SUPREME COURT-Wednesday.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1884, 22 October 1874, Page 3

SUPREME COURT-Wednesday.

. (Before Sir G. A. Arsey, Chief Justice,) ; -■ THE QUEEN V. REED AND BRETT." The jury 1 returned mto Court at tea o'clock this morning, by arrangement made at its rising oil the previons evening. The names of the jurymen having been called over by the Bcgistrar, the Foreman of the jury (Mr <T. C. Firth) rose :ani stated that he had an explanation to make to the Court before the question of their decision was put. :He had been requested by some of the jurymen to correct a statement made by him on the previous ■ day as reported in that morning's paper, which ho hold in his hand. '.

His Honorj!herejinteruptedj Mr Firth, telling'him that J they could take ntf .cpgr nizance of anything appearing in that morning's paper, as they were not sup. posed to have seen it, and it was not right that ihey should refer to it until they had given their decision in.the case they were called upon to decide. . He could not receive; any comments until the verdict was given, and he. must ask them first of all to dispose of the cause before , the Court. If there was anything in the matter to which they desired to call the attention of the Court.calculated to clear up any point necessary to assist them in arriving at a verdict, or on which the decision of hesitating jurymen depended —if that were at stake then the. matter was different. He must ask if the question to be referred to was in any points matter of law such as would'enable them'; if cleared up, to agree upon, their verdict: The Foreman replied that it was not to that effect. •

His Honor said he must first hear their decision in the case. . i.'" / •:; The Registrar, asked, the gentlemen of the'jury .if they had agreed - upon ; their verdict. ■

The Foreman: We are not agreed. - ■ The Registrar asked the counsel for the prosecution (Mr T. B. Gillies) if he had called for a special jury in the case,' and was answered in the affirmative. ' ; ''

His Honor said it would be for the counsel to decide as to whether it would order a new, trial during the present session or allow the matter to stand over until the succeeding session. He might say it would bo very inconvenient to himself to go on again with the case this session, and he would not like to do so.

Mr Gillies assented to the matter standing over, at the suggestion of ills Honor, until another session. '

The Foreman said tbe matter to which he had desired, by request of some Qf the jury, to draw the attention of tlie Court * 10, was a report of a statement he made to the Court on the previous day, to the effect that they were all, with one or two exceptions, agreed that the articles in question were of a libellous character. He found that he was mistaken upon that point, and desired to say so. The defendants then left the Court. ?