Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-04-26
LEGISLATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS,

resentatives, March 9th, the Committee
on the Judiciary made an elaborate report
on the right Of trial by jury in Questions
OF personal freedom. Tho act of Con-
gress Of the 18th of February. 1898,
authorizing persons claimed as runaway
slaves TO be given up on oral testimony or
affidavit taken before and certified by any
magistrate of a country, city or town cor
Porate, wherein such seizure or arrest
shall be made-the committee deem to be
authorized and void, inasmuch as it is
well settled principle that Congress cam
| not confer any part of the judicial power
OF the United States on state magistrates
or officers. They forcbIy and pertinent
y ask" Who that knows the extreme
jealousy of freedom, which was the char
acerIstIc of the times, can believe that the
founders Of our Constitution intended TO
hold the trial by jury sacred on every
question Of dollars and cents, however
insignificant, and in relation to the slight
est mlsdemeanOrs; and to dcnv it on the
great question Of PERSONAL IIBER-
TY that they would yield it as RIGHT
to every man tor the investigation of his
tl'ie 10 an OK or a horse, and withhold it
o. trial which involved the ownership
of his own limbs and facuIties--in one
word, his ownership of himsef? But
whether the law of Congress be consider
ed constitutional or otherwise, the CON-
mluee maintain that the same result must
be arrived Atm either case, person
seized under the aforesaid law, before or
| of h., id
pendent process, under which he can trv
his right to the character Of fireman.
| They therefore report an act in conformi-
ty with these views, securing to every
person restrained Of his liberty, whether
a runaway slave or otherwise, the writ OF
personal repIevin, by which he shall oL-
tain the benefit Of a trial by jury. Should
this act pass it will, undoubtedly
the CoIored citizens Of this Commonwealth
will have, what they never yet fully en-
joyed, complete protection for their per-
sonal liberty, and the whole system Of
legal kidnapping be demolished at blow.
LlJerat0r.
BRUTALITY PUNISHED The Lowell
Courier reports a trial which was had al
that place, on Thursday and Friday Of
last week, in the Supreme Court, the
plaintiff being a young woman named
Littefitld, and the defendant one Herman
Leland. The plaintiff was living as a
servant with Leland, but being desired bv
her mother to come home, gave him no.
tice Of her intention to do so. Thereupon
the rufian struck her in the fate, and then
! loo nod
: her cruelty around the BODY and shout
| ders, putting on the blows with all his
; strength At night she made her escape
) and was conveyed by neigh Dor to her
: mother in Boston. The jury gave her a
; verdict for $500; and nobody will say
that it was frthing too much, even II
not informed that the unmanIy assailan,
! was her unc!e-N Y. Spectator.
, TRIAL BY JURY-A large portion OF
orr present number is proftabIY occupied
y with the able and elaborate Report of the
5 Committee on the Judiciary. in relation
D to the granting Of trial BY jury to any
person who shall hereafter be claimed as
=. runaway slave in the Commonwealth
f The Bill, securing this right, as reported
r by them, was Ioptcd with grea. unanimi.
y ty by the House Of Representatives, anC
s by the Senate without a dissenting voice
We trust no jury will acknowledge the
4 claim of any Save catcher to the BODY anc
: soul Of his feIloW-man, without requiring
: the necessary evidence-'a bill of sale
It from the Almighty
The Legislature adjourned on Thurs
haX III h.
q cause Of Liberty some service.-LiJerator
> "MR. WEBSTER WILL ATTEND TH1
THEATRE THIS EVENING. "-Such wa
the dsgraceful announcement in the Bill
: of the fremont Theatre, few DAYS since
ii printed in glaring capitals, and posted
Is throughout the city. When we say tina
l. the Theatre is a curse and conta gion in
V finnely more to be dreaded than tn
,e Asiatic cholera, and rotten with Iicentious
ii ness, We simply describe it as it is. Ye
IL Mr. Webster is its distinguished patron
re and consents to the infamy Of having hi
e name ptacarded thro'ou! he city, announc
n. ing the fact,-for the benefit of the Mana
Is gers that he is to attend the theatre O.
l. such an evening! And Mr. Webster
the Defender of the Constitution p
I'd may be so but it is equally clear that
ne IS not pattern Of morality-I6.
70 SOUTHERN MAcH1NERY.-The news
rv papers say, they have got shingIe ma
ID chine at Mobile, which will walk into tn
n. woods, select its tree, fell it, convert it int
4 shingles, and cover house in "a hour
DO Very like y. So they have got cottot
~ hoIng and contemplating machines,
re that country which are saidro be yer
W. profitable. One yankee with an instr'
ch ment made of cow-hide will tend hui