Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-11-17
Court OF Sessions.


commenced on Monday, the 18th inst, Hon, E.
J. Curtis, presiding Wm. Moloney and H. O.
Adams Associates. The Grand Jury were duly
impanneled, after which they were charged by
his Honor, Judge Curtis, MS follows
GErrnNEN or THE GRAND jury You are
impauneled for this term of the Court of Sess-
ions, for the purpose of investigating and inqui-
ring into such criminal charges, arising in the
county of Trinity, as shall be properly presented
for your consideration.
You are called upon, gentlemen, to discharge
an important duty-one which in many instances
is neither pleasant nor agreeable, but which as
citizens of this commonwealth, enjoying the
blessings of good government, you are bound to
discharge regardless of fear, favor, affection or
reward.
am pleased to observe, and gratlcd to ac-
knowledge the high order of Intelligence, as well
as the known integrity of each individual mem
Der of which your body is composed, and when
it is equally well known from your character and
standing as men, that your own interests are
identified with those of the community, there can
be but little ground for the apprehension that
crime will go unnoticed and unpunished.
You have been regularly and legally summon
ed from the great body of the people of the
county to attend here as grand jurors, and in
obeying that summons you have performed an
act which is in itself proof of your attachment
to the government, as well your respect for
the laws of the State in which you live. The
oaths you have taken impose high trusts and re-
sponsibilty, as we'll as binding obligations 1t
is expected therefore that you will discharge
your duty with rigid drmness, and strictly in
accordance with your oahs.
The best interests of the public are committed
to your charge, and the rights, liberty and life of
the accused are also in your hands, and it is your
duty to guard them with the most scrupulous
care, remembering that the defendant in your er
parte Investigations has no other shield against
injustice and persecution than the conscious rec
tiudc which governs your inquiries, and the
impartial Judgment which should characterize
your action. If you discharge your duty Us
grand jurors faithfully and firmly, you are enti-
tied, as you will be certain to receive, the appro-
baton of all good and law abiding citizens
IL Is ODllBuloly upoH cNClJ HNlHpSi VI 'hV
grand jury If he knows or has cause to believe
that a public ollcnse has been committed which
is trable within the county, to communicate and
declare the same to his fellow jurors, eeIo ShaH,
thereupon investigate the same. If there be any
member of the grand jury who has formed or
expressed his opinion as to the guilt or innocence
of any person charged with Ollensc, il is the
duty of such juror after he shall have given in
his evidence under oath as II witness, to retire
from the room, while such charge Is being nves
tigated and to take no part whatever in the con
sidcralion OF the charge, or the deliberations OF
the grand jury thereon The absence of any
Juror, who may retire from your deliberations
for this cause, and the particular case under con
sideration when such juror retired, should be
noted in the minutes Of your proceedings.
would call your attention to very important
matter which has been heretofore very generally
overlooked or very wrongfuIly neglected, name
ly the publicity of your proceedings. All mat
ters which elicit your investigation, and the
proceedings had thereon, should be kept strictly
secret A disregard of this solemn injunction
only tends to defeat The ends OF justice and cx-
pose to ridicule the whole grand jury system.
The District Attorney is your legal adviser,
and should be allowed at all times to appear
before you on his request, for The purpose of
giving information or advise relative TO any
for you whenever you may deem 1t necessary.
Except the District Attorney and the witnesses
whom yon may have under examination, no per-
son should be permitted to be present. Dnrlng
the expression Of your opinions, or the giving
your votes upon any matter before you, no per
son should be present.
It is the province Of the grand jury to inquire
into tie case Of every person confined In the
county Jail, on a criminal charge and not lndlct-
ed into the condition and management OF the
prison, and into the conduct oil all county onclais
who may be charged with misconduct IN oillce,
and for this purpose you are entitled at all tmeS
to the privilege of examining the pubic records
OF the County free OF charge.
In your Investigations you should receive none
but legal evidence. You should not act, in any
case without you have such evidence before you as
is derived from the witnesses themselves, or rom
depositio properly taken and certified. You
should not be actuated or Influenced In your con
duct AZ Jurors by rumors or popular clamor, but
be governed in all your inquiries by spirit OF
candor and mpariiality. The whole object of
your labors should be directed towards bringing
TO light the guilty and offending, and vindicating
Justice and the majesty OF the law.
You will bear in mind that presentiment
cannot be formed without the concurrence of at
least twelve OF your number. When 1t is thus
formed, il must be signed by your foreman.
The power and jurisdiction Of this Court ex-
tends only to the inquiry, by the Intervention OF
a grand jury, to all public ollenscs committed or
trabe within the county to try aud determine
all indictments found therein, for all public oilen-
ses, except those otherwise provided for by stat
ute. II is your duty to scrutinlze with care ana
deliberaton the condition OF things around you,
and to sec if there are not crimes and vices prac-
ticed in the midst of the community where you
live-vices which offer the most dangerous exam
pies to the young and inexperienced of our pop
ulation, and which are also dangerous to the
peace and moral advancement OF society.
| will call to your minds one fact, gentlemen
of the grand jury, which Will no doubt DC az
agreeable to you to learn, as it is gratifying TO
me TO mention | mean the gradual decrease OF
crime aud the rapid and healthy growth and
progress which is being made by all classes OF
society. Let me enioin upon you TO contribute
your might by full and fearless discharge OF
your whole duty, to aid in carrying on THIS noble
reform.