The Sun. — 1855-12-17 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY.  The December session of the above court was opened this morning by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Right Honmerahle the Recorder, Aldermen Sir C. Marshall and Sir R. W. Girder', Mr. Sheriff Kennedy, Mr. Sheriff Rose, Mr. Ueder-Sheriff Stone, and Mr. Under• Sheriff Rose, &c., &c. The first edition of the calendar contains the names of 65 prisoners. The Recorder, in his charge to the grad jury, congratulated them upon the' fact that owing to the short period that had elapsed since the last session the calendar was unusually light, and that their labour's would consequently not be of very lengthened duration. The most serious case in the calendar was a charge against an unfortunate woman named M'Niell, for the murder of two of her children by cutting their throats. There appeared to be no doubt that she bad committed the act, and it appeared that she had previously been a most kind and affectionate mother, and there seemed to be no doubt that at the time she committed the fats deed she was not in a sound state of mind. The grand jury, however, could not consider that matter, but it would he their duty to find the bill for. murder, and then be question of the state of mind of the prisoner would another ould be investigated by the petty jury There frehwavniirnigglaattbohteeummr.pedte uidtntdoapiagardreedr odprisonerunder some three of this cahveer againstal childreno a, thatw o mhtayhne delusion of mind,tharneed tehfathewrhileehisidurffeenr,inganfrdomtwito ofshe went out with them were found struggling in the river at Chelsea, and were taken out, but the third, he believed, had never since been heard of. The evidence appeared to him at present to be very slight against the prisoner; but, if the grand jury should consider it was sufficient to justify further inquiry, they would be justified in finding the bill. There was another case of a rather on. usual character, in which two prisoners, father and son, were charged with the crime of abduction. By a special Act of Parliament the act of taking any young girl from the custody of her parents, with the intention of marrying her or of obtaining her property, was made felony, but the present case he believed would assume the shape of a charge of nesdeameanour, and to support that charge it was only necessary to prove that the parties had taken a girl under sixteen from the custody of her parents without their consent ; and it was not neee wary to prove any object or motive in the present case He believed it would appear that the girl in question was entitled to an income of 701. or SOL a year at the death of a relation, and it seemed that she had gone away willingly, and there was reason to believe that although she was only thirteen years of age she had cohabited with one of the defendants. His lordship then informed the grand jury that be believed that bills would be preferred at the present session against those policemen who were allegceedastoiebnavoef made use of unnecessary violence upou t_ idhteboat although. the disturbances in Hyd,park, and Enhge's:trates, yet then, there had been no inquiry by hadhi chile ehiel a( tvheer y Recorder} investigationerder) brnaielma her: aCommission,nd,i by the evidence that would their His dluertydslitoip,finind charges were made rhaete thought be laid before thern,rtiiutoLswayoc"cludsebde. bills against the erl'naatighdiastt had sprung uthPiets concluding right te ea operated very unfairly upon jUrt3 athem of the privilege to which his and which he Lion a t observations, parties considered i on po fr active . clic' ti entitled of being made acquainted with the tphrei y :errs; and biiciY deprivedto charges that they would be called upon to answer. It appeared to be the practice to commit a prisoner upon one charge only, and to return the depositions upon tit* charge, but when the session came on the officers instructed the officials of the court to prefer other indictments for offences of a totally distinct character, and they represented that this course was adopted uuderr the direction of the magistrates who committed the prisoner. He could hardly think this was the case, but the practice had certainly extended, and it had the effect rtto Ipre venting the prisoners from knowing whatchhaarvgeei joan. w they were committed upon or winch they (. ser, and repeated complaints were made e of hop . magistrates course t trateswoo which be alconsiderluded. The ituh(e j ed.propriety of pone \ terms in i the The grand jury then retired.