The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-12 00:00:00

QUAIIIFICATION OF JURORS.

Mr. WESTERN rove to move for leave to bring in a
Bill to alter the laws respecting the qualifications of Ju-
rors in counties. The alteration he was about to propose
recorded the qualification in the return of property,
which at present was required to he either freehold •or
copyhold to the amount of 101. In the city of Gondola
personal property was a sufficient qnalifiration, and it Oat
extraordinary, that in ease of counties, personal proprity
was not long aoo made the qualification. By the existing
laws most persons, the fittest in point of property and un-
derstanding, were entirely excluded from twine eligible 'as
Jurors. A freehold or copyhold worth 101. did not mike
persons • independent or intellioent. Many persons having
sloth property were mere 14!.ourers. To give the house
some idea of the small propoi then of freeholders in some
counties, the Hon. lientleman read statements of the
rental of some parishes in the county he represented. In
one parish the retool was 4.000 i. and there etas bat one
person qualified to he a Juror. Oat of a coileetion'of
parishes paying a rentel of 94,500/., there were but S 7
Jurors under the present qualification. Ile then adverted
to the Bill which he bail introduced last Session. In that
lie only regarded personal property to a certain amount,
and that the proprietor should bo Remised to the house
lax, in order to qualify him for a Jnror.—The Hon. Mem-
ber proceeded to state in detail the objects of his Bill, and
the benefit which he calculated from it to the laws Mt&
liberties of the country. It was not from a desire to inno-
vate upon that respected institution that he hroughtit
forward, but to Intend the benefits of it more widely, and
bring the multitude more to a closer understandino of the
nature of it. His object was to make personal property as
well as freehold a qualification for serving on Juries for
counties. The principle was not new, for it had already
been acted upon in boronghs and towns. Ile concluded by
moving for leave to bring in a Bill for limiting the gap-,
lification of .lnrors.
Mr. LEVIESTER, in recondiag the motion, stated
his hearty concurrence in the objects which the bill was
intended to attain. The class of persons whom it was jut
posed to pot on a iiiedliirwitti tiliTrl7llWesirilleilS pose
sessing freehold property, had been too long excluded
from the exercise of the right of serving on Juries.,
through the antiquated prejudices growing out of the
feudal system. By extending the power, it would also re-
lieve those to sellout, from their comparatively smell
number, the serving on Juries exclusivity for counties
was become an onerous duty. Another good effect which
it would have, would he, to render Isis ir4oureniest tm
counties, and therefore more effective to juicier, the third
Assize, which had been lately went on the Circuits. It
would, in fact, remove t':e only obstacle which hitherto
prevailed against this flair I Assize. Ile only regretted that
the Bill was not mere copious, and that it did not ern-
brace other departments of the administration of juts-
tiee. For instance, in the arrangement of the Jadome,
some improvement might he introduced. Why was the
number of these learned persons four, instead of three, er
one, be would ask? An odd number always aapea-ol to
him better for purposes of decision. Formerly they were
six, but within legal memory they have been reduced to
the present number. '1 he number (motet to he at least so
much increased. that during the Sperial Circuits no inc n-
venience would he experienced by the' suitors at horn-. He
believed this measure would entirely dissipate the dml ba
which prevailed as to the expediency of the third Circuit.
If the summary punishment of off-oilers, than which 'no-
thing was more elfoctual towards the suppression of !rime,
was at all desirable, this extraordinary Circuit was et-
tech'sl for that purpose. It was certainly more gratifying
that an atrocious murderer Armlet have undergone the
sentence of the law so soon after the commission of time
offence, than that his existence should he a reproach to so-
ciety. This Bill tended much to promote the speedy admi-
nistration of justice, and abstracted from its merits in a ge-
neral sense, he accepted it as a boon, inasmuch as it would
serve as a stepping stone to the third Assize.
Mr. MABERLY approved of the proposed measure in
principle, but apprehended some irregularity and inconve-
nience from its dashing with the Bill which the Right
Honourable Secretary was bringing in on the same subject.
These Bills were cotemporaneons, hat one affected to he a
consolidation of all the laws relating to Juries, whilst the
other broached a principle which could not he emboilie 1 in
it. This was having a law too much.
Mr. WESTERN said that he would take care to guard
against the inconvenience to which the Hon. Member. re-
ferred. He then explained how the objections might be
obviated in the progress of the Bill.
Mr. LOCKHART tbonght the subject was one of vita
importance. Trial by Jury was amongst the most
.res-
pected and most important of oar institutions, and ought
therefore to be ewer approached with caution. At the same
time be was in the main, friendly to sucja an alteration in
the composition of Juries, as would extend the doh: of
serving more 'widely. It was to be regretted, haw ever,
that any Hon. Member shoul.l have said that this class of
men were excluded by the antiquated prejudices of our an-
cestors. Excluded they certainly had been by our ances-
tors • but it was from a good feeling. for in those tint.'
theireehol•ters, seemed the safest depositories of the rlgtre
of their fellow subjects. Ne imputation should he thrtittn
u ti. en those persons who hid saved we from liiiiisx.ev:w.
ebbed by &Wimp and pplegdsfilif tbe proud ititokOn
which we of all 4thrt.Wattnoe.WWW;4l4o44o, 4 free.e°-
ple.—(Hear.) The. Trial by tarp, Wisi,a snafblpe .‘witif4
had worked well, and ought not to ,be slightly alteiVi•
Our anCeateirs had given toeparticilar Owe Of ,liit*444
the right of serving on, Igrita ; but, n lithely' 10;kikItIn
Waco In the:progress of .evente, Whith they.could jf?3Cll,n-
-,template's Imbed no ebjectjew, 40 plat tight Anton,. -
04)&4. :One eansigaeAcei 4twevor, )1'400)0,4' *A
snotty, Itowlil. Rem. fellow &Om ,klup,,meolpre. , mar
the total escjuaish: of feambidders
.firefills. arilflfiserAVl t
tins wastsfeanioqieses sib.Lels fro,' ibe`faeisity.e , spqr;,,
'pet:lois Lying in towns, sad perhaps tte•partsitit les o nee

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