North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-01-28

| GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND jury
Your
duties as the Grand Inquest of the Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, inquring for the
County of Wyoming, are of a grave and res
ponsble character. Through your action
alone, can an offender against the laws be
placed upon trial for his crimes; by Jour
careful examination, the innocent accused
may be saved the vexation, modification and
expense Of public trial.
! BY virtue of the recent suffrages of con-
| TN ing people,an the consequent commission
o: The Executive of the State, il becomes nv
duty, as the Presiding Magistrate of this
! Court, to instruct you IN, at least the details
of your duties but, as these have been so
| frequently pointed out by my learned pre-
deces>ors as TO make almost every person ia
millar with them, 1t is only necessary for me
to bring them briefly in review before you.
Fortunately for the administration of JUS
rice. change ofJudges produces no change
! in the law. The incumbent is but the con-
/
nent of the law is pronounced. We have,
therefore, no new views upon legal SCIENCE
no new rules Of civil cunduct-no new con
struction Of poa er or duties, either of the
court or jury, to advance. Content with the
| legal land marks set up by experienced iurlsts,
and considering them as safe guides in the
| discharge of official duties, We shall endeayor
strictly to adhere to and follow them,
| In order to rightly esteem the responsible
tiles of the citizen both morally and legally,
it is right and proper to consider and regard
the obligations which the Government has
assumed in his behalf By reference to the
Declaration Of rights contained in the Consli-
tuition Of this Comm onwealth, We find a
! pledge on the part Of the Government:
That all Courts shall be open, and every
! man for an injury done him in his lands goods,
! person or reputation shall have remedy by
| Cue course # law, and right and justice shall
| be administered without sale. deniai, or delay
That the people shall be secure IN their per-
| sons, houses, papers and possessions from un-
| reasonable searches and seizures; and that
no warrant to search any place, or slcZe any
! person or things, shall issue without descrih-
ing as nearly as may be, nor without probable
cause, supported by oath or affirmation"
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused
| hath right to be heard by himself and his
| counsel; to demand the nature and cause of
| the accusation against him 10 meet the wit
nesses face to face to have compulsory pro-
cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor and
in prosecutions by Indictment or information.
a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of
the vicinage."
"All persons shall be bailable by sufficient
surcties, unless for capital offences, when the
proof is evident or presumption great"
And the privilege of the wrie of Habeas
Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when
! IN cases of rebellion or invasion, the public
safety may require it,"
These provisions of the fundamental law
strongly guarantee to the citizen personal
liberty, personal security and the rights of
private property, and the power Of the State
is pledged to protect h i'm in their enjoyment.
On the other hand, in return for tie care
! and beneficent protection bestowed upon
him, the citizen owes feality to the govern
ment and is bound by every consideration
which ought to control human actions 10
yield hearty obedience to all it's constitu-
tonal requrements-ah its common law and
statutory obligations and 10 refrain from do
ing those things which are by law prohibited.
Unfortunately, however, there are those
who will not regard social duty, nor be re-
strained irLm the commission Of crimes and
msdemeanors. For the punishment OF such,
penalties have been provided according To the
grsde OF the offences, which are TO be inf CT
e'l through indictments preferred by the
Grand Jury.
As cpnservators of the public peace you are
therefore to inquire diligently, and true pre-
sentiments make Of all such violations of law
within the County, as are punishable here
and are properly brought to your mott e.
The crimes and misdemeanors cognzabIe
by you are chiefly embraced under the gen
eral heads of fiicers against public Justice
public peacc-public morals and decency-
public pohcy-economy and healtb-against
the persons of lndlviduals--against personal
property--against real-property against the
ccin--and the offences of forgery and mali
cious mischief.
In considering the cases which come before
you, you will remember that tho only safety
OF society, is in the certain and prompt pun
ishment OF all persons guilty of crime. The
certainty of punishment more than it's sever
ity is preventive 10 the commission oi
crime.
Offences which corrupt the morals of the
! youth of the land, are more dangerous, be-
cause more insidious as we'll as more endur-
ing in their consequences, than others more
openly and publicly committed. Viscous
habits formed in youth but too often destroy
the usefulness of their victim as citizen.
haunt him for many, ifnot all the years of