Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-03-21

district attorney for the said district, ane
| asked him whether he had any cnmlila
| charge to prefer tothe GRANDEUR to which
/ this deponent replied, that no lndictable
offence had come to his knowledge--ano
The had no reasonto believe, that any bus:,
ness of such sort could occur as would re-
4quire the. attendance Of the jury during the
,srm-but certainly, Sir, observed judge
Chase, you might, by pursuing proper re
searches, make some discoveries. Have
YOU no persons In this Delaware state
who have made it uniform practice to IL
bel the administration Of the government OF
the United States; have been told, Sir,
Continued judge Chase and the general
circulation Of the report induces me to be
.lieve it true, that there is a printerin VIII
! mington, who publishes a most scandalous
rand seditious paper--but it will Dot do to
mention names--have you not two printers
in that town. To which this deponent an
swering inthe affirmative, Judge Chase fur
Their observed, that IS SO, and one OF them,
if report does not much belle him, is a Sc
ditious printer and must be taken notice
Of: consider it part Of my duty and it
shall, or must be noticed. And it is your
duty, Mr.. Attorney, TO examine 1nlnutely
and unremittingly into affairs of this nature
THE times, Sir, require that this sediti-
Gus spirit which peryades too nany Of our
presses should be discouraged and repress-
/ ed. Can you not procure some OF this
printers papers, between this time and to-
| morrow morning, and by strictly examin-
! ing them, find out whether he has not been
guilty of libelling the government Of the
| United States, or some Of the officers
thereof. This say, Sir, must be done
| think it's your duty. That this depo-
nent not approving of the manner in which
this subject was pressed upon him, then
stated to the Judge in substance, that he
! was well acquainted with the duties Of his
Office, and would certainly perform them,
! but that he had never been in the practice
Of hunting out offences; thathe had not in
his possession the papers alluded to by the
! honorable judge, nor had he read them;
lit, however, this deponent should be fur
nished with them, he would make the eXa-
| mination and communicate with the grand
| jury on the subject. Judge Chase then said
| he was sati6ed, and turning to the grand
jury observed, that they could not be dis
charged, and however inconvenient it was,
they must attend on the subsequent day at
the usual hour. Judge Chase then direct
ed that a file of the said papers should be
procured and laid before this deponent.--
The newspaper, the files ofwhich were re-
ferred to, was then understood to be, that
which was stiled g Mirror Of the Times
and General Advertisers" but the depo-
nent does not recollect that this title Of the
paper was at the time mentioned by Judge
Chase; and this deponent further saith,
that a file of the said newspapers was pro-
cured by some person in the afternoon of
that day, after the adjournment of the
court, and dellveredto him-that after ex-
aiming the file ofpapers for some time, ne
discovered no libcllous matter or any pub
LEGATION coming within the provisions of the
sedition law-that this deponent, conform
able to the directions OF the judge, sent on
the next morning, the said file of papers
to the grand Jury then assembled in their
room.
!, To the fcventh irterrogatory this opponent
faith, that the fad grand jafy did after examining
the laid ale of papers, retulninto the faid court,
then convened, and in anfwer to the ulual quef
tons put by the clctk, fad through their fore
man, that they had rot agreed ca any bill, /
nor had they any prefcn,m7nts to make.
8. 10 che eighth inserragatosy this deponen
faith that foon AFTER the fad court had convcn
ed on tie morning Of the feccnd doy of the faid
term, this opponent at the reqnef Of the grand
jury attended il their room when The foreman of
The inry DIRECTING tic attention Of thls deponent