The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-10-31 00:00:00

GRAND JURIES.

The extraordinary circumstance of the present
Grand Jury being taken from the single district of
Covent-garden, gives a peculiar interest to the fel-
l9wing passage on the striking Juries, extractik
from " Sir Richard Phillips's Letter to the Live-
ry of London." The practice here recom-
mended by that Sheriff is applicable to all times
and c.rcuutstanccs, and is founded on those just
and constitutional principles, which,. in our opi.
oion, cannot be too widely disseminated : •-••
6 4 One of the most important constitutional
duties of a Sheriff is the striking of Grand alai
Petty Juries • and this duty is of more conse-
quence in i:liddlcsett, because it includes not only
Juries for the criminal and ordinary county
Courts, but those for the Courts at Westmin-
ster.

" As the basis of all these Juries is the list of
freeholders, delivered to the Sheriff by the Clerk
of the Peace, it is of course of the utmost conse.
queuce that that list be obtained in good time, and
in a perfect state.
" Whenever whole districts are left out, it is
certainly the duty of the Sheriff to endeavour to
mulish the officers who have failed in their
duty. •
" ft has always struck me to be of *the utmost
importance, as a means of pre►enting cabals in
.Juries, and of neutralizing the preponderating iq.
hence of individuals, not to take the whole from
the same vicinity.
" The object is to have twelve impat tial men ;
and there is muck danger, if they ate all taken
from the same street or village, that one or two
individuals will direct their opinions ; and there is
also a greater danger lest those leading pertens
should be under the influence of some prej►►.
dice.

My plan, then, has been, in elboasing Ju.
ries, to divide the county into six great divisiuus,
according to the population, and, in a curtain
predetermined rotation, to strike each Jury from
some three of those divisions. The local influence
of an individual in the Jury, whenever it existtxl,
would of course be coufined only to those of his
own district; en impartial decision, Needed on
the writs of the case, world consequehtly be
shore likely tu be the result ; a greater variety opt
karat:Nation would be obtained ; and, in causes of
a public nature, a sort of average of public (mi.'
lag Mould by this means be secured. .
66 In the city of London, the Secondaries are
in the habit of taking each Jury from some two
Wards ; they thus, in a tcrtaiu degree, prevent a
Jury from being influenced by an individual ; but
I found by fulluwing this plan for the Middlesex
Juries, that they were apt to separate into two
parties, and to debate on each case for a cotisiaq
rabic time, in appearance rather fur victory, the
si
from any real difficulty in making a decision.—r'
The plan of haviug four Jurors from !heal dia.
tricts, afforded not only the best intelligence rob
lative to the various kinds of trials which came'
before the Jury, but it completely neutralized tito
effect of professional prejudices cud legal parties,
and produced a more ready decision.
44 In regard to Grand Juries, I have always
been much surprised, that those for the metrupo.
titan county should .consist of persons of much
lower rank than those of any county in the king.
dons. In other counties, the persons of the high.
est 'distinction and the largest fortifies thwart?'
aspire to be on the Grand Jury ; hut in the first-
county in the empire, that in *hid) the duties are
MOM onerous rind important, this office is avoided

. . . . ,
Iriuseues so the is- by "email of distinction, and has usually hcen
Woe witather the DWI by theme( loferior rank and education.
In* Arrestors the "It kas Veto my principle In WA' Grand
aged. in Oder that , Josles, to'take theatheis dart* of the
rill. iddllity, In hit. eieteser u rimes( J uries, 1
We al Preul Weil with a view to OM tedepesispee d 4.1 i ouss
Adly Osisoslillue," to the tit ibeittoilltosos aid he are.
Kai* is tioportfot logo or. om it& to the
'NI Maim idea! vase .'• ' IIV ble for
Se rather to
It
sly esti 10 state
It is so a :hi' 'with sullieient epatacy, the
do
ell understood she mei etality - •he sato messes elli G rand
is Atm uoted to
Jury. I haffellielidt eiheerved that is y dis.
q
• Mr. Braoctor bit% thoftsoollibleraiit CO anoint the ' sto
cram „mew ths the make ; ad. While Ow as au L• of ,
deems dithistaare twlfailli :18:11/4401111110111 OB ce or
Wasamalksiossathar ideare II bibs .lit fur a
WV 6MN au ali- / ellA 11.111DIMW Jusicsof or sir.
do NMI eI • a Moore at saes . . i rank,
* Pool" I:4l=a Astegilletrild fans -.. s - -1 Grand
ildimfol. 91* lOW Jag ilasemesusi dame* .• oucts,
at foot Or v 1141.40 aitlalhkrent cif Poet', trots • • Iffy.
rp *Urea the 'as lies* bet *Pt use istossidid, sod , were
lobo liti oweseed 1 tea poise emelt, but I doubt ri - CT the
Ai, laa aka caw km bete Oman lericti. This attar storiedter a Pm* la fle" much oseeminttion at the time 1 but I re my
lips; alai' we- conduct was considered as constitute , and I
,
a° then earnestly reasomeed it to future Sheriff's, to sum.
Isift be had britEss-
ig t• kid irron some per,uns of that rank on every Grand
tsTher
i•
• Jury, leaving it to the Court to enforce their at.
loci r ~ Imitate. .
a rememak . " Ontheiatelligesee and holeyendeate orG rand