Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-04
NOTIFICATIONS THE PRESENT SUGGESTED
JUpGE nREGON.

NOTIFICATIONS IN THE PRESENT LAW SUGGESTED By
JUDGE DEADY, OF OREGON.
Judge Michael p. Deadly. Judge Of the United
States district for the district Of Oregon, de-
livered last evening before the law school OF the
University OF Georgetown most able and inter-
esting lecture on the subject OF "Trial by Jury"
This distinctive and peculiar feature OF our com
mon law the lecturer attributed 10 the Norman
conquerers OF England, and not TO their Anglo
Saxon predecessors, To whom the credit OF IT. In
PRODUCTION Is usually given He found no proof OF
its existence In England before the reign OF VIII
liam the ConQuerer; though 1t seems 20 have been
used Ia Norway two hundred years before that
period, and TO have been brought thence by the
Normans to Normandy, and from Normandy 10
England. The lecturer took occasion 70 mention
troduced by the Normans, but that also very many
OF the best elements OF English ciyilZation which
contributed to make the English In modern times
what the Romans were In The ancient,
were due to the Norman conquerers, and
not to the more sensual Anglo-saxons
Having traced the history OF the judicial organiZa-
ton Of England from the time OF the Norman con-
quest A. d. 1906, TO the present day. and sketched
the mutations OF the jury system, showing ths1 IL
was not always what IL Is now; that originally
Jurors were summone because or their knowledge
OF the transaction which they were 70 adjudIcate,
and not because OF their ignorance, at present;
that unanimtty OF decision was not always the re.
auirement OF the law, and the number twelve had
not always been the inyarlable number; the lee
turer proceeded TO explain the difference between
the English ana the American jury, and TO show
the greater difficulty in securing the satisfactory
administration OF JuStlce through tne lattf Inc
cause OF the difficulty he found mainly I'm the
diminished influence OF the court over the jury In
this country, which statutes often passed IN the
interest OF The criminal classes tended TO enhance
by the restrictions which they placed
upon the judge, as by prohititing him from
charging the jury. except In writing, ana making
the jury tie arb!ter, both OF law and fact; and
also I'm the mode OF the selection OF Jures and In
the requirement OF unanimity. The lecturer saw
no reason why jGry should not decide the ques-
lions submitted TO IT by majority vote, or two
thirds or three-.ourths vote, according 10 circum-
tanees the rule In regard TO al other dcifbera
live bodies; ana with this change, and the restrc-
ton or the right OF challenge, especially OF the
right OF challenge on account OF the formation
nd expression OF opinions, he thought the jury
system could be rescued from the odiuna Ito
which Il was FILLING In some quarters, and con-
tnued a most useful and most important In
.drumcntality I'm the legal education OF the people
and in disposing them To become more keenly and
personally Interested in the administration OF Jus
ftce.
The manner and style OF the lecture were In e.
5eient taste. IL showed Judge Deadly 10 b. an
-cccuplishe1 scholar, as well as an abe and DIS
rfninstng lawyer