Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-10-10
nEroRT oF TIE GRAND Jury.

% ftKI Of i IL = u GRAND ID u M.
T. a.. Hon. County Court IN and for The
',1ufv Of Cbltend n. HOl0 an session.
The Grand Jurors within and for the
.aay ut the County Of Chittenden, respect
tYiy r.port
lat they with pleasure find them
o, YES relieved from the duty performed bv
. o. vi1us Grand Juries. Of reporting the Com
l. % JAN 10 said County as a Nuisance. Since
.-i,c.nt repairs and additions To said Jail,
f. as proved to be, under the careful and
uaue administration Of Mr.. Sheriff Flan.-
-49. all that Was expected Of it when such
f.llIr- ASST alterations wore made. It is kept
o.. .. 1a.- clean and wholesome condition, and
% iI- ia.j lrity Of prisoners who are kept
f..-- r furnishes a decent. comfortable,
g. 20 as and sale place OF confinement.
l4- Grand Jury in visiting the Jail found
fg -Hiy-. uc persons confined therein, Of whom
rz II wcre males, and FIVE females Twelve
..e trislucrs are held under the authority
th> state. nine under the authority Of tie
General Government.
Although the recent improvements in the
f.n i1.rg remove many Of the objections here
r'i--e existing in the Jail as a place Of confne-
me { for prisoners. We feel that there Is great
WANT still unsupplied. Repeated instances have
..ne to our knowledge where persons Of both
-. y 5 have been committed and retained in
couhnement for great length Of time for
the non-payment Of small fines which were
supposed Tor the commission OF comparatively
triyuI offences, the parties having no means
4 Tay OF secure the same. Such are neces-
EARLY kept with the hardened criminals,
thiev,s. burglars, murderers, and the like.
Youths committed for their first small Of
fence. are commingled with men committed
ior heir last. and thus on. This should not
ba It would he alike to the credit and for
the i-nelit OF the State if some me tsures
D,T-- 90 be taken to provide IN each County
FHr Il uses of Correction or Houses Of Ret
age, wherein persons convicted of minor Of
i.ue,-. and especially youths, could be Sc
yurriy k.pt apart from more hardened SIN
ueIs. sI.i where they could be allowed under
proper authority 10 work cut their fines
Sc ind ,long us large number OF young
tut hardened boys alike destitute OF honor,
fr7slris, or employment. We learn also Of nu-
sneEuus 10 Sc and abandoned women, having
si,ith,r shame or decency. These classes.
although miserable indeed, are not beyond
rlc hoye o. reformation. But the idleness
end corrupt association enforced by our
sF,yyut Jail system tends rather to lower
and degrade than &c raise and reform these
victims. We are unanimously OF the opinion
that the evil Just mentioned might be effect
Haiiy removed by the establishment Of such
Houses Of Correction or Refuge, thereby, In
the case OF minor offences, administering a
punishment having a more preventative and
TeioTmatory effect than can ever be hoped for
from the mere imprisonment IN the compul-
sOTy Idlsntss of a County Jail.
Il Is with regret that We call the attention
of this Honorable Court to the alarming in
crease Of crime in our community within the
last year. Ii has become our duty in the
dlslharce f our labors to present seventeen
true bills Of Indictment lor the commission
II all grades Of crime. We have been in
f.rused Of the commission Of some small
crimes which We have not investigated or
presented, believing them to come more prop
erly within the jurisdiction Of the authori-
sIes OF the towns IN which they we're COM
mt;eI. We respectfully suggest that the
towns be more judIciOus in the seleccion OF
-heir Grand Jurors, or that those selected be
more tthcient in the discharge Of their du-
sits
Ne are compelled to say, as our predeces-
zsors have 70 often said, that habits of Intem-
Tperan-e, and the sale Of intoxicating liquors
have become common in our midst. thereby
debauching the public morals and injuring the
reputation of this community. We have nouc-
ed this more particularly in our investigation
of the two homicIdes which we have presented
70 the Court, both OF which may primarily
be traced TO the habItual use OF intoxicating
liqu0r. The enacting OF q stringent license
law in reference 10 the sale Of intoxicating
drinks and Us tull execution, OF the full and
faithful execution of the present prohibitory
law, should be Immediately adopted. This
ls especially necessary SO far as our young
men are concerned. Many unfortunate
youths, habiiuated to drink. are thereby lost
among US. They become hardened, reckless,
a5and ned, degraded. Lost to all sense of de-
cency neglect honest labor, cOnsort with
lewd women, and 60 down to the grave a
disgrace 70 themselves, and a sad remem-
.br tnce Il their friends ; and then, this vice,
more than anyother. saps the foundation of
Society, domestic happiness and public virtue.
Tue duties Of the various Towns in the
County, In reference to the collection and
-di>tri5utiOn OF the School money therein,
have been fully performed according to law.
We cannot conclude our report without
certifying 10 the full, careful and Just admin
lstratlol. by j. French, Esq, of bis Office of
State Attorney, and also, BY Mr.. Flanagan,
of uIs othee Of Sheriff OF the County. This
has c5me particularly to our knowledge dur
ing pur Investigations at this term.
And &c would also say that our burdens
have been especially lightened, and our la
oirs DI"ught t. an early close by the kind
=,n4 tii-nill execution OF his duties by Dep
uty Sheriff K. 5. Blodgett, who has been in
charge ut the Grand Jury.
n. PARKER, Foreman
IL Is known To many. vet not TO all. that