The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-01
LEGAL TNTELnIoENcE
Opening of the Term.

Court or quarter SeS6t0nS-JuQye PGJSOn.
The August term of the Court was opened to-
day by Judge PaXson, and the Grand Jury and
petit jury were organized. Martin j. CrOwell,
Esq, was appointed foreman of the Grand Jury.
The present session of the Court is intended
to be o short one OF only two weeks, and de-
voted exclusively to the trial of prison cases.
In charging the Grand Jury regarding their
duties the Judge spoke as follows:-
Gentlemen Of the Grand Jury have been /
summoned from your homes and your business du- I
ring this heated term to aid the court in the admins /
tration OF justice. While We have adjourned the 1
civil side OF the court for the season, the criminal
court remains open. regret the necessity which !
requires your presence here, at a time when most of
business, and would be truly rejoiced to be able to !
say to you that the law is entirely respected In our{
city, and that your lab9rs for the month
few cases and those Of a trining char
acter. Bat ! cannot say so. The carnival OF crimeA
turnal calling. Pickpockets and thieves still swarm
wherever crowds are formed or opportunities
not safe. Persons are Knocked down aud robbed, !
and outrages worse than death committed upon
frsan' this asa t15s t. 'A and T'' from q a'pV every "": Judge
thereof. The time has come, in my Sdgmentj
mark their ofenses with signal severity. speak not
only for myself, but for my absent colleagues, when
say that we are determined to enforce tue law with
O arm hand. Men who follow crime as o profession,
who commit depredations on the property and grosa
expect, when they stand at the bar of this court FOL
sentence, to have the law administered to them
in its fulness. They will receive its eXtreme
penalty. The streets OF our city must ID
made safe by day or by night. II we cannot make
them so, we will at least exhaust the entire powel
OF this Court in the attempt. To accomplish thiS
result, we need the cordial cooperation Of the Grand
Jury, and OF every one connected with the admins
tration OF public justice. Your duties are most Inn
portaDt, and upon their vigorous and faithful PERI
Torrance much will depend. Upon your bodH,
devolves the DUTY and the responsibility OF present
ing the criminal and his Ofense to the Court. Thai
YOU viii perform your part with all due fidelity to thu
public, i have no room to doubt.
We punish crime in the interest OF the innocent-}
not OF the guilty. When sentences are imposed they
are for the protection OF society, not for the refoCl
nation OF the criminal. While the latter is newell
lost sight OF, 1t is not the primary object OF punishSy
ment. BY the humane provisions OF our criminal
code the maximum punishment only Is designated ;
the minimum is left to the discretion OF the Court
This enables US, IN cases where there are mitigating
circumstances, to Ak the punishment within thu
maximum provided by law, to meet theZ
justice of each case. Such a system Is eminently
humane and wise, when the discretion exercisedz
is a sound. legal discretion, and not the result ov
caprice. While we would administer the criminal
law Kindly, without malice or passion, we cann4Q
afford any experiment in q large city like this YN
the present condition Of society. We must there
fore adhere to what we know to be sate-a hrm ad
ministration of the law. Either the law or grimm
win rule. There is no middle ground.
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