Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-15


the Same within oun year after The date q
its.sa!e, by paying the whole of tue lax an,
COST together with fifty per cent Of III
atnd9nt additional; and If not redeemc'
within one year from the day Of sale, thel
the9Iegislaturc was authorized to "deter
miDe, by law, the conditions upon which tn,
same may he redeemed by the former ownc
during the remaining term Of the seven year
for which it was sold"
Under this order of General Canby. sale
have been reported aud deed. filed with til,
Treasnrer of four tracts of land i. Green
villefDistrict and fifteen tracts in ColeioI
District Others will, perhaps, be filed du
ring the present and succeeding month
Yoar attention is, therefore, called to tho
order and 10 the action which has already ta
ken place, and which may hereafter TAXI
PLACE under it, TO the end that the necessary
legislation contemplated by tue order may
be- enacted.
,,- JUEIEs.
The duty will be devolvcd upon you ofpro
viding by statute for tue selection of suitable
PERSONS 10 act as Grand and Petit Jurors in
thesvarious Courts of this State. For more
than fifty years in South Carolina the rcqui
site for placing the name of a citizen upon
the jury list from which jurors we're to be
drawn was the payment, the preceding year
ofsa tax Of, or above, one dolla-. In 1850
tue jury law was amended, 50 that every per.
soa who was eutitled by tho Constitution o.
| thb State to vote for members Of the Logsla.
taSe, " and who shall have paid the year pre-.
ceaing the sitting of Court, at which new
jury list shall be made, tax Of any amount
whatever Tor property held in his own right,
wns liable to serve as a grand and petit juror
The military orders which have bceu issued
i9 this District, require every taxpayers name
to be placed in The jury box, from which the
jurors arc to be drawn, and when drawn, the
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
i When the importance Of composing these
bodies of persons OF intelligence is remem-
bered, too much care cannot be taken in
guarding ingress into the jury bcx, by such
Standards oil qualification and character as
will protect it from all suspicion Of incompe
tency or corruption. The dearest right Of a
citizen is oftentimes decided by the jury
life, liberty and property is in the keeping 81
these persons, and if there be lack of un
Understanding, o natural inability to comprehend
llard weigh evidence, to unravel the periuries
and misconceptions Of witnesses, and want
Isof educA.icn sufficient to comprehend the Law
sof the case AS tXpounded by the Judge. the
most fearful consequences may result to the
fcilz n. The standard should be two fold
If-predicated upon intelligence and inleg.
Er;ty. At all times, sufficient number o
tipersons may be found in every District Of the
fStatr, who will correspond with the high
standard that may be adopted by you; and
the confidence which intelligence in the jury
box will inspire among the population, III the
administration Of public justice and the set
| Element Of controversies between private citi.
zens, will goa great ways towards implantine
respect ard reverence for the judicature o.
the country.
Heretofore, il was not deemed necessary tc
provide by Law for pnrging the Jury, either
Through the jury list.or by the Judge upor
ff-,.e5s L-@DA, hnfir is Il system which has beer
practiceo for many Years in the adjoining
States. There, Il man too ignorant to com
prcherd The causes likely to como before
Iary, Or too corrupt. !.pravei Oh dishonest tc
r.ntcr n last verdict, is set aside by th,
Judge unL,r this general authority, which al
lows no one to be eIni aancIed who does moi
fulfill tue requirements of integrity and intel
ligence. In son.e OF the States, the tax list,
are revised by the County Courts, and tht
III st worthy and intelligent citizens are Sc
lec;ed, aud their names are placed in The
jury.bJx, from which the panels a:e drayn
In other cf the States, jury board has bec,
created and tnnsi> 5 Of the District officers, tt
wit: the C~.l, Shcrll, Judge Of Probate and
Tax Collector. These officers b"ing elected
by the people, are presumed to Lavc sncl
general knowledge of every tax payer, as vii
enable them to select from the list propel
persons, whose rdmrs are to be placed in th,
jurybox.
!, therefore, recommend that a similar j Try
board be organized in this State lrom the Dis
trict officers, who, from the list of tax payers
may proceed TO select persons whose inenta
qualifications anl moral character Fl. them
ior this delicate and responsible duty; aud
that only the names Of such Persons be placcc
in the jury box. with further authority to tlt
Judge, that if by accident or otherwise. per
sons are drawn who do not meet these re-
quiremenls, to strike their names from TIE
panel aud not allow them to he sworn.
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