The Trial of the Rioters.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 67, 14 January 1880, Page 3

The Trial of the Rioters.

The riot cases opened this morning, hut &re “ tied up” for the present, the panel being exhausted. The Crown challenged lire of the jury, -and the prisoners counsel twenty-two. The Judge then ordered the doors to be locked, but no tales being asked for, The Judge adjournd the Court until two o’clock, stating that he would communicate with the ether Judges in the intaival.

■On resuming, after the adjournment, his Honor said : Since I left the Court, I hare been thinking over the little point involred in this curious combination of circumstances, and hare come to the contusion that I shall not giro my opinion now, and that I shall adjourn tho Court till te-morrovr mori ing, in order to com aider whieh of the two courses I shall take. I shall show the authorities in order that counsel on b'>th sides may bo prepared when the time comes. Of curse, if necessary, I shall reserve tlie matter for the Court of Appeal. As at present k!vised, I think it is perfectly corapeten forme to put them upon their trial wiih fhe present panel, and ft is also perfectly competent for me to order orally forthwith a jury to be empannelled. (His ‘Horror quoted the Juries Act, and the Jury Act ct George IV.) I have some difficulty in tracing authorities on the subject, though I have found several; but I don t think it is necessary 10 go into ihem. But I will iyg .d one case, which ‘I think is singularly appropriate. It occurred 191 years -ago. Some of the circumstances ot this case render it singularly appropriateMr Joynt: May I ask your Honor fo say again what is the course you intend to f2lk& ? His Honor: T otn not giving judgment. Mr Joynt ; I am merely raying what my .view is at present as to the courses open •to-mr. I may to morrow morning take an entirely different view. As at present advised, I may either order the accused •to be tried by jury taken from liis panel, or 'by a jury which I Shall order to be empannelled; either for the trial to proceed at once, or on some future day. '(His Honor then read the case of Salisbury • and others, a trial for murder, held in the ‘first j!?ar of the reign of William and Mary -, and quoted other cases from Plow■den, Blackstone, and Foster-) I now adjourn the Court till to-morrow morning ;»t 10 o’clock