The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-21

weiehtiest and most grievous complaints
urged against the rule of England in Ire
land has reference to the manner in which
the jury system Is WORKED oy the Grown.
litical evils of tho country. The antagOn-
ism of the people to the law, and to the
law makers, is, to great extent, account
ed for by their want Of confidence In the
jury system-we should rather say by their
perfect knowledge of the fact that that
system is " q delusion and snare" In
like manner the knowledge that the jury
lists are in their hands, to do with as they
please, is an encouragement to our rulers
to perpetrate whatever Outrages on the
this country. Those evils act and react
on one another aud produce many OF the
troubles of our land. In England the jury
system ia rightly regarded as the palladium
Of public liberty. 1t is not only safe
guard of that liberty, but, to large ex-
freely and fairly in this country, it would,
Notwithstanding the class and creed an
tagonism fostered here by England, do
nearly as much for US. 1t has frequently
been stated that English misrnle and fair
trial by jury could not exist in this land to-
gerher; and it will be in the memory of
our readers that several of the 1rishmen
! accused of political offences within our time
declared their perfect willingness to be
put upon their country" to be tried by q
jury of twelve men fairly and honestly
empanelled apd objected to the legal pro-
ceedings in their cases only because their
juries were not so constituted, but consist
ed of men carefully picked by officials OF
the Crown from q panel carefully selected
by another official of the Crown, ana
the accused. Constant as has been the pro-
test of the public against this dishonest
| system, fragrant as are the vicious pointsln
its construction, notorious as are the mai
| practices of those who work the machine,
there has yet been kept up ut all times
| among those parties an affectatiOn OF FAIR
and impartial dealing with regard to this
matter. No law officer of the Grown, NO
high sheriff OF sub-sherif, was ever found
willing to admit on any trial that he had
done anything with the view to the pack
ing of the jury. Quite the reverse. Those
gentlemen always assume an air of injured
innocence when charged with anything OF
the kind. They repudiated with an as
sumption of virtuous indignation the idea
that they had juggled the panel. They
were not the men to play with loadeo
dice; they were not the men to poison the
wells. Not they. The public had their
own opinion on the matter, and were in no
doubt about it; but nevertheless the Crown
lawyers invariably put on o bold front, and
brazened it out on all occasions.
But if our readers will turn to the ex-
, tract which we publish from the evidence
| given before the Westmeath Committee by
Mr.. Stephen Seeds, Crown Solicitor for the
, counties of Meath and Kildare, they will
, find an instructive revelation on the sub
( iect, For the fact that Mr.. Seeds has made
such "open confession" we can but see one
J, way of accounting. When the Commltte'
/. was being formed an idea prevailed tina
: its proceedings, or, at any rate, good por
ton of them, would not be made public
6 and possibly Mr.. Seeds, when giving hi
, evidence, was under the impression tina
- his words on this particular point woul
y not be printed and published. Howeve
- that may be, here we have his plain, IN
- vanished tale as to the manner in whic
- he, sin gle-handed and of his own motor
II ravaged a jury panel, "made lanes throug
a it," as the saying is, scored out OF it whom
"a soever he thought fit to treat in that mar
=. Is warded for his pains by obtaining col
Do yiction in the case that was to be tried
Thus spake he to the COMMITTEES:
~ Ihad o consultation at the Castle with tt
Attorney General, and the Attorney-Gener
p T handed a1 him the ponel for the Special Coz
mission of Meath. He said to me, What
an Won say to thisf" said, Leave the matt
n. to mel will select jury"
it. 4" Leave the matter to mel will select
NJ ;urv =" These are words to be remember
na nv our countrymen. They give the me
ne sure of what trial by jury, the palladir
ICE of public liberty" is worth in Irelar
ain Mr.. stephen Seeds can do what he pleas
g's with it in Meath, and as he has no pow
nd or privileges beyond those of other Gro,
of Solicitors, it is plain that they can do
ter same in all other parts of the count
cts And here was Mr.. Seeds modas operant
nd Three days before the commission opened
itt- wrote to the inspector of the county, and
ion sired that he would have every sub.inspee
led order that might go through the panel {
est ascertain the character of each juror
,an consequence was that set aside forty sever
CO., the gentlemen, and succeeded in getting
';;1 jury of six Roman Catholics, and six Pro-
III tants, one of whom was Presbyterian
OIL that there were the three great sect represe
ane ed on that jury. And think, as regards
rath state of the panel at the present time, G,
, in deal might be done by little previous trou
and inquiry.
has The Crown Solicitor and the police
the therefore revise jury panels when {
.rd- where they like, and no accused person
3 of have chance of having on his jury n
cul- who is not approved of by those parti
lille Such is the value of the palladium"
n tn this country! Such is the tenure that Il