The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-06-30
The GRAND aTr.ry 30. The 1EmGls.
Armaem.

The late Grand jury made In Its report
prior to adjournment very serious charges
against the magistrates of this (Hinds)
county. 1t charged that 1.-THE business
/" of dispensing justice in the Justices
!" Courts has been conducted on very
g loose principals, much to the detriment
g of the people" that petty family
quarrels have been made the pretext of
trials in which whole neighborhoods are
summoned as witnesses, and which re-
suited in almost every case of moderate
fines to both parties and " outrageous
costs" Road hands have been imposed
upon in like manner The Grand Jury
was surprised to find so many cases in
which both parties were wrong
We do not doubt the statement of the
Grand Jury in the least. We have heard
complaints, time and again, from private
citizens to this effect, not only against
the j. P's of Kinds, but throughout the
entire State.
Why then did not the Grand Jury
perform its duty? Upon what ground
did it excuse itself from redressing the
wrongs of the people to whom great Diet
riment has been done, and throwing the
responsibility upon succeeding Grand
Juries?
1t charges that the magistrates have
been guilty of extortion in Office and using
the majesty of the law and the seal of
the State of Mississippi not for the ends
of justice, but for private gain that
they may grow fat while the people grow
poor, but it fonnd no indictments against
these extortioners. If the Grand Jury
refused to protect the people, how are
they to protect themselves from those who
rob in the name of the law, and by, and
Grand Jury said that every magistrate
! with one honorable exception was doing
these things, and yet it gave not one of
them an opportunity to interview twelve
of his peers That the late Grand Jury
was not stinted in time is proven by the
fact that it ginned out more than thirty
indictments, greater portion of them
for offenses which, though violations of
the law, are as nothing compared with
the offenses which it reported and yet
found no bills against. One man is
caught selling a drink on Sunday, an
other is caught killing fatted calf, and
straightway they are brought to justice J;
but all the magistrates are caught disgrace
ing the seal of the State, and engaged in
wholesale robbery under guise of law, and
nothing is done save to call the attention
of succeeding Grand Juries to these Off
cial robbers.
In this connection we will state that
these magistrates are guilty of other extor-
tons besides those named in the
report of the Grand Jury, and to
which we will also call the attention of
| succeeding Grand Juries. They are in
the habit of charging fifty cents for wit
Messing the signing of documents, when
the law allows only twenty-five cents, and
in many cases they have grown so fat and
'1ordly" upon the costs of their Offices
that the officer provided for them by
law 10 serve their process is beneath
the dignity of their courts. No consta-
BILE for them, nothing less than the high
sheriff of the county, though a dep
uty can wait upon these high old courts.
The elected constable is gotten out of
the way and induced to resign the high
sheriff sends his deputy specially appoint
ed for the said fat and lordly J. P, and
the court proceeds to gin out tout
rageous costs" and small fines from both
parties before it, or from the party most
likely to be able to pay. Sometimes it
happens that the specially appointed
deputy Sheriff is the lately resigned Con-
stable. This sort Of proceeding may suit
the dignity of the III. o. Court, but it
does not agree with the pockets of the
unfortunate persons who happen to be
brought before it as will readily be seen
by observing the difference between the
constable's fees and the sheriff's fees,
which latter are always collected by said
deputy. Why is not an election ordered
to fill the vacancies made by the resigna-
ton of eonstables, or why are not deputy
constables appointed? If there is
any other reason in the world except
that sheriffs' fees are greater than con-
stables, we would like to know it. Per
sons who have trials in magistrates courts
should refuse to pay any higher costs
than those allowed by law to magistrates
and constables.
The Democratic ShibbOIeth.