The New York herald., 1871-01-05
CRIVlE tn TIE METROPOLIS.
Opening Of the January Term Of
the General Sessions.
Judge BediOrd'S Charge TO the Grand Jury
Criminal Statistics for 1870.


.Business before plcasuren Is o favorte and o
swise saw when there Is only one party to be con.
stdered but II the pleasure concerns, not an indt
ytdual alone, but whole community, then the re.
verse or the apothegm applies, and pleasure first
and business afterwards becomes the order OF the
day. SO 1t has been in all Gotham for the past ten
days-pleasure hss been rampant and business
eouchant; but the tide has turned and business be-
fore pleasure Is again, 1t must ever be, the real
motto of he time in which We live. The Gradgrnd
policy is after brief remuneration OF its powers in
the ascendant, and the whole progeny OF Gradgr1nds
tnat "live, move and have their being"
In the world Of law are In active re-
sumption Of business. The great wheel Of
litigation Is again In motion, and the bench. lawyers
and clients, jurors and witnesses, ana indeed all to
whom these presents come greeting" are In that
beautiful state OF excitement and uncertainty pecu
har to those who appeal to the law Tor satisfaction
or redress
COURT STATISTICS.
The HERALD mas published interesting statistics
Of the proceedings Of the courts for the past year. in
q far as such information was attanable from the
records OF the different branches OF the courts In
the Criminal Courts, in the Court OF Oyer and Ter
miner and the Court Of General Sessions the records
Of trials, convictions and sentences as well as the
Acquittal OF parties wrongfully accused, are full OF
encouragement to the well disposed ana of warning
70 the transgressors- them, indeed, II they
are open to warning and conviction, that
the way OF the transgressor IS hard. As
we stated in previous article few
0ays ago. two men are under the extreme
ban OF the law-Sullivan (wnite) and Thomas
(colored). both fol the CRIME OF murder. One was
tried, convicted and found guilty In the Court OF
General Sessions and sentenced to be hung In
February next. Thomas was similarly tried and
convicted and sentenced to be hung in February
next The circumstances detailed on the triars OF
these partes--in fact the testimony against them
was 80 clear and overwhelming, and the duties Of
the respective juries were apparent, that they
had really no .'hnge or hoop to hang doubt on,
ana tie culpris only found justice at their hands
when they met with stern and retributive condem-
nation.
COURT OF GENERAL sEsSIoN5-JUD6E BEDFoRDf5
CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY.
With the exception Of the Court OF General Ses-
sions the HERALD has already published full reports
of the statistics OF crime and litigation that have en-
gagged the attention OF the courts for the past year.
The cosus ce,eores have perhaps not been so tho
roughly within the category OF cases so designated
they have been In years past; but still the records
unfortunately show that crime was rife, If punish
ment was not immediate and effective as 1t ought
the mpuniiy with which crime stalks abroad in the
person OF the murderer Of Mr. Nathan, notwithstaEd
ing George jones' of Boston barratry notoriety's
miserable story of the arrest Of some individual
charged Herewith In the cracked brain, however,
only OF the said George Jones.
The Mcfarland trial in the early part Of the year
is now q tale OF the past
OF him who left half told
The story OF Cambuscan bold
But, to come to the Court Of
/. GENERAL SESSIONS.
record here presents itself Of duties well performed
IN the past year, and Of assurances OF perfect
unanimity between Judge Bedford, who presides on
the bench during the January term and the jury be.
fore whom the very worst class Of Offenders In the
whole community will come up for trial on indct-
ment, SO that the lives and property OF citizens,
30 far as the law is terror to them. will
be projected to the utmost. In this court
THE JANUARY TERN
opened yesterday, inaugurated by charge TO the
Grand Jury from Judge Bedford. which we publish
N full below and which WILL in its spirit and senti-
ment find an echo in the breast OF every law-abding
citizen In the community. In his usual BRIEF curt
prompt ard incisve style OF address Judge Bed
ferd presents important questions to the jurors
enpaneled in his court-the prevalence OF crime
and the best and really only ends to be used for It's
suppression
"sTERN NECESSITY
the pregnant expression used by Judge Bedfold
In another sense lately, has arrived, and 1t is de-
voutiy 10 be hoped that grand and petit jurors
alike VIII cordially and fully come up to a thorough
Appreclaton of the phrase. Judge Garvln, District
Attorney. ana his able assistants are lmbued fully
with the spirit which actua,es Judge Bedford and
Recorder Hackett In their judicial vsitations upon
crime and criminals, and in their joint action the
transgresssors OF the law will find that the penalty
Of crime as the law lays 1t down will be rigdy and
mexorably enforced.
EMPANELLING OF THE GRAND JURY.
The Clerk called the Grand Jury panel, and SO
large was the attendance Of those gentlemen that
over dozen were excused from serving. the law
only requiring rwenty-three 10 constitute the grand
inquest. MI Francis H. Amdon was selected to act
hs foreman.
JUDGE BEDFoRDs CHARGE.
After the grand jurors were sworn Judge Bedford
delivered the following charge:-
Mr.. FOREMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND
The statute makes it incumbent upon me TO direct
your attention especially to the Excise, Usury Lot
tery and Election laws; also to the laws against the
taking OF illegal fees by public officers and to act
70 @ aT ano N the nc
you that If you find an indictment against q person
for felony the law does not permit you to disclose
the fact except to the Court and District Attorney
until after such person shall have been arrested. H
you DO, remember you will be guilty Of misde.
meanOr.
II is usual, gentlemen, on the opening OF each
term OF this court for the presiding Judge 10 offer
few general observations to the Grand Jury in refc-
renee to their duties and the solemn responsibilities
devolving upon them.
As look upon the gentlemen at present consti-
tuting that body recognize many who from past
experience must indeed be fully acquainted with
tho obligations assumed BY Grand Jurors; 1t would,
therefore, think be supernuous for me to make o
heightened address as regards those obligations.
suffice 1t to say by the simple fulhment OF the oath
npnn al In nISfA rnd typu hnuo
once discharged your entire duty to the State to the
accused and to your own cOnscences.
I mo ha MARI ffoC thIco