The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-08
JUDGE COOKIES CHARGE TO THE
GRAND JURY.

Gentlemen q tHc UTuHtt ouTy'
Among the various duties of the Jury
in their grand inquest of the County is to
visit all the offices in the Court House,
and to see that the various Offices of the
County are faithfully discharging their
respective duties. You should visit each
of the officers and make true report of
their condition to the Court.
desire particularly to call yoGr atten-
ton to the Jury Commissioners, with the
hope that you will strictly inquire into
the manner in which they have been
heretofore discharging their duty. There
are three Commissioners-the Auditor
and Chairman of the Board of County
Commissioners are er ofcio Jury Com
missioners, and act with the Commits
sioner appointed by the Governor
Sometimes the Jury Commissioner as
sumes the whole responsibility. This is
not right, as the others are equally re-
sponsible. The name Of no man should
be put OH the list from which Jurors are
drawn unless he is personally known to
at least one of the Jury Commissioners to
be possessed of the necessary qualifca-
tions, of sound Judgment good character
and free from legal exceptions. The law
does not require that he shall be white
man or black man, but man of good
character and sound Judgment.
1t is part of your duty to visit the
Jail, examine into its condition, and as
certain whether or not the inmates are
properly ted, clothed and kept comforta-
ole. In most prisons the use of fire. place
and stoves has been discontinued, owing
to the danger OF the inmates setting fire
to the building, but in many other pris-
ons stoves have been put up in the halls,
by which means the prisoners may i'll
some degree be prevented from unneces-
sary suffering from cold during inclement
weather. The law does not assume to
punish prisoner awaiting trial in prison.
Aside from humanity it is our interest to
prevent prisoner from becoming sick
lor should he be sick the cost of attend
ing him would be greater than the ex-
pense of keeping fires.
You should also visit the Poor House
OF the County, and inform yourselves as
to the true condition of the paupers.
The poor unfortunates of the County are
cared for at the public expense, and it is
your duty to see that they are humanely
treated, and the intention of the law car
ried out.
Especial attention is directed to the
Trial Justices. It is your duty to en-
quire into the manner in which they per-
form their duties. They often abuse
their power by arresting parties for
trivial offences, and inAict an unnecessa-
ry cost upon the country. They are re-
quired by law to hold preliminary ex-
animation in every case, and they often
neglect to perform this important duty.
The neglect of this duty on the part of
these officials is often embarrassing to
the Solicitor, and frequently delays the
work of this Court BY such course of
neglect the Solicitor is kept in the dark
as to the merits of case, while the de-
fendant may in the meantime employ the
best of counsel who is fully informed
upon the case.
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury: In con-
nection with your County government,
the office of County Commissioner is Sec
ond to none other. These Offices are in
vested with power to tax your people, to
pass upon, audit and direct the payment
of all claims against the County. Such
being the case, you must readily discover
how very important it is to the people
that the duties and powers Of the County
! Commissioners be so performed and ex-
ercised as to seizure the interest and well
fare of the whole people. Their duty
does not cease here. They are charged
with the care OF the unfortunate poor of
your County. They are required to keep
your br.' ges in good repair, and your
public roads in good travelling order; and
the law provides tor their punishment
for default in the performance OF any
duty imposed upon them. You will,
therefore, make such investigation and
inquiry as to the management of your
County affairs by the Commissioners, as
will secure the best interest of the people
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