sessions, the tenth of the present mayoralty, commenced this morning, before the Recorder, Mr. Alderman Gibbs, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Musgrove, Mr. Sheriff Moon, the Under-Sheriffs, &c. The present calendar contains the names of no less than 330 prisoners, and the probability is before the termination of the session, which is expected to last ten or fourteen days, that number will be increased by upwards of fifty more cases. Among the charges in the calendar are two for murder, one for murder by attempting to drown; horse stealing, two ; manslaughter, two ; rape, seven ; perjury, one. The grand jury having been empannelled and sworn, The RECORDER proceeded to deliver his charge to them. He said that the calendar contained no less than 330 cases for trial, and he was much afraid that that number would be considerably augmented before the grand jury concluded their labours. There were 111 cases of rather serious aspect, among those was a charge of child stealing, one of feloniously killing a horse, 49 cases of larceny from the person, 37 charges of larceny by servants, seven charges of rape, four of the commission of unnatural offences, a charge of attempting to murder by drowning under peculiarly painful circumstances, seven charges of cutting and wounding, and four charges of murder. Notwithstanding, however, this very heavy list, there were but few of the cases, though of a most serious nature, that required any particular mention from him, as they did not involve any question of law, but were to be determined by the facts proved. He would, however, briefly advert to some of the cases. First, with regard to the case of child-stealing ; that was an offence under the 9th of George IV., chap. 41, sue. 31. In the present case it would be a question for the grand jury to, consider for what purpose the child was stolen and he thought they would come to the opinion that the child had been stolen for the sake of its clothes, as they had been shown to have been pledged by the party. The charge of attempting to murder by drowning was of a most melancholy description. It was an attempt on the part of a mother to destroy herself and her children on account of distress. It was said that the unfortunate object of the charge was not at the time of committing the act in to right state of mind. Now he (the Recorder) would not advise the grand jury to enter into the question of insanity or embarrass themselves by it, but if they found the fact clearly proved of the committal of the act, then to put the case into a train of inquiry before the petty jury. There was one charge of murder to which he would shortly advert, and that was the case where the charge was one of murder by the administration of poison. He felt no doubt the grand jury would consider the case wholly unprejudiced by anything that had come to their knowledge, or any information that they had derived through the daily press. The design and intention of the party accused was the great point for consideration, if it was clearly shown that the poison was placed wh ere it had been with no evil intent, they would ignore the bill ; but if they entertained the least doubt on the subject, it would then become their duty to place the matter in a further state of investigation. With regard to the offence of killing a horse, it was right that he should tell them that it was no longer necessary, in order to convict a party of the offence, to establish that it was done with a malicious intent to the owner ; it was sufficient if it was proved that it was wantonly and wilfully done. The Learned Judge, after referring to some of the other cases in the calendar, remitted the grand jury to the performance of their duties. The COURT then proceeded to the swearing in of the petty jury. __  - It is generally understood that the Judges who will be in attendance are Mr. Baron Parke, Mr. Justice Erskine, and Mr. Justice Coleridge ; it is also stated that Belaney will be tried on Friday, unless the grand jury ignore the bill.