The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1861-03-23

you find that any person high o. low,
rich or poor, has broken the law, known
as the criminal code, Il Is your duty 20
present snch person for trial, and IL found
guilty he win be punished as the law pre-
scrihes .
This Is the responsible duty Which you
are now called TO perform, or the high
soleInuities Of which an oath Is adminis-
tered requiring you 10 Inquire diligently
into all offences that may come to your
knowledge,
Gentlemen, I do not know how ! would
better define your duties than by referring
you to the oath which yen have taken,
and calling It more particularly to your
minds. You have sworn that you viii
diligently inquire, gentlemen, this is a
significant term that you will diligently
inquire not specifically, not casually,
not carelessly, but with perseverance,, with
diligence ana with an earnest desire to
aseeftiln whether crime has been com
tmitted hi this district; for the purpose Of
accusing the persons who may have been
found violating the law, You have sworn
| that you will true presentments make no
| false presehtmelfts, but true, aud accord
ling 10 the evidence that may Represented
before vow.
This presentinent Is made by an accu-
sattoa drawn up in legal form lily the at
tprpey for the territory, who Is your le
| gal adviser. You hive sworn that you
will make true ,pTcseutment Of all such
matters as shall be given you IN charge.
i do not know, gentlemen, that 1 can
| call your attention 10 any particular crirne
( that has been committed unless ii be one
or two; only having been here some sir
months, | am not fully acquainted with
| tho crincs that have been committed since
holding the last court. / am free
To say that, considering the population,
| the country has been very free from crime,
and L think there has been but one. soil
tary instance since my arrival where a
criminal ollense has been perpotrated.
There has been one person stabbed; II Is
true he did not die, but he was III for
several months. Its my duty 10 cali
Fonr attention 10 this, and Il is your dnty
to find whether il was done IN seif-defence.
The crime was committed upon d Young
man by the name of Bnce; j give you
that particularly in charge; / also give
you 10 charge, case where q person was
in the penitentiary for burglary, and. was
released by tile Supreme Court, simply
because the court was illegally held be.
fore which hewas tried. WI / charge yoti
in this case, that if.thefe is sufficient evil
dence in the case Of Thorpe that you pre-
sent him also for trial.
II j believe these are the only cases that
have como under my observation; but,
gentlemen, i win say this, if you Iiud that
anterior 10 the time | came here there
have been crimes committed, it Is your
duty to ITO them, and / wish to say that
theIfIghcrilne oflnurler neYera atfiyes tie
law; it is u crime that exists and that Gun:
be taken cognizahCe Of so long as the l1eF.
son lives who does tie deed. Ii YOU find
thai any such crime has been committed
You wili5present tie guilty person to the
court n. .5.. ~ !. 4. III
Gentlemen, you have sworn that The
attorney generals colEsel, tile counsel Of
your fellows and your own you will X egl
secret. This is a secret tribunal and YOU
have no right to3communicate yoar TEL.
.lows' counsel, nor the counsel given YOU by
your legal adviser, the attorney general.
This must be kept 10 yourselves for a
wise purpose. III it were known upoi the
street tina: u certain person was indicted,
-It would give that person an opportunity.
to esclpe before trial s,.. :.
Gentlencn, you have sworn you will
present no one for envy yon will be care
.fufin your investigations to:allow neither.
envy nor malice to Influence yon, These
are passions Of the human heart TO which
we are. all subject, and which exercise
more or less influence ever us. You will
be careful 10 let neither envy, hatred nor
malice iiaye any influence over you. u
on have also sworn that YOU will
5leafe no one unpreSented for fear, favor,
or hope Of reward Theprospcct o. gain,
fear, or hope. Of reward, gentlemen, are
to have no Influence with You in making.
your presentments, but you will present
every person freely, without tie bias of
hope, fear or anticipation Of reward. q
Gentictnei, trust that whatever you
may do. yon will do With an eye single 10
the oath that you have taken, and TO the
public interest. Grand jtrfes are indie.
pendent in the administration of public JUS
tice, and in the positions you have assumed
you will show by your example that you
feel the full responsibility that rests upon
you, aud that your pfesentments will be
made for this purpose, and for this alone
the administration Of public juSticet
- You will sit upon your own adjourn.
ments, and adjourn to suit yourselves;
but it is desirable that at least once in
two days you will report to the court so
that 1t may: bic appraised Of your labors.
II is also desirable that you will dispatch
the business with all possible CELEBRITY. II
desire that this court should not last any
longer than is really necessary for the
transaction Of the business before it.
If you present any person it may be
necessary TO have the trial at this term Of
court. II so you should present them as
soon as possible i see; some gentlemen
whose faces are familiar TO me, and who.
! think, have sat npon grand iuries in my
court in years before, and must urge
upon you the necessity Of dispatchingl
business with al possible speed. YoI
will have the criminal code With you, and,
as 1 before observed, the attorney for the
territory viii be your fdYiser Your
4 . =. . d. II