Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-11-14
Hon. Rich'd J. Bowie's Charge to the
Grand Jury.
Gentlemen ofMe Grand jury i:


and tighten your labors. Your oath of office
indicates IL is the province of the Court TO aid
| you in your inquiries and it is only in com
pliance with what deem official duty,
| that, rs the organ of the Court | venture TO
address you.
The peace, prosperity, and happiness of the
people Of your county, are, in great measure,
committed to your keeping.
As soon as you assumed the solemn obliga-
ton administered by the Clerk, you were in
vested with The sovereignty of the State, and
majesty of the Law, as the Grand Inques. of
Montgomery County.
You put off by that oath, or affirmation, ms
| far as possible, all the infrmities Of human ma
| ture, all passion, or prejudice, all fear, or af-
| fiction, and hopes ofreward, Except the re-
ward of good conscience, and became Off
GERS of Justice. You invoked God TO witness
that, you would diligently enquire, and true
presentment make, "of all such matters as
should come TO your knowledge, or be given
you in charge, touching this present service"
The subjects of yonr enquiry, gentlemen, are.
| all violations of the Common, or Statute Law;
all offences against good morals, or public de-
cency all neglects Of duty by public officials;
all breaches Of the peace, disorders or riots;
the keeping of disorderly houses, or gaming
tables violations of the License Laws, and
Laws regulating Elections, and Laws affecting
| 1t is true in the legal, MS well rs the moral
world, that the greater offences have their ORR
| gin in the impunity of the lesser. Misdemean-
ors are the mothers of crimes. ''Misdemeanors
comprise all offences lower than feonies which
may be the subject of Indictment" They are
divided into two classes first, such as are
''mala in Sc, or penal at Common Law and,
secondly such as are "mala prohibita," or
| penal by Statute.
4. Al. IL II.
affects the person or property Of another, or
openly outrages decency, or disturbs public
order, or is injurious to public morals, or is
! breach of official duty, when done corrnptly,
is the subject of indictment. Wheat. Or. Law,
p. "A.
These are the germs of felony, larceny. rape,
murder, and the catalogue Of crimes which at
| ilict humanity.
II is therefore true policy and philanthropy
| to arrest the evil in the bud.
If all disorderly houses gaming tables, and
| bagnos could be suppressed, Courts of Oyer
and Termner, Jails and Penitentaries, might
| be dispensed with.
The crimes prohibited and punished By the
| Statute Law of the State, are classified in Art
| 80 of the Code of Public General Laws, enti-
tied Grimes and Pnnishmenls.
The Misdemeanors are crimes punishable
| generally, BY fne or fine aud Imprisonment
in the County Jail; Felonies, by confinement
in the Penitentiary, aud sometimes by fine, or
by capital punishment.
But there are Misdemeanors at Common
Law, not mentioned in the Code, and all vio-
lations of a public Statute, intentionally, aud
| wilfully, and corrupily, not punished By Stat
ute, are generally Misdemeanors.
The provisions Of the Code on the subject of
Gaming, are especially commended to your at
tenton. After defining "Gaming," it enacts:
Amy person keeping gaming table, or 9th
er place for gambling, shall be deemed guilty
ola misdemeanor, aud on conviction thereof,
fined or imprisoned at the discretion of the
Court not exceeding five hundred dollars or
six months
If the owner. tenant or occupant of any
house shall, knowingly, permit any gaming
table to be kept therein he shall lie gnilty of a
msdomeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall
suffer the penalties prescribed in the preceding
section.
EMO person shall refuse to testify concerning
any gaming or betting becausehis testimony
would implicate himself, but when any such
person is required to testify in behalf Of the
State he shall not be prosecuted for any Of
fence to which his testimony relates" Code,
Art 80 Secs. SO to 66 These provisions
sufficiently express the public sense the per-
nicous tendency OF this vice. a passion which
subdues all the finer feelings OF Humanity; Sc
duces the unwary from the pursuits of honest
industry, aud often terminates in the commits
sion OF frauds, felones, and homicide.
1t is barely possible that such establishments
have Obtained footing within the precincts OF
our county, but if any such exist, they should
be expelled or suppressed without delay In
timately connected with gambling, is the vio-
ation Of the License Laws.
To restrain as far possible, this corrod-
ing cancer on the body polite, it is your duty
rigidy to enforce the penalties for violating
the License Laws, by thorough examination
into all cases of alleged delinquency. The de-
vices for evading these laws are as numerous
as the evils they inflict. No consideration oil
mistaken clemency should be allowed to ex-
tcnuate their violation.
The financial character and prosperity of all
political and municipal communities, materi-
ally depend upon the prompt collection, and
punctual payment of all monies levied or re-
ceived for the public use, by officers of The
County or State
The Court are required by the A ct of 1872
CHI. 800, to call your attention TO lis provis-
ions.
II is enacted by that Article, that it any Off
Ger of the State or County, whose duty it is &c
collect revenue, shsll after the receipt of the
same, .wilfuliy detain or neglect to pay the
same into the Treasury of the State or the
County Commissioners or proper officer au-
thorized TO receive the same, for more thai
sirty dags after the day upon which it is pay
able, or if no day be fixed by law, for more
than Sig months after collection, such officer
shall be deemed defaulter, and upon indict-
ment and conviction, in addition to other pen
altes prescribed by law, shall for each offence
be imprisoned in the Penitentiary not less thar
one nor more than five years, unless the
amount for which he is a defaulter be sooner
paid.
The necessity for such legislation is mad
apparent by the large amount of money re-
turned by the Comptroller of the Stale, ag
gregatng more than half million dollars, a
due from County Collectors, Clerks, Sherifis
Attornies &c.
The people of this county have recently
passed through one of those periodical trial.
which test their capacity for seli-government
aud, ms far as we a:e informed, have proved
themselves worthy of the trust, by combinin!
perfect set-eontrol, and public order, witt
the fullest and freest exercise of the right o
suffrage
The design of the Registration Laws was to
afford every citizen of the State record eyi
denee of his right TO vote, and prevent impo
silion on the Judges of Election at the polls
surrounding the ballot box with a doub
Gordon of sentinels.
These Laws require the Register TO enrol
all who are qualified under the provisions o
the Constitution of the United States and law
made in pursuance thereof aud the Constitution
ofthe State, and Laws made in pursuance
thereof, etc.
Severe penalties are imposed by these Law
i on all officers who wilfully and corrupiy vic
late its provisions.