A singular circumstance o...
A singular circumstance occurred at the Surrey Sessions yesterday. Ar. OG'CLLAGHA&, the Irish gentleman who was sentenced on Monday to a month's imprisonment for rnaltreating a Divine of the same country, whom he con- ceived to have insulted some ladies under his (O'CAL- LAGRAfN'S) protection, was given to understand that if he !refuLted the county allowance, he would be permitted to purchase his own provisions; in consequence of which he diR refuse the couttiyallowance, and then found, to his sur- prise, that instead of his own provisions, he must be con- tent with bTead and water. 'It is probable that by this latter regimen he might avoid the gout; but still, temper_ aLnce on compulsion is at least as painful as " a reason on rnpulsion:' MIr. O'CALLAGRAN, therefore, stated his. grievance to the Magistrates assembled in sessions.. They declared that they could not interfere, having given- iap all power to the Visiting rMagistrates. It is more' than probable that these latter personages will grant the complainant the relief he prays for-of enjoy- "" .a beef-steak snd a glass of port at his own expense: hut we cannot help noticing tbe absurdity of the general lody of 'Magistrates thus. depriying, or affecting to deprive, themselves of;one of the most iniportant duties of their of_. fic Itwasby a similar couise' that the.lIertfordshire Jus. tices got themselves.into so unpleasant ascrape dunn Thurtedl's imprisonment. They delegated, or &anciea they delegated, all their power to a part of their body Maxued ' the Visiting Magistiates, and these latter entered into an agreement not to go near 'the prison while Thur- tell was there. The duty,. therefore, of visiting was as. =nmed wholly by one-; and he so conducted himnself in the xUiscltarge of it,as to bring down a, mandainus frotn the Court of King's Btnch upon the wvhole body. This desQrves particular attention from those Magistrates who fancy they cast at pleuure disseizQ themselves of -any part of (duties, and by ar. act of delegation shift offF al responsibility from their own shoulders; for to whom was the manndimus ad- 4resed ? Not to hixu wose 'roceedings had rendered it eeessarynot to the Visiting Mlagistrates only, but to the Whole Wy.