, 1881-11-29

w"um ~ nan, 'eiu..nets as tnote
rs urcut os TINT pt lIrrrt,lrs. antl ,,nticnc,,
os unwenrylne os Tint nj .Joh. Sor,cty
is not vet realy w to % seo w its its crIuinuls
rccasc,l fro,n I ti,c nr,.n,, whctnrr vi tho
ur,son % ID ' taiur ,v so ~ mt " iarnnso ','o ao
1ons aS '1lo cF,h'I""'s "to "!i''ef iestT"'nt
Suusts ~ sa" IsS .'ets nsi. "ss,ks
~ u.s., ,.,... ~
llE tAoth from titcir liberty anu putting them
~ ., ,''s ~ ''~'
Ills uaeofY' why not gu INTO tho prison nlHl
C,rto;,,,,;e s,.ne, " t,.s H.. .sts.:.'":t.' -
eet'a'n'y INC cn"hees 1or toe rcfoIhatto'' Oh
conriets "ro better when th'y arc III eont'ne-
posed to tho old associations ntll teilptnttpns.
-=--
ENGLISH OPINIONS OF AMERICAN COURTS.
Tie G"lteau trial has Informed English
lawyers OF tho iml'erEectlolls of tlio criminal
procetlitfo tn ulany OF the States OF tho Uuton.
Tho Cable dispatches Yesterday contained
the following from Londo'l:
., Lawyers here - are n,s'ro taat, ever amazcu nt
cr,l1uj lnwyor sniti IL INC 1o,fny, Wbal uii
Gtlrth nrn Aalefte'!it ,!uhEes inrf Jaage tnx
farts as iV t,,iitrauss ufIcrcsi jnsU,slty. liz
ihakca no Ercsenae or Keeping Tho, lnwycra up
ci,,a,"l' to mnsn s'umm snccrtrs ,nt"n,i",i fnr
tho o.lta!do: lilo even t,want d'sehnrgo; tho
Snr3 + sSii tnt IL WA nrnhnf,tt tMr ~ t,.'tn ~
nsa!at the Jury IN summing. MP. :" "summluR
w, Mp GGoa Go M t.eu @ tnH , ,;,v VIA r Npa. r
ccn.I.clas Tor evidence arlbbIel ad iriselci ont
to ta,l as ,; a ~, N ef snE 'h t'p tey apiy
siriiut them to iIr1R III Strifct Of xuisy il they
knti3flp1 or Tho nEn1iIt
witiiow whcnt from chaif, t,r tuaFsbni fScts, Or
pont out % intcrGneGs to .no drawn. n',t shout Tho
imtu tho iurr.l,nx. mn, esusnt twulvn ~" Il
ehosc1i aceHr,ins IL .Io A.1lnr|can systotn, tc-
rauer js.Icn WIZ ao .t tao Aorirnn Gen. :"
pie, who an nt efficiency IN nIl ohor thi ings 90.
gsr. a,sna 'Nn s nrn gr n ~ sSS s'n ,s ny.
ttilt ruHltsels''
Tho English criminal lawyer above quoted,
whoever lie WIS, put his finger Oil tho great
est abuse OF our criminal Jurisprudence, alnl
one whlcl, has dono more to defeat tic nd
mlnlstration Of justice mid TO bring tlle laws
Into contempt thnn oil other cnuses cot1,-
blned.
In mnfy Of tho States Of tic Union, 1llinof.
among tho number, tllo Judges lave grail
natly been sl4orn If their most vital powers.
Their disposition aid nhllity to enforce tho
laws lmpartial!y rs against the guilty and to
protect tho rights Of tho innocent have been
denied. 1t has been nssl,lned TINT twelve
laymelt, uCtrnnetl III the law, md often
selected by reason u[ tlelr Ignorance Of other
things, will be more likely to tn Justice
Wishunt the aavtce OF a Jut'gn thau with
1t. the powers OF tic Jury have norcn ell
1argcd aud those Ut tho Judge haye been
ali 1Ehftn 3n}
Is thus put upon tho general chnracsor
Of the bench, tho self-estecm Of persons lia-
bic to jury soryco lns been delicate'y fiat
tered. Tilt theory tint twelve foolish men
can gtso better Judgment Of the faw than
one wise nlnn hns long been I'll favor also
With extreme advocates Of tie doettlne Of
popular sovereignty. 1t Inns naturally found
strong support among pettifogglnE criminal
1nwyers, whose power of defeating justice IT.
creascs us tic Judge Is stripped Of authority
and discretion.
Some of tho points nj which tho lowcrs Of
the Judges IN most Of the American States,
Illinois among the number. have been cur
tailed arc the following:
1. The t1iry Is constituted the sole jutlge Of
tie law mid tho facts, Thoupl, 1t Is COLI
posel OF lnyn,en aIttl,Is likely 10 contain q
majority OF unthinkliig men, 1t IL presumed
to have u special capacity for getting at tho
lazy by intuition.
q. Tile J1ltlge Is prohibited from giving m
ornl charge to tho jury. Ilo must take the
written Instructions Of counsel Oil both sides
as they aro handed to hin. ai,d II he dcens
them to bo sound law must deliver then, to
the jury without the least oral comment.
lie usnaIly does not attempt tn explain array
apparent discrepancies, nor reconcile con-
ttadtctions un lte fdte Of tie charge. trhu
Jury Is required 10 take tie instructions Into
the retiring room, where they arc either
wholly uisreRurded or serve as a source bf
constant bewltdernent anu M obstruction
to tust decision ou the merits of the case,
3. The Judge may express .t,o opinion
upon t,,s facts nor review the testimony,
nor Indicate MI op,iloi, as to what tho yer
slJct sluu1tt be t,,, palm of feyersal
u, judges lnye no discretion, rs to granting
continuances or changes Of venue, providing
"sutl.olent'' at1idaylts have been filed for