The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-27
ANsuaa IMPORTANT PaEs1maer


wv sUHss 49, ~ wv SvsWSeWss
H RaxD yuRY AaAu n eogBr.
Cart q General Gsssaoas.
Dslsrs yuAgs HssSs ana Aidsrmsa rsnAna ~ CornsL
Iunn0uLARIrrxs IN DRAWING AND suNA0NxMo
yUHOns-RuxARxS ON ru1 LIxx1Tr or Tx1
Pnnss-fH1 roLIcE-Disrosrrf0N OF AiN0h
0YY1N0ne-sNsUYrfcInNr DWELLINGS ZOE THE
POOR, KTc.
MAsu 1s-Ths Grand Jury came into court and maAs
~ believing special prssensneus;-
Ths Grand Jury In closing thsr duties for the March
term Of General Sessions begs respect
fully present to the Court part Of their Abors. the
following Pressntment-
Ths attention Of the Grand Jury having been called to
various statements seriously affecting the Official in.
tsgty Of those pubic empowered BY a~ to draw
the panels Of and Petit Jures and particularly to
charges boldly and distinctly made of corruption
and connyance in the drawing OF the panel from
which the present Srsna jury was se,eeted, have
without proper notice II was thought that the ordinary
duties OF grand inquest Of slight moment
pared TO the enormit Of these such existed
Public wrongs Of the character alleged, strike deeper
and eifectual blow at the welfare of the commu
nifty, than any other abuses known to laws 0fal
acfs Of cdclal villany, the present low state
Of o66cial morals, none would be far-rcnching
with these vews the Grand Jury determined at the
lest possible period consistent with their duties 70 others
to the truth Of these statements thus Pub
holy made and indusriously circulated II the slightest
ground existed for there were true that
public oicers from cause or for any purpose could
fhus corrupt the very fountains or justice Ii evident
that Nv and leg remedies be replaced By
sAy and disorder. With corrupt judiciary, plant jury
mocery and and jurors the servs instruments Of
frasd ana oppression. The Jury relieved from any
pursued By the District Attorney. By unanimous
vote q the jury the District Attorney was 70
psr and to conduct in person the entire
raune'led in any manner For this purpose the District
Attors attended and personally every Witness
(comprehending the Sheriff County Clerk Commissioner OF
Jurors deputies clerks in their Offices and others with
the results hereinafter forth and to which has
given his full and entire sanction n,mely:-That the
Of each and every member of the present panel
were regularly entered on the ist Of grand jurors for the
current year, meeting OF the Board Of Supervisors
in the month Of July 1857 that the of hrtysix
Jurors, to constitute grand jury for the March term OF
the GenesAl Sessions, regularly drawn from the
wheel containing the OF grand jurors for the city
and county in the usual manner by Richard Connolly
and Cornell the 2lst February 1885, at 10 clock
that said drawing was conducted by Mr. Connolly in
on the part Of any other person. With such drawing;
that Aldermen Tweed and Cornell present by
quest from them or either Of them or any person en-
their behalf but being invited in accordance with
Tho law. BY the County Clerk of his yolton; that
design intention, act acts existed
mted by tire County Clerk such drawing inconsistent
at variance with strict and honest desire faithfully
in the serving of the summonses for said jurors
the conducted in the usual manner, aud
although great oossness has existed the part
of the subordinates employed fer the serving of
jury notices, Is hereinafter set forth, there
in regard to the present Grand Jury and finally that
each every charge from any source implying or
putsg any fraud misconduct the Of any Of the
omcers connected with the drawing summoning and
turn of said panel is utterly false 1t will thus he
how far the statements Of portion of the Of the
is9 Of the panel from which the Grand jury for this
torn selected, is consistent with truth: and
should at any tme be attached their fulminat,ons
when charges Of 70 character reckessy made
without the siiehtest foundation. Among the many
evils existing IN our midst none requires popular
dennaton more than the freedom with which portion
q the newspaper pres. of this city oversteps proper
limit and strles right and left at any and r.ons or
objects that happen to fall under its condemnation It
is no answer to say the public good requires unre-
the public good the pretext for the darkest
Grimes Under that plea have been committed the black
perseeutisns Let US avoid the evil aud in our reve
for the liberty of the press do not tolerate
bdsd license often a. destructive the evit pretends
having thus disposed of those matters personal to
themselves IS well ~ affecting public rights and in.
tefests the attention of the Grand Jury directed
thorough and searching investigation into the character
Of the grand and petit jury system Of this city and the
say that radical defects exist in system and that
great abuses and pervade its admins
trston Tho defects in the system itself relate the
manner q selecting both grand aad petit jurors
The selection of grand jurors for this city present
vested In tho Board OF consisting Of the Mayor
Recorder and Aldermen of this city The number of nine
hundred being the maximum allowed by law, is appor
TONED among the several wards and the selection from
each ward virtually confined 10 the Alderman thereof
This power the Grand Jury think should vested
any man. dangerous ia itself, and at all events
liable to abuse ought longer tn exist They
mend therefore, change of the existing law vesHg the
power of selecting Grand Jurors for this city boasd
to consist the Judges the Supreme Court Superior
Court and Court Common Pleas; said ist TO be an
nually selected the first Monday in July from the
Petit Jury list for the year.
In yard Tn npfir rit nf
lecng such list by the act OF lS47 is vested in the Com
missioner of Jurors for this city.
II has been supposed by the present commissioner,
that under this law he is clothed with the exclusive
and unlimited discretion of excluding from the list for
any individuals justly qualified and legally LA
bio the performance Of jury duty and this power has
been in various instances exercised. The Grand Jury
fully believe, that in the exercise Of this supposed
discretionary power, the present Commissioner has
the public interests Bat they. are advised tina.
the power does not legally exist, and most
tanly should not be placed in the hands Of person
II is sufficient to say it may be abused The law, in
the qualifications required by law fer jurors and
enpt BY express provisions Of the statute the perform
II has provided possible for the equal dstribu
ton Of the burden and in the hands Of the it
placed the power OF examining for good and sufficient
that duty At any particular term There belongs and
there it may safely rest.
Clerk and OF summoning, when thus drawn in the She
rif The presence of the Sheriff under sheriff and
Judge, or OF Judges, AT such
practice this has violated and the clearly illegal
custom has prevailed Of many aldermen signing cert
Gates in blank thus certifying to da wings at which they
not present. and papably violating the law. For
the future the practice IT believed will not be continued
and the Law in that respect properly carried out
issnoss In the returns OF Of the clerks of the
Of the panels, showing who attended who excused
and who exempt, has led also 70 noncompliance with
the law regulating tho duties of the clerk Of the county
reference to such jurors From this emssness Grand
Jury happy exclude the Clerk Of the Oyer and Ter
miner and General Sessions and the Clerk Of the Superior
Court.
In the summoning Of jurors it is clearly the intention
Of the law charging the Sheriff with this duty require
when performed BY deputy that it should be done BY
sworn deputy This has not been the and the almost
nnavoabe result has been carees and remssness
and in many instances mistakes and rites in the
summoning and returning Of persons leading confu
sion and public inconvenience. The attention OF the