Liverpool Easter Sessions
The general Quarter Sessions for this borough commenced on Monday, before James CLARKE Esq., Recorder
The Learned Recorder took his seat on the bench shortly after 10 o’clock
The calendar contains the names of fifty-two prisoners for felony, and seven for misdemeanours and assaults
The usual preliminary forms having been gone through, the following gentlemen were sworn of the grand jury:-
W P
Thos. BOLD
Ellis Martin BRODIE
Gavon BRACKENBRIDGE
Timothy BOURNE
Samuel BRIGHT
Jas. Christopher CORBALLY
Woodhouse CROMPTON
Jonathan COOKE
John DUTTON
Duncan GIBB
William HADFIELD
Matthew JEE
John JONES
David JACKSON
Joisiah KEARSLEY
Edmund Brock LYON
Peter LEICESTER
Chas LORIMER
William LINDSEY
Richard MOON
Robert Lunt MILLER
Elias Joseph MOZLEY and
Alfred Wm POWLES Esq.
The proclamation against vice, having been read, the Learned Recorder delivered his charge to the following effect;- He was, he said, extremely happy to see so full an attendance on the part of the grand jury, because it convinced him that gentlemen had a wish for the effectual administration of the laws of the country. This extreme readiness, in proportion as it was gratifying, would render them the more sorry to see those laws made less effectual. Many strange alterations were being made and insinuations had gone abroad that even that part of the law which it had fallen to their lot to administer, ought to be done away with. This he sincerely trusted he should see never come to pass if the practice that was usually pursued in the north had been put into effect here, then would their attendance on this occasion have been unnecessary. In the districts to which he alluded the judges ade the assizes in reality a goal delivery and released all the prisoners confined in the goals. They had a power to do this, which however, at the present assizes they had not exercised. He was happy to say, however, that their duties would not be very severe; and indeed, it was evident that they ought not to be so, as only six weeks had elapsed since they last sat in this court for the trial of prisoners. There were in te calendar the names of fifty-two prisoners for felony. He had looked into the cases and he did not believe that there was anything in them that would give much troube. The commitments were now very carefully made, and this would have the effect of saving very much trouble to the grand jury. He was sorry to see that so many of the cases were for robberies by confidential servants. This was a description of theft over which the most vigilant of police could not exercise any power of prevention; in all cases of breach of confidence by individuals in situations of trust, the crime was so commited that it was impossible the police could correct it; there was a want of moral discipline which was difficult of correction. There was one case, the prisoners of which stood Nos 40 and 41 in the calendar, upon which he would offer a few remarks. One of the prisoners Michael DAWSON, was charged with having broken into a shop in the Haymarket, and stolen property to a great amount. This seemed to have been effected in a very ingenious manner, and no doubt a still more serious felony was anticipated, and would have been carried into effect if there had been time. The charge stood against Catherine COWAN for receiving a portion of the above property, knowing it to have been stolen.
This was the manner in which it had been put; but when it happened there had been a violent breaking into the place, and they found a female connected with it, there were circumstances which would make the charge different Thus, if a female was standing at a distance while the house was being broken into, and she was doing it for the express purpose of receiving the property and was thereby co-operating with the robbers, the judges had held that she was a principal. It was always safe, however, to make the charge stand for receiving the property- There was one other thing with respect to the present calendar which had particularly struck him, and to which he would call their attention. This was that more than one third of the prisoners were old offenders.
He wished that by some means they could get rid of them. Many of them had been imprisoned in the Borough House of Correction at Kirkdale, and in one of the ver best prisons, in
PRESENTMENT BY THE GRAND JURY
At two o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, the Grand Jury came into court with the following presentment ;-
“We the Grand Jury, beg respectfully to present the culpable negligence of some of the pawnbrokers and marine store dealers, in receiving articles in pledge from any person offering them, without due inquiry how they became possessed of them, and reflecting whether the party was likely to be honestly possessed of such property; thereby giving encouragement to robbery and plunder, by the facility afforded for the disposal of stolen property. And they present again the great nuisance arising from the slaughter-houses, which they regret are still continued in the most crowded thoroughfares of the centre of this town
“W P HUTCHINSON, Foreman”
The recorder (after consulting with the Town-clerk) said that on the subject of the last presentment made by the grand jury, he was happy to inform them that he had just learned from the town clerk that it was under consideration by the town council, and that they were about to take active steps to remedy the inconvenience complained of
He quite agreed with the grand jury in the presentment which they had made respecting pawnbrokers and dealers in marine stores. It was a very proper presentment and he was convinced that if more deliberation and care were exercised by pawnbrokers, in receiving property into their possession, much of the crime with which the present calendar was filled would be at an end
The Grand Jury was then discharged.
The following is a summary of the sentences:-
Transported for life – Michael DAWSON
Transported for fourteen years- Frederick GREEN, Edward EVANS William MORETON, and Frank THOMPSON
Transported for seven years – William PENNINGTON, Thomas McLAUGHLIN, Joseph BURNS, Henry LEWIS, and Richard POWELL
To be imprisoned eighteen months – Sarah BAXTER, Catharine COWAN, Mary MARSHALL, William LLOYD, and Paul STRUNEY
To be imprisoned twelve months – Margaret CARDWELL, Jemima DEBNAN, Catherine KELLY, Joseph STANWICK, William STREET, William HARRISON, Ann PENNINGTON, Mary WILLIAMS, Jos. STAIRMOIR, Michael McGEE and James Fitzgerald
To be imprisoned Nine months – Robert BLOCK, Elizabeth BRAIN, and Jane FERGUSON
To be imprisoned for six months – Mary FITZGIBBON, Elizabeth HOWARD, Thos MEAD, John COWAN, William BURN and Jos CORBETT
To be imprisoned four months – Margaret WILSON, Mary COLLEY, and Jane ROBERTS
To be imprisoned Three months – Richard SANDERSON, and George BROWN
To be imprisoned two months – David HUGHES, Elizabeth STRETCH, Maria PIERPOINT, and James WHARTON
To be imprisoned fourteen days – Samuel WALLACE
Acquitted – Mary Ann DOGHERTY and John WELSH
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