The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-02-09
General Sessions.
Before the Recorder, Judges Lynch and Noah
and Aldermen Pollock and Rails

Before the hecOr0er, Judges Lynch and Noah
and Aldermen Pollock and Balls
Fen, 8,h.-The following gentlemen were swern
a. grand jurors Levi ID. Slamn, foreman, Jared
w. Bell, Moses Y. Bach, John l.. Brown, James
John Fowler, james B. Garretson, Joseph Hew.
lett, Isaac B. Ruton, Jonathan Thornc. Robert
NJ Patrick, John v. Coon, Jacob M. Vrceland,
Dennis Mullins and Gilbert +. Everson.
After the grand jury had been sworn the Record
or informed them of heir special duties, and the
particular branches of crime that at the present
tine called for their close attention. He poin;ed
out the violation OF the laws relative to the cree
ton of wooden buildings within the fire limits OF
the city the continued sale oflottery tickets con-
trary to recent statutes the laws relative to usury
aaiih- elective franchise, and concluded by calf
ing the immediate and earnest attention Of the
grand inquest the practises in Wall stree, in the
business Of stock joboing. He commenced by an
allusioR TO the calendar Of the court which would
be found the name Of one, who from the evils Of
the present system had been induced to commit
crime that would in all probability send him to the
State Prison tor series Of years, and theref.re
conceived It his duty to recommend them to make
application to the present Legislature for an enact
ment calculated to improve the present method Of
making sales Of stock at the Board Of Brokers. II
was the system, he contended, that was fraught
with so much evil, Of which we had TO complain,
and not Of the men who took advantage OF the sys-
TEN He then alluded to the Board OF BroL ers, as
a selfconstituted association, whose whole pro-
ccedngs were conducted in secret, save to those
who may have passed the ordeal Of admission and
i
all IFS transactions were kept within the breasts Of
those concerned, save that portion which they felt
disposed to prcsentto the public. That the very
records were not even mide public, nor could any
citizen, however much interest he might have in
any public stock, claim a right to see or examine
whether the sales published to the world bona
fde, were transactions in which the parties had
acted in good faith or not. He then illustrated the
practice under which many Of these sales were
made. For instance-a broker agrees TO buy Ger
tain stock At fixed time, and in order TO make all
that is possible from the transaction, he offers,
through another person, certain amount OF this
stock at a reduced price the succeeding day, at
the Board, and by the aid Of third, who makes
the purchase, an impression is created that the
stock has fallen in its value, and thus individuals
holding said stock are induced to sell at what 10
then termed the market price, according 70 the
ports Of the Board. Thus, by fictitious salt, many
honest man, ignorant of these holding
stock in trust for widows, orphans and trust estates
has been Undue TO dispose Of at loss either anti
cipating further depression in the market or from
other causes He stated that these transactions
had become so public, SO well known to our courts
Of Justice, that he had been recently Informed that
the Judges of the Superior Court OF this city had
positively refused to receive the rates Of sales as
entered Id the Board Of Brokers, evidence ofthe
true value Of public stocks, unless confirmed alum
de He considered the whole system as now prac.
tised perfect conspiracy 10 affect trade and CON-
merce, and such il should b. controlled by some
legi LAT We enactment. He contrasted the severity
OF the laws relative to the sale Of lottery tickets
with the practices at the Board OF con
tended that the gambling in lotteries, which a
penitentiary offence, was less crime in q moral
sense than the present mode of gambling in stocks
That the man who bought lottery ticket could
bear the loss If chcated but hose no gambled
in stocks too often brought rain upon Themselves
well - their friends and families. He said
that these conspiracies among individuals 10
raise and depress the price OF tsocks was clearly
misde meanor; but the grand jury should 80
present the to the legislature as to induce them
TO enact laws to change the practice In opera
ton daily in Wall street. He then recommends d a
remedy, requiring the names OF the seller well a.
the purchaser to be entered on the books If the
Clerk Of the Board in ell and that these books
should be subject to inspection by the community;
and also that state duty Of per should be
The latter system he commended would prevent the
continued fluctuations in the market, and also the
fictitious sales, as the expenses attendant thereon
would be calculated to reduce these practices. He
concluded by urging the immediate attention Of the
Grand Jury to this subject, trusting they would
prepare a presentment that would induce action
by that body at their present session.
The District Attorney appeared in Court, and
the first case called was the following
Fight be'rcen t,co Pomen.-Mary Mullen sp.
peared in CoHrt, and undertook to prove an assault
and battery on her person by John Marston aud |
Ann Dempsey, in the month Of March last Ann
and Mary were fellow servants IN the employ ~
Ms. Marstoa, and getting into fight he underook
TO seperate them, and she undertook IN 'ne cru 70
convict them both. The jury returned veIa'c'
of not guilty, aud John Marston was diScnarged'
Fight in a Ball Room. MIR. John Miller went
tn a dance At house in Eighteenth street, near
the Sixth Avenue, on the 18th OF Deeenher last,
and there met Robert Barnett who was on the 6ocr
with Young woman aboat to dance rev vas
kicked up BY somebody, ana . nass followed,
from bsisg cal up BY wn. Lambert, whs raised a