The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1884-06-13

The report of the grand jury of the
county is before us. 1t is quite long
and differs from the usual jury report
in that it carries kernel of sense in
every sentence. We will summarize
it's topics: The action of the justices
courts in forcing SO many frivolous.
nOn.criminal cases upon the attention
of the jury is criticised. Many of
these cases involved no civil questions,
yet defendants were bound over to
await trial and witnesses subpenaed
to give evidence. So many such cases
have been certified up that the jury
are forced to the belief that the JUS
tices before whom the examinations
were held knew no law and had no
judgment, or that they deliberately
intended to impose expense upon the
county. Among Instances of such
practice, especially,is one from Cooke.
a so.called grand larceny case that
had no element of crime in it's nature;
two others are from Livingston-one
a charge of obtaining IS under false
pretense, and another of obtaining
credit for suit of clothes under false
pretense-both being really fit only
for hearing in a civil action, and pos
sessing no criminal feature. A charge
of false Imprisonment brought against
a deputy sheriff of Livingston
IN the discharge of his duty is
also severely criticised. The jury says
that in such cases instead of sending
defendants to the grand jury they
should be discharged and the costs
taxed up against the complaining wit
nesses. The poor farm and the Jail
were found in good condition and
well-kept. The county accounts were
found in good condition and the Off
GERS generally efficient in the dis
charge of their duties. Reprehensi-
ble erasures were found III the asses
sor's and treasurer's books and an
improvement in the method of the
keeping of the same is advisable. In
view of the fact that neither the
grand jury nor the county commissions
erS have the time. without large ex-
pense to the county, to make IL thor.
ough examination of the county books,
it is urgently recommended that the
court appoint two expert accountants
somewhat versed in the law to make
the examination. without positive
ly ascertaining for ourselves, we were
informed that nearly two hundred
names appear OH the delinquent tax
list for the past year, aggregatlng,
doubtless, several thousand dollars,
and that no special effort has been
made to collect the same. owing prin-
cipally to the fact that the county as
SCISSOR failed to return proper de-
scription of snch property assessed,
and that the county commissioners
paid him his full percentage and re-
ceived his returns without insisting
that he should furnish correct and
detailed description of such property"
Referring to the proposed addition to
the court house the jury say: ''Upon
a somewhat hasty examination of the
accommodations for the county clerk
and recorder we are impressed with
the fact that the vault is small and in
sufficient for the safe keeping of all
the books and papers of the office.
But. in our opinion, the vault con-
nected with the county clerk and re-
corder's office could be connected with
that of the probate judges office. and
thus furnish sufficient vault room for
all the books and papers belonging to
such office for many years to come.
Then at an expense of IL few hundred
dollars vault could be built for the
use of the probate Judge on the north
side of the present building