The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-10

Grand Juries in the Federal Courts
Judge HILL Is Judge Of United States
Court In Mississippi. Inforrnations are as
odious in Virginia as In Mississippi. But
they are discouraged, not to say discount
tenanced, by Judge HILL, whilst Judge
UugHrs has, so far as we know, made no
objection TO them. The following tele-
gram appears in the New York Tribune OF
Sunday;
JACKSON, MISS, July 7.--At Oxford yes
terday Judge Hill quashed the information
iiled by Chalmers and Chandler against
Watson and Others In what Is known as
the Chalmers Manning contest for Con-
gress. The Judge stated that the informa-
tion charged no specific crime against the
Government, and the grand jury and wit
pesses being present he would permit no
further proceedings on the Information,
but only upon the indictment.
District Attorney Chandler said that he
would not be dictated to by toe Court as 70
how he should manage his business. ana
that he would proceed no further in the
election.fraud cases until the matter could
be laid before the Department OF Justice III
Washington. :,
Judge Hill said that this matter would
not again be entertained in his court unless
through finding OF the grand jury; that
informations were not favored but only
tolerated In extreme cases, OF when the
present was not one.
.sThe Department Of Justice at wash
ington" has no control over the judges.
II it had, the people Of the southern States
would be in sorry condition.
Judge HILL gave good reason-an un'
answcrable reason-for his action. ZIG
auqsbed the information which the DIS
trict Attorney had filed because the grand
Jury and the witnesses were all present,
and IL any crime against the Government
had been committed, the grand jury was
the proper body to find an indictment.
The reader will understand that the Gin
formation " mentioned above is paper
which would have been called an "indict-
men." If it had been brought into court
by grand jury. The "iniormatiOn,' in
other words, is a paper prepared by the
District Attorney on his own motion.
Judge HILL, therefore, considerably and
wisely ruled that the case had been dis
posed of finally when he quashed the in
formation, and that the matter would not
again be entertained in his court unless a
grand jury should decide that crime had
been committed.
What is the use OF a grand jury il after
it has failed to find true bill upon the ev'
idence presented TO it, District Attorney
may upon the same evidence file an infor'
nation and subject innocent parties to al
the vexations and costs OF prosecution
The fathers of the republic knew what
grand lures were intended for. The fifth
article OF amendments to the Federal Con-
stitution provides as follows.
"No person shall be held to answer fol
n capital or otherwise infamous crime I'M
| less ON preSentment or indictment Of a
0rdnd jury, except in cases arising in the
land or naval forces, orin the militia, when
| in actual service in time OF war or puDhc
danger"
It is plaiI, therefore, that Judge HILL
has done nothing more nor less than his
duty. His example is one which is worthy
of being followed by the judges OF all the
Federal courts in the country. Let the
refusal of the good men and true constitu-
ting n grand jury to indict person be
everywhere accepted as conclusive proof
that the evidence was not sufficient. The
action of such q body of men ought to out
weigh the wishes of n district attorney.