The Sun. — 1852-01-09 (London, England)

BALLA.NTINE addressed the jury for the defence at great length, and insisted that there were circumstances in the case which gave it more the complexion of manslaughter than murder, and he therefore called upon them to find the prisoner guilty of the minor offence only. The L earned JUDGE carefully summed up the whole of the evidence, and left it for the jury to determine whether the prisoner in killing his wife bad been actuated by a malicious feeling, or that the violence which produced the death was the result of premeditation and malice aforethought, as the law described the spirit which actuated a murderer. Mr. 13ALLANTINE, at the close of his Lordship's summing up, said he had omitted to examine some witnesses who were in attendance to speak to the prisoner's character, and he asked, as a matter of indulgence, that he should now be permitted to do so. Mr. Baron PLATT said that, in a case of this description, although it was out of the ordinary course, the witnesses might be examined. Several persons who had known the prisoner a great many years were accordingly called as witnesses, and they described the prisoner as being a quiet, humane, well-conducted man. The jury reared at 20 minutes to 5, and did not return until 6 o'clock, when they returned their verdict, declarinc, the prisoner Guilty of manslaughter. Mr. Baron PLATT immediately proceeded to pass sentence. He said that the prisoner bad been found guilty by a most considerate and most merciful jury of the crime of mans! lughter, and it was now the duty of the Court to pass a. sentence upon him such as would mark its sense of the character of his offence, and afford an example to °tilers likely to deter them from the commission of a crime. Upon what grounds the jury bad rest,3.l their verdict it was not for him to inquire. It wits the province of the jury to decide upon tee facts, and whatever might be the opinion of the great majority of the hearers of the evidence in the present case u pon that subject, the Court must act upon the verdict of the jury alone. It was impossible not to see, however, the enormity of the offence he had committed. lloh had destroyed in the most barbarous manner the wife of his bosom, whom ho had sworn to protect and cherish, and this he had done, as it would appear, without any real motive whatever. It was true he had endeavoured to suggest that she had been unfaithful to his bed, but it was duo to the memory of the unhappy woman to state that there did not appear by the evidence to be any ground for the accusation, although there was too ranch reason to believe that jealousy had been the cause of the crime, and that his expression when he heard of the death of his unhappy wife, that " now he was at rest," clearly showed that he was actuated by a feeling of deadly revenge. The Court, under these circumstances, felt bound to show that such an oft-nce could not escape with entire impunity by passing upon him the sentence that he be transported beyond the seas for the term of his natural life.  This case concluded the business of the session; the trial of Davis and Heilbron, for a fraudulent bankruptcy and conspiracy, and several others being postponed, and the Court adjourned to Monday, February 2,  ----The Treviso and Udine Railway is to be commenced in the month of March. It is to pass by Sacile instead of 11Iotta. Another great improvement is coutemplated at Udine, viz., the lighting of the town by gas. The coal for the purpose is to be imported from Palmat`a•-Qalignani.