Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-10-06

Inc unuerNgncut dFanu Jufols. LOT tue
September term Of your Honorable Court,
for The year eighteen hundred and ninety
two, having discharged their full duty, Is
required by law, and awaiting theirdla-
charge, beg leave to submit the following
report
The distressing news received from our
sister counties of Calvert and Charles. of
the burning Of their court.houses, with
many 81 the public records and papers ".
mindfus Of the exposed condition q cur
own It Is learned from yoar Honorable
Court that break occurs in The tranamis
sion Of extracts Of deeds Of real estate frosa
the Clerk ofthe Circuit Court 20 die Com
missioner Of the Land ONCE at Annapolis,
covering the time from 1881 ID 1888. This
We consider deplorable, ard to remedy The
evil, We suggest that the County Commits
sioners instruct the present Clerk Of the
Circuit Court to make the extracts Cor Tie
time above specified and transmit the same
to the Land Office and that the said
County Commissioners levy for such work
8 fair and just compensation For the bet
ter protection Of our records In the future
we recommend that the County Commits
sioners cause 10 DO procured FIRE proof safes
for the Offices Of Clerk Of the Circuit Court,
Register Of Wills and County Commission
ers. at cost not exceeding eight hundred
dollars, In the aggregate.
From members If the Grand Jury rcsid.
ing 10 every section Of The county. have We
knowledge Of the bad condition Of the
public roads That the public roads. at the
end Of a Summer without washing raIns.
should be in such condition argues badly
for their condition when the rains and
SHOWS Of Winter have fallen on thsrn, IN.
less, the proper authorities. Al once under.
take their repairs We ara informed TINT
the sum OF three thousand dollars was
levied for the repairs Of The public roaaa
for the present year, and thar but com.
paratiyely small amount has been expena,
ed While believing It 70 be mistaken
policy 70 repair roads after lhe simmer
months, we urgently recommend, from the
necesaIty Of the case, that The Coaniy Com
missioners proceed At once 70 make the
much needed repairs.
We have visited and inspected The couns
~ Jail and have found The same 10 good
condition. Wefecommend that iheCnunty
Commissioners purchase some iron bed
atsada. and mattrasscs and blankets 10 suit
Attlmes tbeipsane ARE temporarily confined
In ejaiI and they often make sad havoc
Of the wooden furniture
The Clerk ofthc County Commissioners,
as required by law, has furnished US with
the Levy list Of county charges and ex
penses for the present year, which We have
examined with that care which onr lipll,sd
time would permit We have % sugens.
TORS 10 make, believing, that the Comfy
Commissioners are doing All ibey can %
lessen expenses We have examined tho
books in the County Commissioners office
and have found the same neatly kept,
We have found many cases upon The re-.
cognizance Docket against accused parties
and for witnesses Ia their cases. which,
under the law, should never have been
brought to our attention. These witnesses
have attended from day 10 day, at consider
able cost to the county. Under the act ii
1880 and under acts passed subsequently,
Justices Of the Peace have been given CON
current Jurisdiction with tho Circuit Court
in the trial Of larceny when the value 81
the property stolen Ii under five dollars, IL
all assaults without fclonious intent and in
al misdemeanors not punishable by con-
finement ia the penitentiary. In all such
cases, under the act Of 1890, when com.
plant is first make 10 = Justice Of the Peace,
the Grand Jury can never afterwards have
Jurisdiction to investigate The case must
be disposed Of by the Justice on trial o.
the same can be appealed to the Circuit
Court by the different modes mentioned IN
the law and is entered on the Appeal
Docket as other cases Of appeal In snch
cases, only the accused party enters into
recognizance which Ii filed in the appeal
case and the names of the witnesses are
simply endorsed on said recognizance 70 be
summoned by counsel as other witnesses
are summoned in appeal cases II VIC are
correct in our idea Of the law, we would
recommend that the Justices Of the Peace
be Informed Of their duty in this regard
We would further recommend in cases
where Justices 81 the Peace have not final
Jurisdiction and only hold a preliminary
hearing that they only recognize 70 Tic
Grand Jury witnesses whose testimony il
material In our examinations during the
present term We have had witnesses before
US, and by the score, who had been recog
nized and who knew.comparativeiY nothing
about the cases with which their names
were connected
We recommend that our next repfesen
tatives in the Legislature cause 10 be en-
acted uniform license law for the sale o
apiritu9us and fermented liquors Thil
course would avoid muck expense 10 ID,
Investigation. Of violations Of The license
laws.
Much complaint has reached us on &c
count Of tbs use Of curtains On The votins
booths, At he elections held under The Law
recently passed known as the Australian
Ballot Law These curtains ARE used i
some Of the districts Of the county baIno