The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-28

ed Tor years, under certain contingencies
CRIMINAL TRAts-THE Pass AND THE BAR
The trial oi Virgil Knapp, for the murder OF Sarah
Drce-r, commenced on Friday lasf and the same
farce which enacted IN the attempt 10 procure q
jury 70 try The case Of Polly Bodne, has commenc.
ed in this case. Already there have been two or
three panels Of jurors exhausted in the attempt 10
procure twelve men who have not read the papers,
and formed an opinion 10 the guilt or innocence
of the accused party. The probability is that the
sheriff viii be obliged to summon several more pa
nes, before jury, who shall be strictly an impair
titl one, as the law stands, can be obtained =
This will of course be attended with vast expense,
besides the inconvenience il will cause to our citi-
zens in taking them away from their pursuits
As the law IS now administered, a man who has
read the newspapers OF the day, in which murders
are recorded soon as they happen, and has form
ed opinion either way or the other, is incom-
peent TO act juror, although he that his
mind is unprejudiced, and open TO receive further
evidence
Now, in this city, where there are more than l00,-
900 papers printed daily, and read probably by 200-
900 people, it's almost impossible 10 obtain jury who
have not read the murder cases, on which they may
be summoned to serve as Jurors Another evil in car
rylng out this law, is that the most competent, be-
cause the most intelligent men, are incapactated
and excluded, and those cases. upon the termination
Of which depends the life of the accused, are CON-
mitled to the judgment Of the most Ignorant; for
who bu. the most ignorant are rot in the habit dali
ly of reading the papers The law, as il is, certain
y conflicts with the administration of justice, and
the sooner it is amended the better. II nigh, have
done two or three centuries back, but in this day of
cheap publications, it will not answer. II is behind
the age.
Il generally happens, too, in those cases. that the
members OF the bar make 1t point OF going out OF
the record, and make attacks on the press. The
reason Of this is pretty obvious For many years
past, the bar, which was intended to have the law
carried out to act assistants to the bench for the
purpose of indicating its majesty, has devoted lis
energies almost entirely IN attempting 10 clear Of
tenders Of the penalties which they incur by their
crimes, until ii has become settled principle, that
offender, no matter how enormous his crimes
may BE-, can escape their penalty, provided he has
the ce,sary means 10 fee members of the bar
Against this perverslon, the press has spoken loudly
for years past, and hence the antagonism which ex-
lists between the bar and the press. The press the
great conservaor Of the peoples rights, has been
loud IN is denuncallons of this perverson of the
law, and in return, is abused by every puny legal
aspirant in all the courts in the land
How long is this state of things to last viii not
the State Convention apply remedy!
INEFFIcKNcY OF THE POLICE SYsrEM-The police
system of New York s entirely inefficient for the
purpose of preventing crime and not only is it in
efficient but II is actually promoter Of crime-ior
49, Sc ,a,,, -.
controlling head to whom the subordinates ought
10 be accountable.
AS the system now stands, the officers are APP
pointed by the Aldermen and Assessors Of the
several wards, to whom alone they are accountable,
and on whom they are dependent for their berths-
What is the consequence Instead OF being on the
alert 10 detect thieves, burglars and other offenders
you may see every low porter house and rum shop
IN the several wards filed wila these gentry, dis
cnsslng politics, and forming plans and movemen Is
TO promote he success of those Aldermen and 9th,
er officers OF the several wards by whom they re-
celved their appointments and on the electlen OF
whom next April they depend 10 retain their ST.
tuations In the meantime, the vapabonds OF
city have iull scope TO practice their depreda.
tons every day. unobserved, and hourly breaches
OF the peace are occurring, while our quondam
preservers Of the peace and guardians Of the city
are toastlng their shlns at the stoves in the groq
shops, and coming over means to promote the cleo
ton of their candidates and defeat the will Of the
people.
How long are the present abuses and corruptions
In the municipal government TO EXIST Will the
eyes of the people never be opened We trust tina
the next spring election will give a remedy In
deed, we have no doubt of it,
FASHIONABLE BOARDING ScHooLs-From GU
hearts, we pity the present fate and future prospects
of the little creatures consigned to thes. fashionable
converts of vanity and ostentation. Is this educa
ton, this fashionable boarding school system
It's, ihen IN our estimation, it Is bad system
OF bad education II Is system of show and ex
hibition, from beginning to end The beginning il
show-the first thing is snowy house, snowy fur
nlture, snowy carpets, snowy dress-all this show
being made Uoita, respectable establishment
Every future step IS vain idle show-the mouth
the poor children filled with a show OF show,
words they are taught to shipper about oxygen an,
hydrogen, and all the confederation OF selEexls
fences proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio
which naturally produce problematica diaos ISM
then they taught to believe that excellence of al
kinds consists in show; and thus, when the cours
of folly ID run through, they come forth upon tn
world mere shows, manufactured dolls and toys
taught to at all that is solid and sound and
admire all that is glitter and chow.
The system is bad it Is snowy, and attract
the wonder, and gets the support Of snowy people
but 1t 10 the contempt and pity of all persons
sound sense and good understanding
NEWSPAPER CHANcE.-The partnership Of Mo-
ris, Willis Il Fuller, of the Mirror, has been di.
soved-ihe two former gong on, altogether, an
the latter, MIR. Fuller, assuming all the responsible
ity hereafter. We have heard that Mr. Clason, III
son-in-law of the President of the State Bank, wi
have an interest IN the Mirror hereafter Willie
letters viii still continue for a wbile-but what be
cornna 81 (.onrne Mnrr,a ,,r. 81. ~.