The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-08-08

If proceedings not secret and this secresy seced
by OATH the fear of these consequences might deter Of
your body from independent and conscientious discharge
of duty, and the greatest offenders might some instances
escape the punishment which the law has affixed to their
crimes
Another important consideration is prevent escapes
In many instances complaints are preferred to the Grand
Jury, in the first instance, without previous proceedings
before magistrate TO the appearance of the party
accused by recognsance In such disclosure Of the
proceedings in the Grand Jury will give the persons
against whom bill found, opportunity TO escape and
thereby avoid punishment The injunction of secresy po
sed by this of your OATH not confined the when
the indictment found to the year for which YOU
selected to serves but is perpetual You never at
any time, on any occasion, unless required do as
witness, court of JUSTICE to disclose what takes place in
your This injunction is confined prohibition
of general account of transaction; or whether bill is
is not found against particular individual but YOU are
not TO disclose any thing respecting it, what any individual
either member of the Jury, County Attorney, or Witness
did or said am more particular gentlemen, with respect to
this part OF your duty, because grand SUI
fceny careful with respect to it and do frequently mad
vertenty have doubt violate their in this partcu
lar You shall present for envy hatred or malice
leave unpresented through love, fear favor
fecon hope of reward but you shall present things truly
they to your knowledge, according to the OF
your Understandings The meaning of this is that YOU shall
faithfully from the evidence before you not suffer
yourselves be influenced by any bias, either for against
the party accused The give you charge all the of
fences of which they have Jurisdiction When You have re-
tired to room you will first choose by ballot
and inform the whom you have chosen The foreman
has authority to witnesses presence of the County
Attorney The foreman should keep list of witnesses thus
by him. and at the close of each term the list should
n
the foreman should certify to be true BILL though he do
not agree to it himself
An opinion has prevailed in places twelve con-
stute quorum Of Grand Jury, and that majority of
this twelve may find bill of Indictment. This is mistake
Not less than twelve IN any find legal bill of in
dictment may be useful occupy the time usually taken
in an address to the Grand Jury considering the origin
and importance of the institution of Jues Jures were m
uted remote ages when violence of every description
was much common than at the present day; when the
state of society comparatively feocous and stronger re-
sants the passions of necessary From the
violence of the times the almost
ing arms, and constant feuds and anmoses the Office of
public prosecutor dangerous and necessary to-
vest his body whose proceedings should
be secret In this way the responsibility divided and
the party accused could not fix upon particular individual
as the cause of the prosecution Other
accompanied this system The power accusation of de-
termnng what persons shall be aragned the bar of their
country, and put upon trial. too great be entrusted to
individual An individual may have paraes and en-
mites An individual may be accessible to bribery When
the accusing power lodged with individual he must he
permanent officer Persons exposed prosecution know
where to apply and hoo to apply the of corruption
1t IS too great responsibility for any individual strong
temptation to human virtue In the organization of Grand
Jury the means of corruption and every improper influence
taken away The members scattered over the whole
county The individuals composing designated are
not separated from the of their fellow citizens till
lew days before the sitting of the the highest tbu-
nal Though, IN this court, they retain their offices for
year. yet the crimes cognsabe by this tribunal are not of
such character to make the pemanence of the Office
dangerous Though the institution adopted in times of
greater violence and the state of society greatly changed
since, yet still admirably adapted TO the purposes for
which it was originally adopted The object M to have an
intelligent and impartial tribunal inaccessible to any inpro
Or influence, to determine he