Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-15
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

DISCHARGE OF THE GRAND JuRY-7hsir Pre-
scniacRt-Jupcnte DeJrdViiy-The ydil-Hs Defects -
discharged this morning BY his honor, Judge olin,
who complimcnted the fidelity Aud oeerity with
which thS nrdgou, 81 duties deyolyiGS upon them
ment, which 10 exceedingly int resting
The Grand Jury summoned to serve Tor the June
term Of the Criminal Court Of the eouaty ofWaSL-
ington, having brought their labors fo a close,
make this their final Presentntnt to the honorable
Judge presiding.
ed oue, owing mNnly to the very heavy docket
placed before them, and TO the further fact
oSs .oss Of sd' paSo naure to suspend their
from the l3tn July to the 9Th september. During
that Tecess large number OF cases had aeeumu.
lated which required laboTlous RpplicAtio to get
through WITH even at this late period. The docket
embraced crimes OF almost every grade known tv
the law. Although they have iourd large nun
ber OF presentments, many grave offences against
society and good order they have been compete d
to let 90 unpunihhed, for the reato that In such
cases, owing to the peculiar condition OF the city
for some time past, large numbers coming and Ie.
maiuing but for short period OF tine, Il was
found Impossible to find, after diligent search,
either the parties injured or witne1ses Important
to establish the crimes and offences before court
| OF trial.
OF the great principles OF the law, that every &C
| cusgd person has right to speedy trial, they
| found themselves compelled upon the &C re OF
humanity, to lat such go fec, keepiCg iu view o.
the same time the sacred OF their Ollie al oahs.
Stern and rigid Justice has Its claims, and so has
humanity. The one should be properly tempered
/ by the other In support Of what they coucei o
to be the practical as well as humane view OF tho
/ matter here introduced, they mentioned tho fact
that numbers have been oonined mpnth after
month during the oppressive heat of summer; and
| when their cases have come up In the reg lsT
routine Of business, none of the parties JuIGG or
complaining could be found, nor any person w u
could give testimony tulieltnt 10 send the cases
| for trial
| severe punishment, even in cAees of trivial i'm
| portsnce. The law could not establish the feet
that they were punishable, yet they were pun
ished in some eases far beyond what they were de-
serving Of had they been found guilty before judge
| and jury.
Iented itself to this grand jury has been In review
ing offences growing out Of juvenile deprAvity
II is true that the large m jOtity Of those cases
are OF but trivial Importance yet a number oi
| them show degree OF ptecoeiVus yilauv hard to
| conceive of as existing. The most superficial OBJ
server would say, aud tha' truly, that the consgI,
/ ing of that class oi wrong-iOeFs to the comm n
prison is but inlcting upon society greater 10.
jury, viewing 1t In its ulterior cos sequences.
The boy goes in the prison-house a novice In
| crime, and comes out prepared by association
whilst there with hardened and accomplished Vi
lains to commit still greater Offences and by FaT
idly recurring commitment he soon attains tC
| that " bad erinence" which places him IN the po
| stiOn OF the hardened criminal, Gc!yif the law
| both of God and OF man.
our city has attained to high olltioL 10 rcga!t
TO philAnthTopic, benevolent, and gious usttu
tiOns, but II 10 melancholy TCil eCiiOn th4t cIim
appears to keep not only pdri pdsSu with the effort
he gathering new strength TO dash its black ant
threatening wave over the bulwhTks which thi
| good men OF the present and tho past have kePI
endesyoring to build up nat its ea' roachments
| Feeling as they do, the reslOnsibiluy res ing
upon them as mCmhets oil society, and hoping IA II
the official p2Bltion which they ABOUT rclin
| quish VIII give some weight 10 tne rcLommenla
tiOn, the jury earnesily TecommHRh that sDmt
| other pllce than the common jNl be p:Ogidsd fol
the Incarceration OF juve lie offenders.
On the 9th Instant The grand jury made tICi
ottieiAl visit to the county jail A thorough 10
spection of the bull Ing and inGlCsure showed Il
our satisfaction that the police and sanitary regu
insecure bulldog Will admit.
A due regard to cleanliness WAS ObBeT ahl
throughout, an the culinary department gave tn
impression that the prisoners were bOuntiful
supplied with good and wholesome fJod. In add.
tlon to the manifest insecurity Of the building
two serious delC cts presented the selves, viz; i'm
perfect sewerage md insufficient ventilation. Il
ref renee to the latter It may be remarked that
stay OF hut a few mlhutHB In some portions OF tn
bulldog PRODUCED n IN Ut Oppressive feeling oI
those unAccottumed to a cOnlned aud Vitinteu NJ
mosphere. Whether thIs5 defo.ta can he com
! pletely rem ded or not 10 the present building
the jury cannot y, bu they do think that III
evils complained OF can be measuTaby batel b.
the proper means and applications.
10 summing up tn b.1ef report, the Jury avSi
themselves OF the opportunity to exprt 81 thei
grateful ACKNOWLEDGE nts to the no onorable Cour
fNr the kindness and courtesy which have b eel
extended TO them. "A esps'isl Aokno Ylcdgmen
) upon the Grand Jury during this term; thei
pTomp' ness Of action has greatly faCilit 4ted tn
work upoA which the jury have so long been or
gsSSd. d. I. SwART, FOrem n
!, oE oUS p, PhaahrkE, asrkS,p Fccrs!srles.