Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-22
DEFERRED ARTICLES.

among us know well that. out OF South Caro-
lima, trial by jury in criminal cases in this
country has become little else save the loop
hole through which, in too many cases, the
guilty may escape. We point proudly to the
action Of juries in our own midst, of late, as an
exception to this general rule tor which, by
the by, may We not, after all, thank the reck-
lessness and violence Of offenders against the
law, who had come to carry matters here with
30 high hand as that no juryman felt safe to
walk our streets o. nights? The violence of
the disease has worked its own remedy in our
midst. Nevertheless, We recognize the neces-
sity Of a general reform in the manner in
which American juries discharge their func-
tions. Recognizing that necessity, we commend
to the reader the following reflections and sug-
gestions of the New York Commercial AdUer-
Hssr:
THEJURI SVsTRa-Lord Chief Justice Camp
bell, as our readers are aware, has given notice
that he will introduce into the British Parlia-
ment al Its next session bill dispensing with
the necessity for a unanimous verdict Of a luTy
and making the verdict of a majority OF the iury
legal conviction or acquittal. The proposed
change viii, doubtless, be strongly opposed in
England, and perhaps for the present the move
ment will be unsuccessful. The English people
are not only "not given to change" but are pro-
cling to time honored institutions with wonder.
ful, ana sometimes amusing pertinacity And
even Lord Campbell, with his Acknowledges
learning, purity and experience as judge, will
nnd his courage and perseverance taxed severely
In the prosecution Of his avOwed purpose That
the tories, the ultra conservatives of the country
Will oppose such an innovation, may oe very nat
urauy expected but il seems by no means i'm
probable that the Radicals, also-the party who
claim TO be especially Teformers-will make a
very strenuous opposition to the proposed change.
ne afIh ia AAzf ~ Nzk
also on this side of the Atlantic, for disagree
ments by juries are Of much greater frequency
here than in England 1t is not trial by jury,
however, that Chief Justice Campbell on that
side OF the Atlantic rejecting men on thi,
seek or will seek to abolish. Nor would reflect
ing men consent that mans liberty or life shall
he perilled or placed at the mercy Of a bare ma
jority OF jury. The aim is to secure to the per-
son on trial and to the prosecution ali the advan-
tages Of a trial by jury. without imposing upon
the jury themselves those onerous burdens to
which at present they are subjected In England,
the law allows the judge to hold jury in duress
until they agree upon verdict and authorizes
MIN 70 resort TO some severe and almost barbarous
expedients to enforce such agreement This
practice does not prevail here to tine same extent
though Juries have been seriously burdened by
the requirements OF the bench in such cases. But
here the administration OF justice is seriously
embarrassed by the very evil which Lord Camp
bells bill is designed to remedy.
IL IS notorious that one or two impracticable
men upon jury can defeat almost inde ehntely
the ends OF Justice, and IL Is not without some
reason that the opinion prevails that one or two
such men are sometimes smuggled into the jury
box for the special purpose Of defeating justice
Nothing has done more to unsettIe the popular
confidence in the jury system than this abuse of
IL. lt Is notorious that cases have resulted, not
once only but OfteDer, In a disagreement Of the
jury, on the merits of which there really could
De no difference Of opinion, and In which the
evidence was positively irresistible. There are
other cases, doubtless, where the evidence Is so
conflicting that intelligent and reasonable men
may well hesitate at prOnOuncing a verdict, and
there may he seven on one side and five on the
other. With such Cases as the latter, there would
he no wisdom in interfering These are toaa
tds differences OF opinion which should be re-
spected, and with which the law or the Court
should not interfere.
But for the former cases some remedy is un-
doubtedly required. From the very origin of
fhe trial by jury IL was never contemplated that
the obSiihAcy or the interests of one or two men
should stand in the way of the rend ition of yer-
dict, whether Of conviction or acQuitIaI. IL is
now Proposed In England that the verdict Of ten
cor eleven) men, out OF the twelve composing
TIE jury, shall stand as the verdict Of the whole
We incline TO think that the IefOrm Is good
one- and that II Is needed with Us quite a much
as II Is in England. Justice would be better ad-
ministered under such d reg ulation. The small
class Of men VINO hover around our Courts ready
10 take engagements as dissenting jurors, would
mad the Proht OF their occupation gone, II not
their occupation itself. /; would also afford
relief to honest bona tis jurors, whose convc-
Hence and time are certainly worth cOnsidera-
zion Men Of business are often detained for
or obstinacy Of one juror This is no little hard
chip, and one that should not be inflicted upon
citizens who thus give their time to liti gants in
whose dispGtatiOns they have concern, and
for the origin OF which they are not res ponsible
They subject at least deserves attention.
LIST OF PArESrs.-The following is the list
Of Patents issued from the United States Patent
Once for the week ending October l9, 1855
each bearing that date:
Luther Atwood, of Brooklyn, " Y-For i'm
provement in extraction Of volatile oils, c., from
coal
f g Atwood, Of Derby, Ct.-For improve
ment In skeleton skirts.
A. q. Babcock, OF Galesburgh, Iu-Por i'm
pr0vement in seeding machines.
Nelson Barlow, Of New York, n. Y.-FOr i'm
provement in coffee pots
John X Barney, of Warren, X. I.-FOr i'm
proved gauge for contents OF casks, &c.
James II. BeaTd>ley, of New York, " Y.-For
improvement in composition for paints.
w. T. BOggs, Of Cincinnati, o For improved
mode Of opening and closing farm gates
Ols Breden, OF ~. Louis, Mo.-FoT improve
mrut In manufacture OF wrought nails.
Benz. Bunce, of New York, n Y-FOr i'm
proyeInsnt ia cutoff valves for steam engines
Erast0s i. BasseIl and Jos Smith, Of Cincin-
natl, o-For improved liquid gauge.
Augustus O. Garry, Of Ipswich, Mass For i'm
proved carpet sweeper
Elias ClamPitt, Of Baltimore, Md-For i'm
proved lubricator.
Josephus Chandler Of Attica, Ohio For i'm
Benz Chesnut, OF Philadelphia, Pa-For i'm
proved post for clothes lines.
JnO. -. Clark, of philadelphia, Pa For I'M
proved arrangement of means for making tight
joints around the Eaucets Of water er-cOoieTs
Joseph r. Clark, Of Portland, Me.-FOr i'm
pT0Vemsat In hammers.
e. X Cuckler, Columbus, Ohio.-For I'm
pTovement In horse collars.
+. J. Davis, OF Scroepell, N. Y, and J. b
Warner, Of Volney, ~ Gy-For Improvement in
machines for Lifting heavy weig hts
Rufus Dawes, Of Washington, ID. C.-FOr i'm
pTOvement in hammer heads
Jno. Dickson, OF New Castle, Pa.-For i'm
PTovement in pIoughs.
John Eaton, OF Beileville, Canada -For im-
proved marine propeller.
II Ehrhart, Of Muscatine, Iowa For i'm
proved paddle wheel
RossweIl IA Fisher, OF Claremont N H-For
Improvement la haTvesters
Perry Ii Gardiner, Of New York, Y-For
Improvement In furnaces for tempeTing steel
EbrneZer Gordon, OF New York, n. N.-FoT
Photog graphic shield.
VIM. halderman, Of Freeport, Ill.-For i'm