Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-04-29

ChlJ Jadss.
=, yorors Of the Uaited States for
81 oooty Of Alexandria and district OF
Z oab;a, being impressed with the ap-
;.ts Charge deliveredb by the CHIEF
20 10 the Jury, particularly thatparf
,ybicb relates to the very defective orl-I
n;pal code, now in force m tbs dists'e''I
4 r..,sctfally request cory for publlea
4 Ton.
l Gentlemen ofshs Strand jury:
ir6s form Of the oa,h which you have
-. AIKEN. imposes duty also upon me.
a;se Won in charge those things which
4 ~ y = Be the subjects of your cognizance.
- snot sxssctei that | should be
.sousintea with the particular facts or
--;p,es which may have been committed
.,,,b;n yesr jurisdiction: can only de-
s:saats the kind Of ofeuces 10 which
nEsr sltention is to be directed. Your,
;,s;,d,ctioa is indeed, so extensive, that
fneed not descend to particulars.
Won have cosnizanee of MI crimes and
\ ,oEs6ces committed within the body OF
.s;s county. yosr jurisdiction also eS-
.Aads to offences committed upon the
lfah seas, il the ofsnder shall have been
ssS. brought into, OF taken II this cOaa
~.
By crines and offences are 10 be un.;
Serstootl al such violations Of the avs
81 force in this part of the district Of 90
loabia. as tend directly to a breach of
the peace, or to the injury Of the public
health or morals.
The ,aws in ferce, IN this county, re.
latiys to crimes and offences, consist OF
the Constitution and Statutes Of the Z.
States. and the laws of Virginia, as they
existed On the 9th Of February 1901 s.
except as to the mode Of punishment,
which is referred to the laws of Virginia,
as thew existed prior to the year .7s6,--I
The reason tor referring the punishment
of crimes to the laws SIS they existed pri-
or to the year 1895, was, that in that
Year the penitentiary system was adopt
ed in Virginia, aud a great alteration
thereby MAZE in the mode OF Furnishing.
offences. The new mode of punishment
could not be executed in this Obstruction
want Of convenient Buildings, &c. OurI
criminal code, therefore, still compre-
hcnds the ancient sanguiaary list of Ca
pita! offences, which Virginia has SO hap
pill reformed.
lis most earnestly to be wished thati
.se Gong ass aS the United States, which,
has adapted this district, and processes
10 exercise a paternal care and julisdic-I
ton ever US, would take the subject Of!
oar criminal code into It's serious consi-I
deration, and extend to us that ame'io-|
rated system, which has been adopted
BY our parent states Of Virginia and Ma
ryland. |
Such, however, as the laws are, We.
ere boand to execute them, until we can
obtain thase amelisYationS which We Sc
earnestly desire.
IfG,ess be any one class Of offences
which more Than The others, claims year
attention; is, perhaps, that which at |
ircts the public morals. This class con-.
prehends violations Of the laws against
RtbHc Gazing, aid the laws against
Dissrieriy Houses. These are the prin-|
cipal sources Of vice, poverty, and mi
sery. Where is TIE wretch. whose
crimes have brought unon bin the ven
seaace OF The law, who cannot point you
70 the gaming table or the tipknS house,
where he was first led astray from theI
pats Of yirtuef How many widows anti
orpbaas can designate the fatal house
vhich deprived lhem of the comfort and
support Of their husbands aud their IA
therss How many, worse than widows,
could be brought before you to testify
Ct the uiseries which these sources of
wee haye brought upon suffering inDo-
cepce !?
lmeaa not, gentlemen, to rouse your
ieclmgs, but to excite your attention to|
'Ais subject.
It's better 20 prevent crimes than ,o|
punish them ;--to destroy the plant be-
Tore itsseeds are ripe, than 70 eradicate
the young progeny, when it is scattered
over tue Whole Geld.
Upon TIE manner in which you should
execute tae daties of your Office, | am
Sue need not say much. To many OF
yaa they are not new; and she manner
~ WINCH yOn have heretofore discharged
t.lens. IS rlrhee that they viii aoain be