Star. — 1824-03-05 (London, England)

COURT OF CHANCERY-TIM DAY..  hie for? the place tins specifically mentioned' banns, It has been. lately settled in the King's Bench, in the case of the King v. Weir, • 2 Dow. and Ry. Reports, 444, that if a warrant be directed to a constable by name, he may execute it anywhere within the jurisdiction of the Magistrate granting it ; but if it is directed to him by his Davie of olfice,he can only execute it in the parish of mwMurcdherheatailut an is a constable; and therefore you cannot find' a bill for one of these persons, unless first it shall appear that the individual executing the warrant was justified in so doing. and that the party accused was distinctly apprised that the object of the warrant was to arrest him for a breach-of the peace. Supposing that any doubt should arise upon this subject, still it would not go to an acquittal of the prisoners; fri although their conduct might not justify the finding of a bill for murder, still the trespass committed would not justify the resistance which was made, and the crime would then merge into one of a minor character— namely, manslaughter. Gentlemen. It may be proper that I should allude to the other persons who are concerned hi this transaction. The law says, that if a man commits murder, and that any other persons are present, who, by act, or ge4ture, or expression, give any countenance µt that which he dors,,then that they shall become principals in the second degree. It will be fur you to decide, upon a review of the whnle of the ea(r, • how far any or either of these parties can be considered in that light. I believe there is no other case in the calendar which requires any observation from me? I am sorry to find that all of them are of such a nature a+ but too frequently occur throughout this'and the adjoining Counties. Slue you were last assembled is this place, I find that no less than twenty-six persons have been committed for felonies. lam quite sure that this number can only be attributed to the proximity of your County to the metrop.)?li they cannot have arisen from any want of attotion on the part 01 the Magistracy, and I am certain that they are not to be ascribed to any defect of discipline in the jail, as I have every reason to believe that evEry attention is paid by the person who has the superintendence of that establishment to give full effect to its regulations. The Learned Judge then proceeded to state that be apprehended much of these mischiefs was to be attributed to the want of immediate employment by persons discharged from custody, and strongly recommended either the adoption of some such Institution as the ftefuge for the Destitute in the neighbourhood of London, or an anxious effort on the part of the parish officers upon the return of, offenders after they had undergone punishment, to their homes, to employ them in some useful work; that they might have no excuse again to recur to a life of idleness and profligacy." The Grand Jury immediately retired t 9 their room, and shortly afterwards a Bill of Indictment was laid before them against Cottony, Moran, Mrs. Brown, Amelia Morgan, and Trayer, for the wilful murder of James Grainge. At five o'clock they returned into Court with the Bill, and announced their finding to be a true Bill for Manslaughter only against Conolly and Moran, and no true Bill against the other persons.