New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-06

Literal enforcement. would do injustice even t'
",he fecblest and poorest class This means
general license to do whatever one plesses, So taat
he does no. make too much nosr as VIII o. seen
in the next paragraph, in which Mr. T. comes OUT
strongly in defense Of Sunday newspaper selling
ANY attempt "a prevent such sale, he looks upon "a
futile and inrXpedient. and Niol,tion III tha' De-
nign Interpretation of the lsw which permits oil
that conduces 10 the comfort health and we'll
being Of society 10 BE- yendrd Does this hoerai
spirit embrace the thousands Of dirty unlicensed
grogceries which do more business on Sunday than
on any other two days IN the week. Nr. Is. next
returns to the police to remind It's members that
thev might do more service in directing the ac-
tiyity now shown in catching newsboys to the pur-
suit Of auieter but more dangerous offenders.
The concluding portion of Mr.. Barnard's Grafton
is aimed nj certain undiscovered fellows. who print
libels upon conspicuous persons; and, from the
tenor of his remaks. we should Imagine thst any
unfortunate Branch who should fall into the Re
corder's hands for sentence. would get lesson
that would last lifetime. He closes BY directing
the Grand Jury TO receive no business unless pre-
sented to them by the District Attorney, an admoni
tion which may well lead the people to ask. What
the use Of Grand Jury, il they must not originate
complants' Why not dispense with such machinery
altogether. put magistrate in the District-Attor-
ney's Office and give that Office unlimited control
over all prosecutions whatever There v"s time
when Grand Jury was body of great consc-
quence. each man feeling that he had for the time
being the welfare Of the people in his hsnds, and
each one striving to correct abuses and punish
guilt wherever found. But now, adolescent judges
tell their seniors that indictments must not BE-
found against murderers. burglars, prize-fghters
and gamblers, unless the Attorney of the Court
shall signify bis pleasure to have it so. II is time
this nonsense Was disregarded, and Grand Jures
asserted their right to command the Attorney, If
necessary, to assist them in procuring present
ments.
Mr.. Barnard's charge is fair specimen Of the
stuff which has Of late years taken the place OF
common sense on the bench. The attack upon the
Police is the stereOtyped balderdash OF the polit
can rather than the solid CONVICTIONS of the Judge
and embraces all the exaggerstion and unfair de-
duction which is apt to BE- characteristic OF an
electioneerng speech. The reference to the Sun
dsy laws is in the tone of one who floats with the
popular current of great city, and sympathizes
more with its fast horses, fast men, fast women
and fast characters generally than with the less
obtrusive home circle church and fireside How
ever loose the Recorders private opinions may be
upon this subject he does grievOus injury in say
ing from the bench of Court of Justice, as in
effect be- does say, 81 don't think much of Sunday
"Iaws. They are well enough as abstract NOR
"ality, but altogether too slow for the age 1t is
not by charges like this that the honor and dignity
of the judicial character is to be supported, or the
dlcta of the bench to be respected in community
prone to take every possible license.