The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-02-29
HIS IIONOR'S CHARGE.
AN ABLE EXPOSITION OF TIE
DUTIES OF GRAND JURORS.
The Advice ana SugGesttons OF Judge
William If. Wallace at the Ecbru
ary Term 1883, at Laurcns, s.. Co..
Reported Expressly for The Nd,c..-
tiscr by Stenograhcr law.

has long been the custom in this
State, as it was the custom in that
country from which we derive tho
usage of our courts Of justice, for
presiding judges in our Courts of
General Sessions while ihstructing
tho Grand Jury as to- the peculiar
nature Of their duties i'm connection
with the Court. to address the pub
lie through the Grand Jury upon
topics connected with tho public
administration and with the means
of the promotion OF the general
welfare. This was not required as
an official duty; but tho custom
and the object eXtcnuatc the prac-
tice.
This morning. however, 1 do not
feel disposed to observe tho general
custom, and propose to limit my
self to very brief exposition Of the
nature of your duties &s Grand
Jury strictly and with tho modes
OF their performance. This duty
is not imposed upon the presiding
judge by law, because you are taken
from the body of the county, from
the various vocatiOnS and human
pursuits, and are presumed not to
be familiar with the technical
IN ethods which arc required in
Courts Of Justice in the perform
ancc of your official duties. 1t is,
therefore, made the duty Of the
Judge by the law to explain to you
what your uuticS are, and how they
arc to be performed.
Thc Judge then gave IL terso eX-
planation of the duty Of the Grand
Jury in passing upon the bills Of
Indictment.
DELIBERATIONS TO BE SECRET.
There is another rule and an i'm
portant one in connection with the
deliberations Of the Grand jury
II you observe closely your oath
you will see that it is emphasized
there "yOur own counsel and your
fellows counsel you shall safely
keep" What does it mean? You
have sworn that--all of you, that
you will keep your own counsel
and the counsel Of your fellows in
the Grand Jury room. 1t mcaus
that tho deliberations Of the Grand
Jury are to constitute an inviolablc
secret. Nobody, stated as q gcncr-
al rule, must be madc aware of
what transpircs in the Grand Jury
room; how any man votes; what
his opinion is; what he says in dis
cussing the parties or the crcdibil-
ity of witnesses. You have sworn
that no statement, that no official
action of a Grand Juryman in tho
jury room connected with your de-
liberation shall be madc public,--
not ut this term--it does not mean
that, no limitation here; but forcy-
er and forever, MS long as time
lasts. The petit jury don't take
any such oath. You do. You have
taken 1t. Now, why? There is no
rule, gentlemen, of the common
law for which there is not wise
reason, If we ever can get down to
1t. 1t is tho grandest system for
the administration OF human JUS
tice that ever was invented by hu-
man ingenuity. And am bound
| to think that the further we depart
from Its rules the more apt we are
to fall into error and Injustice
But, as have already said to you,
you are not to reveal the secrets Of
your Grand Jury room. And why?
Simply because you are charged
with the most sacred and respon-
sible duties. You are charged
with tho rights Of your fellow man,
with his character and with his
responsibility, than which what
can moro seriously affect him in
this world? The law desires to
surround you with all the agencies
and appliances that will leave your
Judgment free and absolutely free
and unbiased by any consequences
or considerations of consequences
that may ensuc to you outside of
the jury room in consequence OF
your conduct there. This Grand
Jury Is q descendant of grand ju-
ries that were instituted centuries
ago. The original reason for the
instituting of the Grand Jury was
TO interpose protecting agency
between. absolute power on one
hand and tho right of the people
upon the other. When absolute
rulers, governed by caprice OF
whim, or the influence OF those
who were operated upon by those