Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-07-23
BALTIMORE, July II.
JUDGE SCOTS CHARGE
FIRST Term in the Aty Court Ha,,..

FIRST Tern, in the yNeqv Court Hcu,,
The Grand Inquest for the Body Of R.,a
more county, thank the Honorable Jude ~
his very appropriate Address to them on Il i. ~
pening of the Court this Session, and reor,,
Of him copy thereof that the same NAV 'rl"
published in this critical STATE of the Ci,v
CHR. JOHNSTON, Foremac
Hon. John Scoh, Judge Of the Criminal Con-,
Baltimore county.
July l6, 1912.
Gentlemen Qflhe Grand nry,
You have been selected from the great /,
dy of your fellow citizens TO DISCHARGE one :.
the most important trusts that can be comm
ted to man III civil society, You are now c,I,
led upon to take retrospective view of he
conduct Of your fellow citizens, and YOU hsys
by the oath you have just taken, made solemn
appeal to your God, that if you Shall know 0.
any violations of those laws, which have been
made for the protection Of the Lives, he L.
berries, the Security of the person and pro.
perry of your fellow citizens that you will ORE.
sent the offenders to the Court for punishment
if found guilty. 1t is no longer matter Of
discretion, the whole community now standc.
quail before you and cause has been given to
occupy nuch Of your time.
You are too well acquainted with the gene.
raj nature of crimes and msdemeanors, to
make it necessary for me to speci6cate them,
but it would be dcreliction Of du'y not
call your attention to the situation Of your city
at the present and for some time past The
civil authority has almost been set at defiance,
private property has been outrage0usly inyad.
ed, the persons Of citizens have been diligen.
-ly sought for, TO inflict on them punishment
and indienity. We shall now have an oppor.
tunIty of knowing, whether this opuent ciyB
to be governed 49, the laws or By snail psr.
ton of the people whether the persons Of
your citizens are secure from any punishment
but what the civil authority may inAict o.
tn m.
Read your oaths and you will perceive the
amplitude Of your power; You will exercise
it with caution and circumSps ction. but with
zeal, diligence, inpartiaIity and 6rn ness, and
though defended by opuleDce or station CT re.
tired into the recegses Of poverty and Obscul'
ty, SO direct your enquiries, that the guilty
may be charged and put to their trial lbe
public good requires this OF you.-Publlc U.S.
tice demands it from you--~those ought 10 be
punished who have violated our laws. The
innocent and unoffending alone should be pro-
tected and exempted from prosecution Your
experience bas caused you to know. th0t you
can hear the accusing testimony only, and that
at least twelve Of you must concur II the hhd'
ing Of every presentmcnt or bill. You have
the power to ask Of the court, to issue SAM
mons for any witness, whom you have reason
to believe can prove the commission OF any
violation Of the law, or to identity the persons
concerned in it.
The different acts of assembly which care
required to give in charge to you, will mfH
your serious attention, they will be sent
you by the clerk.
cannot dismiss you gentlemen, to y'W
chamber, without asking You to JOIN with ~
in gratitude, to the commissioners appointed
for that purpose, and who have devoted muCn
Of their important and valuable time, IN &c,
signing and uperintending the building "
this spacious and magnificent Temple oil Jus
tee, whose doors have this moment DetH
thrown open to US for the discharge OF '%'
various and important public duties seTe'aE
assigned TO us. Nor can pass this suOj'..
by, but by paying the just tribute OF TeSPv'
due to the master builders and to those eNSat5
ed with them in erecting this structure ~
the complete and elegant manner Of the a. a.,
cution of the trust reposed in them. N9
God in his infinite mercy, grant, that po1
this moment. civil discord may be arFe''1
in its career, that the misguided may re,'
from the error of their ways AID trust '". ~.
security and protection to the consututeo ~
thorities OF their country, that whatever W. =,
fcrences OF opinion may have taken p'a'' n
to those constituted authorities, that W. ,J
come forward IS band of brothers, a'O$ :,e
the standard of our country, whether h+ r.,
or adopted, determined that We viii sA'' INIT
OUR lives and our property sooner tI!an S.a #
to the agsressions, the insults and lnJuI 1'b.
any foreign power on the face OF TIE s, Deod
that we will continue to be free and Iho'P''