Daily national Democrat., 1860-08-29
Daily 9Eatioual Democrat.
Report of the Grand Jury.

IV 4 ftO" CObttV
The Grand Jury, for the August term, beg
leave respectfully to report
That we have examined particularly and care
fully all complaints that have been brought be-
fore us, and that our Investigations have devel-
Oped an unusually long record of crime. Besides
ignoring number of cases which lacked evidence
10 sustain them, or which did not properly come
within our jurisdiction. We have found twenty
eight indictments follows, TO wit: Five for
assault and battery of different grades four for
grand larceny one for forgery one for man.
slaughter one for bigamv and sixteen for cam-
bling. Ordinarily such a record of oifenses would
carry upon its face its own comment, but on the
present occasion we feel it to be our duty to call
the attention of the Court to the marked and
alarming increase in the department Of gambling
Evidence before us divulged the fact that there
are at this present time not less than dozen
places in this city where the gan. cs of Faro and
Monte are regularly and unblushingy dealt, and
we regret to add that in most of these places no
attempts at secrecy and scarcely any effort to
hide them from the public gaze is made. We are
forced to the humilatng conclusion that n0hin q
but most liberal patronage could sustain all these
games. 1t is unnecessary for us to show the
waste, idleness, Generalization, bad passions and
crime which all past experience has demonstrated
as the usual conc0mitants and almost immediate
results of professional gaming but we deem it
incumbent on us to publish the fact that there are
many places in our midst from which all this
train ofevils spring. We believe it susceptible of
proof that majority of all the felonies which
garnish our criminal annals can be traced direct
y or indirectly to this source, and it is in view of
this fact that We desire to bring prominently be-
fore the Court and the community the existence
among ourselves ofso many sources of corruption
Notwithstanding the alarming increase manifest
we still, in our inquiries into this line of oflenses
have met lmpedments at almost every step, from
the evident reluctance of witnesses to impart in
formation. We have found it most emphatically
'the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties" ="
The bills rendered to the Court will demonstrate.
however, that we have shown no intentional neg.
lcct. We may add that one great cause, in the
opinion of the Jnry, of the increase of gaming is
the inherent defect in the present law The law
is misnomer instead of beng an Act "to sun
press gaming" it is really an act to license it.
and such we believe to have been the intention of
ITS trainers. The penalty being limited to an in
definite line Certainly unequal to vttain the object
proposed) the Court is so fettered as to be unable
To probe the evil to the bottom We do not hope
much less expect that under the present statute
gaming can be entirely suppressed, but we con
hdently believe that the Courtcan the exercise
Of sound discretion, confine 1T within much mar
rover limits and render it less potent for evil
In the absence of all complaint we have deemed
at unnecessary to examine into the affoirs of the
different County officers. We have however Wis
tied the various public buildings belonging to the
county, and have only to remark upon the eondi-
ton OF the Hospital if that receptacle of disease
th and cefnlih is entitled to the dignity of so re-
spectacle name. We certainly can find no def.
milton OF the term in any standard dictionary
which will cover all the characteristics which at
tach to that institution 1t possesses neither suit.
able, or decent blankets, bedding or bedsteads,
while vermin run riot over the premises The
most cupabie neglect is charged by some of the
suffering patients the Resident Physician.
They complain OF an absence of several days at
time, and their condition would seem to indicate
that their complaint was well founded We have no
N faul H. q ., g.
furnished, but would suggest that to any white
man, with human feelings, who might be unfor-
tunate enough to be obliged to avail himself of the
county charities, Chinaman with a oathsome
disease would not be a suitable attendant
Our committee who visited the Hospital and
from whom we derive these facts state in their re.
port that the institution, with all ITS appointments
excited Ill them nothing but loathing and dis
gust. They recommended, as a temporary relief,
at least, that all the bedding and bedseads con-
nected with the establishment, should at once be
removed and burned and the wards thoroughly
repaired and whitewashed, as the only eifectual
means OF eradicatng the vermin which fill the
crevices in the walls, overrun the beds and even,
in some instances, invade the diseased limbs of
the patients beneath the bandages which cover
them This course might seem wasteful and ex-
traoTdinary, but we know of no other effectual
means Of relieving the difficulty. Cur Hospital
should be our pride. We believe we pay beyond
any other community for the support of our indi.
bcut sIck Asl Is now conducted, 1t Is, IN its
practical working, our shame. We believe the
whole system to be wrong. 1t has been subject
of complaint with number of Grand Jures and
we believe the most earnest representations which
are now among the records of this Court have
been made by them in regard to the disgraceiul
condition of affairs under the present system and
we beg leave to add that we do not hope for much
amelloratlon while the system shall last. Our suf-
icrlng poor should not be farmed out like so many
cattle for mercenary contractors to fatten on their
mlserics Place the Hospital under the direct
charge OF the Board of Supervisors and let them
employ competent person at salary to provide,
mt the expense OF the county, for the necessary
wants OF those who demand and have claim up.
on our charities, and we confidently believe that
much suffering could and would be alleviated and
much expense saved to the county We under
stand that this plan obtains in our neighboring
county ofSacramento and works WELL We ear
nestly recommend that the Board of Supervisors
petition the incoming Legislature to amend the
law in such manner as will accomplish the
change we have indicated. Our committee re-
commend some triAing alterations in the build
ing, for which we beg leave to refer the Court to
their report.
No other matters have come under our consid-
Grafton deserving of especial comment.
For the oblging attention of present wor-
thy Sheriff we desire to return our thanks. We
also acknowledge ourselves under many obliga
tons to our efficient District Attorney, for his
constant and valuable assistance in facilitating
our abors. Allof which is respectfully submit
ted.
WIN. IlAWLEY, Foreman.
~. llemsreet, J. IL. Wright,
j. b. Emme ], Horace Beach,
H. Thehaud w S.ih,,