New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-27
NEW ORLEANS TUESDAY, OCTOBER q, 1874
VOLUME VIlI---NO. 172
30. such offense brings him within the juris
dictiou Of this court.

30. such offense brings him within the juris
dictiou Of this court.
IL is possible that some charges against.
public officers who have been guilty OF
OffeRses Of this character may be brought
before you. If 40, trust and believe you
will make the fullest investigation: without
regard to their personal or official station:
] am not aware that there is any epeclal
case pending which you will be called upon
to decide. but it is proper should call your
attention 70 this class of cases. ] desire
especially to call your attention to the
practice Of carrying concealed weapons'
such az pistols, knives. etc. This practice.
I am sorry to saw, is not confined to u class,
but is very general. and when difficulties
arise not unfrequently leads to the death or
manning OF not only one or more Ut the
parties Immediately concerned in the fracas.
but innocent persons besides.
Combining to obstruct the laws or to hin.
der = public officer in the performance OF
his duties, attempting to bribe grand os
The Jurisdiction Of this court. The crime OF
grand larceny is also within its Jurisdiction.
Prior to the establishment of this court
larceny was not divided as now. Fetty
larceny consists in taking and appropriating
the property Of another against his will and
apprOpriating to the use of the taker, such
value to be Of less than 500. Grand lar.
ceny is the same offense, with the exception
that the value Of the property taken must
BE- of the value of 500 or more. Burglary.
arson, forgery are among the many oftenses
over which this court has jurisdiction.
] desire to call your special attention to
two otfensee that ought to be very carefully
investigated. because they result in loss of
confidence in those who administer the
affairs of the State and of the city. One of
Theses otfenses is vulgariy called "black.
MALL ANY officer. State, parish or munic.
ipal, who either directly Or indirectly re-
ceives other compensation than that which
the law allows for his services, or who re-
ceives compensation for violating the law
for his benefit or any one else's, ought to be
severely punished. and his punishment
would result in great good to the State.
Therefore, charge you. if any such offenses
are brought to yOsr notice, not to fail to
carefully investigate them. and return in
dictments if evidence warrants you in SO
doing.
BY the law of this State, committing
magistrate's courts established in this city,
before which persons are charged with Of1en-
ses can be first examined. This enables the
parties accused to ascertain the exact ma
ture of the charges against them, and also
the character of the witnesses upon whom
L0H SGaL6 TeIe5 ZOE COuSIctlOu
The custom has prevailed with grand
juries in times past Of allowing irresponsible
persons to make all sorts of charges BY let
ter. or Otherwise, against persons who are
not guilty of the ofenses charged. You
are not bound to recognize these accusa-
tions unless YOU have ascertained that the
parties have first availed themselves of the
means placed at their disposal by law.
Frequently charges are LAID before the
A.>w Ak.t osvn1vo
money or goods by false pretenses as an
etfectual mode Of collecting accounts,
and the parties making the charges
are afraid to 20 before . committing magis.
trate, knowing that an investigation Of the
charge would result in its dismissal. When
parties make such accusations as these be-
fore u grand jury. they know that the In:
yestigations are secret: that what is said
before the grand jury is not taken down in
the penalties of the law when injury ia in.
flicted on the person charged, and the party
who has suffered has no redress. An in.
dictment by q grand jury differs from ar
information In that the Indictment il ne
act Of the grand jury. and the inforniati
that Of the district attorney. 1t is my opin-
ion that in all the higher Offenses, for Which
tho punishment Is more than five wears.
the Attorney Genera! or district attorney
=
and although the law does not req1irc it.
think they will agree with me that it is
safer to do go.
No witnesses for the defense can appear
before you. You, gentlemen, are not to try
cases; you are simply to determine whether
there is sufficient probable cause to put the
citizen charged upon his trial. 1t is the
business OF the petty jury to try caser.
think it is unnecessary. gentlemen, that
I ahnyl6 a U thipD fyrthaP fO
gard to your duty as grand Jurors. l have
endeavored to select such gentlemen as
would act not only ;mpartially, but with
the utmost discretion. Your Office is one of
greatest and vital responsibility. The com.
muniJy looks to you to regulate, as 1t were,
the system of adherence to the laws of the
State. If there are any accusations brought
before you by the Attorney General or the
district attorney. no matter how distatetul
10 you, it is your bounden duty. if there be
sufficient evidence, to return an indictment
into court. would cali your attention to
certain sections of the registration and
election laws which shall read to you, aud
So your tern. Of Office continues until Jan.
uAry. it is possible that some offenses
against them may be brought to your potice
by that time.
Judge Atocha then read tho following
sections OF the registration law: Sections
fifteen. thirty one. thirty seven and thirty.
eight. And of the election law, sections
ten, nineteen. twenty, thirty five, thirty.
nine, forty, forty-one, forty tive, forty-six.
forty-seven, forty-eight. forty nine, fifty,
tifty-one, tifty-two. ffty-three, fifty
titty-tive, fifty y-eix. fifty yseven, fifty-eight,
fifty nine. sixty, sixty one. sixty.three and
sixty-eight.
As grand jurors it is not optional with
you to determine when you will attend
court or not. The law provides for you
regular attendance on the days fixed for
the purpose. and for failure to attend or
neglect of your duties there are penalties
provided, and give you my sincere assur-
ance that when the penalties are earned l
shall not be slow to award them.
Judge AtOcha yesterday delivered tho
following additional charge:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury-When l
charged you first with reference to the dit.
ferent crimes within tho Jurisdiction of this
court, l of course did not undertake to
charge you specifically upon each offense,
because it would require unlimited time,
and it would be impossible for the judge,
within the space of q charge, to give the
jury, !tull understanding OF each offense
likely to come before them for jnyestiga-
ton.
I called Sour attention, gentlemen. IN q
cursory manner, to the various crimes. and
among them that Of arson. now propose
to call your attention to the latter crime
more particularly.
You are probably aware that IN times Of
great commercial Representatives, such as
We are unfortunately laboring under here
nowhere are great many fires which
result from wantOn acts, and they net only
occasion great loss to the community. but
at the same time result in loss OF life. l