Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-03-14

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arrive at the court house, every sultor
may explain his case to every juror who
will listen. Here is field for corrup-
ton of jurors, months before the court
sits. (if corruption be possible.l MIR.
Mop. had hoped he had satisfied the gen
tleman from Richmond city himself, that
corruption is more likely to take place
under his new plan, than under the pre-
sent law and, as to the qualification OF
! jurors, it is just as probable, that men OF
information can be selected on a court
day from the multitude, as by taking the
county in rotation, as proposed by this
bill.
Mr.. Mop. observed, that the gentle
man from Richmond c&y had told the
house, that, by the present. law, the She
riff has more power than he is willing to
trust to any one man upon earth-he can
pack jury to favor a friend, and there
is no redress, (said the gentleman MIR
Mop. would inform the gentleman. and
the house, that entire perfection does not
belong to man on earth, and it is proba-
BILE, that sherilfs have been found corrupt
enough TO perYert justice, BY favor to
one, and hatred to another; but, there is
redress for the aggrieved. and punish
ment for the aggressor when discovered.
If party suspects injustice by a sharifI,,
the court, upon suggestion, would cause
the coroner or some Indifferent person to
summon the jury; or should. the party
injured discover such an act Of injustice,
alter verdict against him, he can obtain
new trial on such grounds /; or, should
the verdict of the jury be against evil
dence, new trial will be granted, as a
matter of right. The sheriff is closely
watched by al! parties concerned, and
particularly by suitors, who may distrust
him. If any should be called, who may
be an enemy to any sutton, the court.
upon Suggestion, will set him aside; and
lift should occur that second jury was
packed, and the verdict again clearly a.
gainst evidence, the court will again set
aside the verdict of a jury, who may have
acted corruptly, or decided against evil
dence; but, should the third jury confirm
the verdict of the two first, then it would
be high time to suspect the party COM
planning to be wrong, and the jury to be
right, and such verdict must and
should stand confirmed. Here is host
of safeguards against corrupt sheriff.
Mr. Mop. adverted to the intimation
made by the gentleman from the city of
Richmond, who had stated that, under
the present system. intoxicated men
were often found on juries. MIR Mop.
replied, that this may sometimes harpen;
but every man of reflection must see at
a single glance, that this is not the fault
of the present law, but the fault of the
court, and the parties concerned. II
the conrt will not prevent a man intoxi-
Gated from sitting on jury, under the
present law, we can hardly hope the
court will act differently under this new
bill, should it pass into law. Such an
argument as intoxication will apply with
more force under the proposed, than the
present law. because you have forty men
Out Of which you must select the jury /;
and if courts tolerate intoxicated men to
sit on the present juries. by the same rule
they could not object to an intoxicated
juror under the proposed law. and 50 far
as argument or common sense can con-
! troll, it would seem quite as likely that
jurors, who remain during the whole
court, would be more disposed to keep
their spirits up, than jurors under the
present system, who remain a shorter
PERIOD; and more particularly, if jurors,
under this new plan, should each receive
dollar per day, which would enable
them to purchase the stimulating comnlo.
dity. Thus it will be readily perceived,
that this new plan, should it ever be car.
ried into practice, will be liable to all, il
not more objections, than has been urged
against the present jury system, AS to
the $500 qualification proposed by this
| new bill, have no answer to make. but
leave the public to decide, whether a
man is better qualified to decide case
who is worth $500 in property, Or mau
whO.ls worth less than $500.
! Mr.. Mop. said, he felt it his duty tc
offer the few remarks he had made, fo,
the consideration of the house, as no 9th
er gentleman seemed willing, at this
time. to rise in opposition to this BILL
He fully appreciated the abilities of the
} gentleman who advocated the bill, as
) well as the one who had offered the a
mendment. but differed most widely az
to the practical advantages which tht
. patron of the bill anticipated from it:
passage. MIR. Mop. feared injury insteat
of benefit from such alterations as thi,
bill proposes-its passage might leopard
ise If not oyprthrow a nnhIa ,vori, al; u
had given satisfaction, since the founda
ton of this government He contended
be had shown more imperfections in thi.
rev scheme, than had been pointed GU
against the old plan. BY those who arr
hostile to the present jury system of tn,
country. He reminded the house of til,
danger oil experimenting, by sudden ane
serious changes IN this al-lmportant tri
al by Jury-,t should be guarded as tn,
"A a rtipu IF tho hoact a