The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-06

iSu. Sdu you HOl IliiU HE OF InS!S nCW1Nd-I
pers between this time and Tomorrow morning,
and examine them, and difcover whether this
printer is not guilty OF lihellng the government
of the United States This iav, fir, NUT he
done l think it is your duty. ] obierved, as
this fubject was preiied by the honorable Judge.
i believed was acquainted with the duties of
my Office, and was willing to diicharge them.
mentioned that had not in my poiiciiion the
papers alluded to by the Judge, nor had read
them But that if a file OF them were procur-
ed, and handed to me, had no objection to
examine them, & communicate with the grand
Jury on the fubjed. The judge then faid he
was tatished, and turning TO the grand Jury, OBJ
ferved, that he could not dilcharee them, how
ever inconvenient their itay they NUT attend
the eniiing day, at the ulua hour. The Judge
then directed that file OF the papers ihould DC
procured for me underfood him to mean
the paper called the Mirror of the Times and
General Advertiser, though do not recoect
to have heard the title of the paper mentioned
during this procedure. a file of thofe papers
was brought to me in the afternoon after the
adjournment of the court, by whom they were
brought do not recolleGt. l examined them,
but in curfory manner, as | was very much
interrupted by per!ons calling upon me. did
not di!cover during the courfe of this eXamina-
ton, any hbellous matter Coming within the
provtions of the ftdition act. According to what
iunderttoodto b. the with of the Judge, ltent this
HE OF papers 10 the grand Jury. Soon after the
meeting of the court on the iecond day, 6 at the
requeit OF the grand jury, | attended them in
their room. On entering, the foreman of the
jury addreded me, and directed my attention
to paragraphin publication contained in the
Mirror ofthe 2lf June, 500, re-publhed from
the Aurora, rejecting, perhaps in ftrOng and
pointed language, on the former conduct OF
Judge Chaic. He obicrvcd that there was diff
ference of opinion among the jurors as to the
nature of the paragraph-lonc doubted whe-
therit was a libel or not, and if libelous, whe-
ther they had right TO prefent to the circuit
court l obfeved that it was not neceilary for
me to be very particular in my opinion Of the
publication, asI did not conideritas comingun-
der the ledtion law, though it might be conf
dered rs an offence at common law, becaufe
Judge Chafe had decided that the circuit court
could not take cogniiance of cafes ariling at
common law. ] returned int o court, after fome
time the file was placed before the judge. Judge
Chaie ailed me what had been done, and whe-
Their the grand jury had made any discoveries of
lbeilous matter. / anfwered none, unleis it
were the paragraph which related to Judge
Chafe, which ibewed him, obftrving that it
did not appear TO me to come under the ftditi-
on law. Judge Chaie afquefced; and the bu-
Gne!s was pailed over on his part in a very po-
lite and atfabie manner. | do not recollrtt any
thing further TO have paned. | have, however,
an indifin6t recollection of conversation be-
tween Judge Chafe and mylelf in the room OF
n tavern before we went into court; in which
underfood him 10 have made general decla-
ration of hofiiity agant fictitious printers.
Mr.. RGndobb. You faid the Judge gave or
derS TO iomebody to procure file OF newfpa-
pers. Do you recoile6t to whom he addrefed
himielf.
Mr.. Read. / do not but I underltood to
the bailiH or MARTIAL, or fonle other officer.
JAMES LEA-a6irmed.
Mr.. Rodney. Pleafe TO relate to the court,
tie occurrences which took place at circuit
court of the United States at New-Cafile, and
whether you were iummoned as grand Juror
at that court.
MIR. lea. | WAS fummoncd by tic martial
of the iiftri6 OF Delaware, a grand Juror at
the circuit court held in The month of June,
1900. attended asreeabIy to that luminous,
and was qualified as a grand Juror. After re-
ceiving charge from Judge Cbafc we retired
to our room, and remained there for fome time.
There appearing to be NO buiipefs for us, we
returned into our box. The ufual queRion was
put to us, whether we had found any bills.
We faid that we had not. After foine time
Judge Chafe addreiied the grand Jury, and OBJ
ferved that very fictitious Clifpoition had ma
nisencd ;;ic!f in the fate of Delaware, in the
county of New Cattle, and particularly in TIE
Town OF w llnDlSlOuj tlldt
lived in that place, who edited paper called
tie Mirror Of the Times, and the General hd-
vertifcr, who was in the habit of libeng the
government of the United States, and that his
name was---he laid he would not menti-
on his name but that it was Our duty to en-
ouirc if any fictitious publications had been
made that he would not difcharge us that day,
nor until we had made the enquiry. Several of
the jurors add-efIed the Judge for leave to re-
turn home, Rating that they were farmers, and
were extremely anxious to be on their farms,
as it was harveit time. Some converfdton pafl.
ed between Judge Chaic and the attorney of
the diAri6t, after which he faid he could not
difcharge us until the next day. We returned
the next day mo court, and after fitting feme
time in our box, we retired to the jury room.
A file of newspapers was produced by fome
perfons, and we examined them. We found
nothing in them OF a iihcllous nature in our o.
pioion, excepting fomething relative 10 Judge
Chafe which foue of the jury thought came
under the !edtion law. We ient for the sttor-
ney Of the diGri6l, to inform US, as to the ma
ture Of that paragraph. He told us it did not
come under the fcditon law. We went into
the Jury box; when conversation of fome
length took place between Judge Chafe and the
attorney of the dtd6t, after which we were
difcharged.
Mr. Marim. What time did you come down
n