The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-04
THE COURT

Court was formally opened at this place on
Monday last by calling and swearing in the re-
spective Juries and the witnesses in the diner
ent cases, and upon the non-arrival or the
judge was adjourned over to Tuesday morn
ing last, at which time 1t was opened in due
form by his Honor Judge T. II. Cooke pre-
siding. L. c. Northrop, Esq, of Columbia,
(Attorney for Alexander Mattison,) read an
affidavit made by his client, asking for change
of venue, on the ground that he believed the
citizens of this County would not give him an
impartial trial. Mr.. Northrop then followed
in an able argument sustaining the ground OF
the affidavit, saying that it was wholly In the
discretion of his Honor to grant the change Of
venue, and requested that the case be trans
ferred to the Court now in session at Laurens
Court House, for the purpose of speedy trial.
In the absence of the Solicitor, the Court ap-
DO inted Gen. j. W. Harrison to represent the
State In the Mattison case. He said that he was
un acquainted with the nature Of the case, and
gave notice Of tho fact that the Juries had been
illegally drawn, since Jury Commissioner
had not been in Office In this County since
April, 1873. The Solicitor arrived, and ably
contested change Of venue In the Mattison
case, on the ground that he was now virtually
In the custody Of the United States Circuit
Court, and could not be transferred to Laurens
or any other County until he should be brought
to the bar Of this Court and properly arraigned.
The Court decided that 1t could not entertain
the motion for change Of venue until after
the arraignment Of Mattison before 1t at reg
ular sitting, and that Jury was not necessary
in the matter, since true bill had already heen
found against him. After some further busi-
ness, the Court adjourned over to Thursday
morning, at which time 1t will be opened again
for the transaction of business not requiring
the presence Of Juries. The Juries were dis
missed on the ground of illegality in their
drawing
It Is indeed strange that this important mat
ter was not Investigated before, since much
trouble and expense has been entailed upon
the County by this oversight 1t is to be hoped
that our legislators will go to work at once to
obtain the passage Of Special Act to provide
for the drawing of Juries in this County at q
time other than January, since, if this Is not
done, no Juries can be drawn before January
1876, which will be to the detriment Of prison.
ers now incarcerated, as we'll as to the disad-
vantage of all parties concerned. The General
Statutes, under the head Of Juries, provides
that Jury Commissioner for each County in
the State shall be appointed by the Governor,
to hold oflce for two years, unless sooner re-
moved by him, whose duty it shall be to pre-
pare list Of the Aest. inhabitants Of their re-
spective Counties. which shall not include less
than one from every twenty voters, nor more
than one from every ten voters of their respec-
tive Counties; and they shall further cause the
names on the said list to be written each on
separate paper, and shall fold and place them
in box, to be furnished by the County Com
missioners Of their Counties for that purpose,
and by the said Jury Commissioner kept This
is the law on the subject in brief, and should
be borne in mind, so as to prevent airy mis-
takes in the future.