The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-09
Rector, Of ,ho United state. Grand
4uTT.

UNITED STATES GRAND JURY ROOM,
ArsTTE, TEXAS, July 81, 1877.
Hon, Thomss II. Duyal, Judge OF United States
District
SIR ing cur labors a. grand
jurors for 80 presen. term of the Uni
ted sates Court for the Western Dis
trie of Texas we desire 10 submit to
your Honor this our general report:
re than one hundred cases Of al
violations of law have been
Dsoug ht before us, and have been acted
upon. ut of this lumber we have
found lorty'go true bills, embracing
f lynne persons. A few cases in
which tie attendance of witnesses
could lot De obtained have been passed
without action.
While it has been the steady aim of
our body to find bills of Indictment
against all willful violations of the law,
we have thought it best not to subject
the government and citizens to the ex-
pense and inconvenience attendant
upon prosecutions for frivolous and
technical violations in cases where
there was no express proof of a
deliberate intention TO violate
the laws, a1d in which a mere
conviction would be punishment dis
proportionate % the offense. And in
this connection we take o :casion to ex
press our disapprobation Of the practiC e
of some Of the United States CommIs
sloners Of reporting frivolous cases.
The Investigations Of such cases con
sumo the time OF Vie grand jury, i'm
pose upon the government, the fees
and expenses of witnesses and are pro-
ductive Of no beneficial result to the
country whatever. We desire to call
the attention OF your honor to the in
convenience and expenses 90 sequent
upon the great extent OF { =. tnry en-
brsced within the limits OF ne Western
District Of Texas. AS yong II ct Is
aware, this district includes tla noIe
of Texas except about thirty counties
alopG the coast. 1t embraces an area
greater than four large States, and
contains a population estimated at very
near, or quite a million of inhabitants,
which is being annually augmented by
the immigration OF, hundreds of thou
ands. The necessity Of compelling
citizens to attend court three and -four
hundred miles distant, as is
frequently the case, imposes &
hardship : aksftght be avci led by the
creation OF 9ddit olal judicial dis
trict. The 10. nation of another dis
trict would alse, in our opinion, facili-
tate the more certain and speedy en-
forcement of the law. no
We take occasion to say that the
comparatively few cases brought to
our notice during the present term in
dicates al increased disposition on the
part of our people to conform to the
laws. Il would indeed be wonderful
and unprecedented if there were no
violations of law in country so large
in extent as this district, with a stream
of population continually pouring into
it, made up of people from every por-
ton Of the Union, and influenced by
every known motive. A large proper
ton of the bills found by US are for
violations of the internal revenue laws.
Universal compliance with the multi
farious provisions of the internal reve,
Hue laws, requiring, as they do, con-
tinual vigilance upon the part of those
engaged in pursuits included therein,
could not be reasonably expected.
Bat as our people become better ac-
quainted with the requirements of
those laws violations will continue to
diminish.
In taking leave of your Honor it af-
fords us pleasure to give expression to
our hearty sopreeiation of the digni
fed and tial manner in which
your Hor presided as judge,
and to asst our Honor that the kind
ness and consideration bestowed by
you upon us, as body, will ever De
pleasantly remembered.
W "nder to the able and energetic
I States Attorney, Hon. A. J.
+ va and also Major Thos. F. Pur-
ne'l, ed a the officers of the court,
our til ioI the couftesies extended
to us. We also take pleasure in men
tloning the promptness with which
Major Brewster, CO Hector of Internal
Revenue, ana MS assistants, have re-
sponded to the many official calls made
by us upon them, and commend them
for the unrcserved disposition at all
times manifested by them to afford us
all the Information in their power.
Respectfully submitted,