The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-08-24

The NEXT JuRY.-Judge Price attended
at the Court House in Elkton, on Monday
last, and drew the jury for the next term of
court, under the act passed by the last Le
gislature. The law entirely changes the
mode of selecting the jury, taking it out Of
the hands of the Sheriff, and appoints the
Judge Of the Circuit Court to select them in
the following manner. The County Com
missioners' clerk Is required to furnish
list of taxables not under the age of twenty.
five nor over sixty-fve, and from this list
and the poll list used at the last election,
the Judge is required to select two hundred
names having Especial reference to the
persons, and without the least reference to
their political opinions" The two hundred
names thus chosen in presence of the mem
bers of bar and such other persons as
choose to look on, are written on separate
ballots by the clerk which are folded and
placed in box by the Judge, and from
those two hundred ballots, one ofthe deputy
clerks who has not been present at the
selecting of the names draws from the box
forty eight names, which constitute the jury
for the next term of Court. The first TWEEN
ty.three names drawn comprise the Grand
Jury.
The list is placed in the hands Of the
Sheriff who proceeds to serve the necessary
summons. The jury being drawn the Judge
| locks the box-which is eight inches square,
as required by law-containing the remain.
der of the ballots undrawn, and retains the
key in his possession. In case any that have
been drawn are prevented from serving on
the jury, or cannot be found by the Sheriff,
the deficit is made up by drawing from the
names in the box.
We would publish the names drawn but
the Sheriff has requested us not to do so.-
Parties apprised OF the fact who don't wish
to serve on the jury, are inclined to keep
clear of the Sheriff till after court. When
the session of the court is finished the bal
lots are emptied from the box and the next
jury is selected in the same manner.
The copperheads of Elkton have been in
the habit of complaining that the juries
heretofore selected were made up principal.
ly of "Biack Republicans" charging the
blame on the Sherf's partisanship, and
seemed under great expectation ofsome how
or other securing an almost unanimous cop,
perhead jury. Why they indulge in such
unsubstantial fabric of dream we are at a
loss to conjecture. The jury drawn under
their own law is rather more "Radical," as
they term it, than those which were so polit.
ically distastetul to them heretofore, there
being not more than one forth of it copper
heads. The following clause in the law very
clearly accounts for this however. The
Judge is bound to select from the lists sub
mtted to him with Especial reference to the
intelligence, sobriety and integrity Of sacd
persons.' Until this clause is stricken Out
of the jury law, the majority of all juries
fairly drawn in Cecil must be Republican,
This copperhead jury law confirms what VIC
have always contended for, that three fourth,
of the Republican party are composed Of
men of Intelligence, sobriety and integrity
while about one fourth of the coppcrhead
party is composed oc men of that class and
three fourths of il of the slams.