Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1876-03-17 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

GRAND JURY.  Be said there was a subject of congratulation about which he would address them, before he said anything else. That was that, taken as a whole, the calendar was the lightest which it had fallen to his lot ever to see at any Assizes. with the exception of the one on an occasion in a county very much smaller in population than the county of Dorset ; it was a calendar which, taken as a whole, was highly creditable to the morality and the law-loving character of the people of the county. Most of the offences charged in the calendar were offences of a very light description, and they were, almost all of them, such as are disposed of at minlir tribunals, and did not, as a rule, form the subject ot indictment at the Assizes. Bat they were so few in number that no complaint could be made on that head. And it was quite reasonable that, now the judges were there, they should be called upon to dispose of the prisoners, in the county gaol; it was also reasonable that now and then, the Judges should be engaged in the minor cases, o that they might not hold their heads too high, or keep too far aloof from the ordinary affairs of the people; but should understand the state of crime not only as regards great offences, the more serious ones ; but as regards the state of crime generally. He reminded them that it was the duty of the Grand Jury not to try the cases, but to look into the evidence, and see whether there was a prim,l facie rase to be sent for trial before a judge and common jury. In most of the cases, there being perhaps one exception, they might very readily come to that conclusion, and he had no doubt that they would see from a glance at the depositions, many of them being gentlemen of experience, whether the cases were of that description, and he need not trouble the jury any more about them. But he was sorry to say there were sonic cases to be sent before them, in which from the multifarious charges, it was necessary to send several hills to them, which would show a very base and low state of morality among the lower class of the community, because it was said to occur in the Union workhouse, amongst the paupers. Of course it would not he decent, right, or proper, to dwell long upon that case, and he would rather advise them to deal with the other casi s first, that some work might be sent for the Court to he employed. If they Should find there was more than a grave doubt whether the worst aspect of the case can be proved before the Judge and petty Jury, then he would recommend the bill for the most serious charge to he thrown out ; it would only be adding to the horror of one trial the horror of another, which might be quite an unnecessary thing. The bills had been so prepared that, supposing there was a lack of evidence to proceed on the worst of these charges, it might lie the bounden duty of the jury to send the prisoners for trial on a minor charge: there might be ground for believing that the prisoners did so behave as to outrage all decency, and thereby reader themselves amenable to the criminal law. He was sorry to see in the ordinary channels of communication that there had been in the country, all offence, almost resulting in death, under circumstances of very serious aggravation, and possibly this might lead to a charge of the very highest kind known to the law. But, inasmuch as this offence was committed at the criminal depOt of Portland, even if it should result in a charge of murder, it would not detract in the least from the morality of the county of Dorset, because the person who committed the offence might for aught he knew, have come from another part of the kingdom, and not from the county of Dorset.---The learned Judge then dismissed the Growl Jury to their duties.