The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1873-03-20
tProm lbe Weston Democrat. |
A Few Corrections.

The Eeopi6 should be a little cautions
how they swallow every thing that comes
from the Charleston correspondents Of the
Wheeling hicRigcaccr They seem to be
actu$ al rather bya spirit of faotous op
position to cveryrhiug done by the present
Legislature, tbanby bigb regard for the
truth. Scarcely an issue OF that gapeEar-
pears without containing two letters at
least from Charleston, 10 which no occas.
ion appears to be lost to miSrcpronselt the
doings of that body We have not spnce
in our paper to contradict the untruths
and clear away the misrepresentation ap,
psariog every day in The htelIigencer >
w will give an instance Of how It's done
Their, CORRESPONDENT Alpha" in a letter
published in tIafof the 10th inst Innls
the Legislature over the Goals for the fol.
lowing fr5eiSArS intbej jury 5dT9
mo exception shall be allowed against
any Juror after he has been sworn upon
the jury, on account Of his age or other
legal disability"
The above section, he says, is the mos
extraordinary provisions that ever came
under his notice in aGy law Had "Al.
pha' been as acute 10 noticing the doiGgs
Of the Republican Legislature Of this State
as he is ia crlicisng the action Of the
present one, he would have had an oppor.
tunity ofcxprcssiog his astonishment over
this same provision, when a Republican
Legislature incorporated it in the Code OIL
West yirgina-sec chapter III section
rs.
Section 5 he says is as follows
"No person shall be admitted as juror
except 10 trails of felony, at any term Of
the court, during, which be has any mat,
ter of fact to be tried by jury, which shall
have been or is expected TO be tried during
the same term"
After reading which it strikes him that
if this law be passed, with its present Oh.
Doxious provisions, twill be almost imPos'
sible ever to have case tried by a jury,
for the reason that a sufficient number Of
competent jurors will be bard to obtain in
any county.
Here, again, Alpha" is perhaps moi
aware that this provision is taken from the
code of laws adopted BY Republican
Legislature Should be look at the Code
of 1868, chapter ll6, section %, he may
be struck with astonishment that notwitb-
standing his sagacious reasoning, We have
had competent Jurors for several years in
this State, We have serious appreheu-
sions lest alpha" should be struck by
the fool killer, on bis next visit iu search
Of victims.
alpha" is also troubled lest the Leg
isluturc will adopt the old fogy idea that a
man who has expressed or formcd any
opinion" as 10 the merits of a case will not
be permitted to sit upon jury alpha"
and his political friends failed to strike this
old fogy idea from the statue books of this
State when in power but retained it-Sce
chapter 10, section Il Of the Code
-
false swearing, We doubt not chat be would
enter his protest against being tried by a
Jury selected from the many who entertain
a very decided opinion as to his want Of
veracity.
But, says alpha" the bill allows
SberiTs to pack up jures, instead ofdraw.
ing for them, as heretofore, and this per.
mits Sherfs to pack every jury, from The
grand jury down
We have not seen isjury law, but We
venture the assertion thai the bill does mol
change IN any material manner the pres,
cnt mode Of selecting jpries Under our
present law, when the panel summoned is
exhausted, the ShoritFs can pick jurors -
The new jury law, il j makes any change
at all, will only reduce the numbcr of jur,
ors summoned originally, and thus pre-,
vent score or more Of ncn from loafDg
around tho Court IIOuso Tith nothing to