The Statesman. — 1823-08-05 (London, England)

HARCOURT LEES." r DOWNPATRIC Assizes.—ln another part of our paned we have given the charge of Judge Moore to the Grant Jury of the County Down—it is as honest es it is clear—jus to the people—creditable to their integrity. their characte r and their tranquillity. Judge Moore, with great nasiona and becoming pride, compared Down and Antrim to the most fortunate Counties of England. In the worst of times, Judge Moore, to our knowledge; less an hilliest man —the greatest quality a Judge can possess. The spirit of the present times is exactly that which, if we know Judge Moore correctly, he would be inclined to act npon—we mean, the spirit of equal and impartial justice. He presided in the Criminal Court, and but one cause cause before the Learned Judge worthy of public attention, and this, indeed, was a most important one—it was that of an unfortunate man who was charged with a murder committed so far back as 1813, in the neighbourhood of Lisburn. He went to Galway after the committ .1 of the murder, and was discovered by a dispute which took place between him and his wife. He was brought .to the North. by • the directions of the Marquess of Downshire, who, on a patient bearing of all the circumstances, felt it his duty to go to the utmost extent of the law. Humanity, as well as Ireland, owes a debt of gratitude to the Noble Lord. Painful as such a duty must ever be, still it was his duty, and it should he performed. This unfortunate man has been tried on Tuesday at Downpatrick, and after a laborious and painful inquiry, was found guilty at 9 o'clock at night, and sentenced by the Judge in the most sol.nnn and impressive manner, to be hanged on Thursday (yes• terday). Will man ever forget that the murderer never escapes the hands of justice?—(The Irishman.) A melancholy accident o:curred in April last, on board his Majesty's ship Hind, when off acid. The jolly boat in lowering down. was swamped, owing to a heavy sea at the time, and unfortunately Mr. Bedingfield, midshipman, and one of the boat's crew were drowned, notwithstanding every exertion was made by hoisting out another boat ; but they luckily succeeded in picking up Mr. Langton Browell, the other midshipman, ,and two seamen, though very far astern ; the other seamen clung to the tackle•fall, and were got on board. Mr. Bedingtield's loss is much to he de plored, as he was a most promising youth, and would have been an ornament to his profession.  COMPE'fITION OF PIPERS, AT EIJINBUItIeII.  Tuesday, the annual competition for the prizes given by the Highland Society of London to the live best performers en the great Highland bagpipe, was held in the Theatre Royal.—The prizes were adjudged as folios s The first, an elegant pipe, handsomely mounted, and adorned with a flag, bearing the national emblem of t•te thistle, and with a silver plate, on which there has since been engraved the proper inscription, with forty merke in money, to John Mackenzie, piper to Duncan Davidson, Esti. of Tullich. '1 he second prize, 60 rnerks, to Kenneth *Rs, piper to the Hon. James Sinclair.  The third, 50 nterks, to John Cameron, piper to the sth Lanarkshire local militia. The fourth, 45 merles, to Donald Macdonald, son of Donald blacdonald, pipe maker to the Highland Society of London.  The fifth, 40 meths to Wm. Fraser from Breadalbane. The extra prize, of a han•Jsome Highland Claymore, af. forded by the liberality of Mrs. H Siddons, was voted to John Gordon, piper to ihe Athol Club. The prizes to the three competitors best dressed in the Highland garb were voted—the first to John Al acp heison the second to John Macnah—the third to Angus Cameron, all in the list of pipers. The audience were, as usual, highly delighted with the Highland reels and strathspeys, introduced in the course of the performance, in which the dancers greatly exerted themselves.