Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-10-31

The Constitutional Convention.

dI FbPPER ol Ohlo Pfeseh'eV Peupon oin tue eili-
zens of Ohio county favor Of abolishng grand ures
laid on the table.
Mr. BORDEN, on leave, offered resolution that after
Monday next this Convention will not hold an afternoon
sessions until otherwise ordered. He offered the resolu
tion he said order that the committees might be able
to make their reports. Mr. SMITH of Rip
lev preferred an afternoon session. He believed the
would be better prepared for business in the
morning He thought there would be economy of
time in meeting but once day. for short period The
Constitution referred the different commit
tees and they should have opportunity make their
reports BY an afternoon session opportunity would
be afforded if need be, encroach upon the night
should gentlemen desire to have lengthy discussions BY
this arrangement, the whole morning would be devoted
to the committeeman. Mr.. CoLFAx thought the larger
proportion of the business of the Convention should be
transacted in this Hall. He said, that, with few
ceptons there should be two sessions Mr.. PETIT ia
vored morning sessions. BY this the reports OF
the Senographer of the previous day. could be laid up
on the desks of members through the newspapers that
have been ordered Mr. DoBsoN opposed the resolution
He thought there should be two sessonstfat the Con-
venton should sit all day. If the committees wished to
they should the committees of the Indiana
Legislature in times past have met, at night. Mr. KEEL
which motion did not prevail. Mr.. OWEN favored the
resolution He thought that much time would be saved
by devoting half Of the time in the commtteerooms
and the other half here this Hail. He conended that
the labors of the committees greater and required
more time than the committees of the Indiana Leeisa-
ture He thought that little would be done in night ses-
sions of committees and the result would be- that few
reports would be made for two three weeks and then
! III Mr. H.rr
thought that but little would be done, until action was
had by the committees. The resolution adopted.
Mr.. HAWKINS presented petition, from the Indiana
Conference, in favor of clause in the Constitution pro-
hbiting licenses vend Intoxicating liquors. which
referred the committee the Legislative depart
ment. BY Mr.. Hamilton petition Of sundry citizens
of Fort Wayne in favor of giving concurrent jurisdic
ton in minor offences city corporation officers
and that such offences shall be subject Indictment
referred.
The hour having elapsed, the Convention resumed the
special order-being the resolution for aboshing the
grand jury system and substituting public examinations
Mr. LocKHART having the floor, opposed the resolution
He for reforming the abuses of the system but
opposed to aboshing it. He had long thought, that
many of the trivial offences subject to Indictment,
should be tried before justices of the peace subject
an appeal to the superior courts.
Mr. FOSTER also opposed the resolution He belev-
ed the grand jury system of the chief bulwarks
of liberties and should not be compared to the In
QUESTION of Spain or Portugal where individuals were
arrested and compelled inform upon themselves had
been ncarcerated in PRISONS and, in instances,
never again heard of grand jury State COM
posed of fifteen eighteen persons, of the honest
yeomanry of the country and who generally free
from prejudice be- and with such men he
believed the rights and privileges of the citizens were
safe.
4 Mr.. TAYLOR supported the resolution. He gave a
graphic of the evils Of the grand jury system
It's wreck of character in the indictment of innocent
persons, and the evils following train
and the utter mpossbly of wipng the stains thus
placed upon its victims By trial in open court. he
commended these evils would not follow an acqutta The
man, although arraigned on proving his innocence,
would have his character fully restored. Particularly
did he dislike the feature in the grand jury system, which
made distinctions in SEX and subjected the la
dies of the country whose presence tho galleries
this Conventions gave much grace and dignity to its
deliberations liable have their fair fame destroy
ed these tribunals by the evidence of false
On motion of Mr.. HovEY, the Convention took
a recess until two o'clock
In the afternoon the Convention resumed the consid
Grafton of the pending question: for abolishing grand
juries. Mr. HovEY sad he opposed to this innoya-
ton of our judicial system After predatory remarks
he said that it easier to tear down edce than
erect another There objections to every thing
human The petit jury the pride and boast of free gov
ernments, had its objections 1t had defrauded men of
their property it hal ruined regulations had
its innocent victims to the scalod All these things
had occurred, yet still the trial by jury the pride
and boast of free institutions and he would abol
ish it. There abuses in the Halls of legisla-
ton few years ago, in that Hall, and in the
the other end Of the Capitol law enacted that has
entaiIed upon this young and noursing State debt
that years will not eradicate Yet Notwithstanding this,
Legislation is still necessary, and no has been bold
enough wish abolish Legislatures He then
tered, length into argument prove not only the
necessity of grand uries; bat that their charac-
ter should be retained the great of protectn
the innocent and bringing offenders justice. lie
tended that England, the grand jury rarely
pandered the crown; bat was, the contrary, bull
wark Of liberty In his portion of the State it
new question. IL true, that articles had appeared
in indianapolis paper in favor of aboshing grand ju
and in the paper article had been copied for
abolishing one of the Houses of the Legislature. His
constituents in favor of such innovations They
had rather
/ "Bear The ills we have,
| Than fly II hers that we know not Of"
Mr.. HOLMAN had offered an amendment TIE resola-
ton, and it therefore necessary that he should make
some remarks He sad that the grand jury system was
one of the well established principles of the law,
and should be abolished for light causes. Had it