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The Crown Court - Wednesday:
At half past four o'clock Baron Lefroy took his seat on the Bench. His Lordship immediately gave orders that all the passages leading into court should be kept clear, and the doors permanently open : that all the gentlemen in the court should sit down, and those not provided with seats should retire. His Lordship also directed that the bar box should be kept clear.
The Commission was then read : and the grand jury having been called into court, were re-sworn before his Lordship.
Baron Lefroy then said - Sir William Godfrey and the gentlemen of the grand jury of the county of Kerry, I regret that the view of the calendar does not enable me to congratulate you, as on former occasions, on its lightness. The calendar presents a very increased number of prisoners, and a greatly increased amount of crime - much greater than I have lately met with in this county. There are altogether 118 prisoners for trial : of those 28 are on bail, and the remainder in custody. The offences with which they stand charged are not, however, I am happy to say, of an aggravated character. They are such as naturally arise out of the unhappy state in which Ireland has been placed this past season - which afforded the temptation and excuse, say, rather the pretence for the commission of the greater number of the crimes that form the present calendar. There are 24 men charged with cow stealing ; 35 stand charged with sheep stealing. Other larcenies are on the calendar to the number of 36. I am happy to say that of crimes of a more aggravated character very few instances appear on this calendar. Four persons stand charged with burglary, and two with robbery. There is also the novel charge, that against a person for attempting to bury alive. His Lordship then referred to the state of the jail, and said that it was wonderful how it was kept even in such order as it was when they considered the large number of prisoners confined in it. Built for 130, it had now no less than 396 prisoners. The sick list amounts to 56 ; but some were of a mitigated character. It was deplorable that the prison should be thus crowded beyond its capacity ; the grand jury should, therefore, proceed in the first instance to dispose of custody cases ; so that if there were any among them who should not be confined, they should, as well for their own sakes as for the other prisoners, be discharged. He took it for granted that the fiscal business was disposed of ; and if one or two gentlemen would attend him he would take the presentments, while the body of the jury could dispose of the criminal business. As the calendar presented nothing requiring particular notice from him he would not delay them any longer.
Sir William Godfrey said that the fiscal business was not concluded.
Baron Fefoy observed that this was directly contrary to the act of parliament.
Sir Wm. Godfrey replied that the business had been heavy, and that they had attended closely since Monday when they were summoned.
The Court - The Sheriff should have given the grand jury sufficient time to dispose of the business.
Here Mr Jeffcott, as counsel for the subscribers to the Ballylongford Fever Hospital, brought before the Court the presentment for that work, which the grand jury had rejected.
It was sent back to the jury for reconsideration.
The court soon adjourned.
