The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-07-22

haps, be filed during the present and
succeeding month. 1onr attention ls
therefore, called to the order and to the
action which has already taken place and
which may hereafter take pace under 1T,
to the end that the necessary legislation
contemplated by the order may be en-
acted.
The duty will be devolved upon You of
providing by statute ior the selection OF
suitable persons to act as Grand and Petit
Jurors in the various Courts of TINS State.
For more than fifty years in South Caro-
lima the requisite for placing the name of
a citizen upon the jury list from which
Jurors were to be drawn was the payment,
the preceding year, of :. tax OF, or above,
one dollar. In 1853, the jury law was
amended, SO that every person who was
entitled by the Constitution OF the State
to vote tor members OF the Legislature,
"and who shall have paid the year pre-
ceding the sitting of a Court, at which
new Jury list shall be made, tax of any
amount whatever for property held in his
own right" was liable to serve as grand
and petit juror. The military orders
which have been issued in this District,
require every taxpayers name to be
placed in the jury box, from which the
Jurors are to be drawn, tho Judge is
invested with the power OF setting aside
any number of the panel, for want Of
mental or moral fitness TO perform the
duties.
When tho Importance OF composing
these bodies Of persons OF Intelligence is
remembered, too much care cannot be
taken. in guarding ingress into the jury
box, by such standards of qualification
and character as will protect it from all
Suspicion OF Incompetence or corruption.
The dearest right OF 4 c't'1en Is often
times JecideI by Tie .lelG -lic liberty
and property is IN the i.e@f'nS OF these
persons, and if there be lack of undor.
standing. Il natural inability To compre-
bend and weigh evidence, to unravel tho
perfumes and misconceptions OF witnesses,
and IL want of education sufficient TO com.
prehend the law Of the case as expoundcd
bv the Judge, the most fearful consc-
oncnces may result to the citizen. The
standard should be .1wo-iold-predlcate,di
upon intelligence and integrity. AT ali
times, sufficient number OF persons may
be found in every District Of the State,
who will correspond with the high stand
ard that may be adopted by you and tho
contidence which intelligence in the jury
box will inspire among the population, in
the administration of public Justice and
,I,o cattlcmcnt of controversies between
private citizens, will go great ways to-
wards implanting respect and reverence
for the iudicAlure Of the country.
Heretofore it was not deemed noces-
sary to provide 10y law for pnrgins the
Jury, either through the jury list or by
the Judge upon the bench but 1t is Il
system which has been practced ior many
years in the adjoining States. There, u
man too ignorant to comprehend tho
causes likely to come before jury, or
too corrupt, depraved ordshonest to leil-
der q Just verdict, is SGT aside by the
Judge under this general authority. winch
allows no one to be cnpanne!cd who does
not fulfill the requirements OF integrity
and intelligence. In some Of the States,
the tax lists are revised by the County
Courts. and the most worthy and intelli-
cent citizens are selected, and thoir names
arc placed in the jury box, from which
the panels are drawn. In other Of the
States, jury board has been created and
consists of the District officers, to wit:
the Clerk, Sheriff, Judge of Probate and
! Tax Collector, These officers being