New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-15
GR1ND JURY RIGHTS.

Mayor Body now declares his intention OF
publishing the minutes of the Grand Jury, If
Judge Moore decides in his favor and allows
/ him to do so. The Court however, was cX-
plicit on this point when the Mayors applica-
ton was received. Judge Moore said, after
listening to the argument: {" certainly would
not make an order directing the publication
of the minutes ! cannot do that" In re-
serving his decision he promised to consider
the cxpcdicncy and legality of allowing Mayor
Body to have a copy of the minutes on the
strength of the allegation that the prescntmcnt
against him had been made either without
evidence or upon pepurcd testimony. nat
ever his decision may be- he cannot permit
the Mayor to publish the minutes without con-
victing himself of inconsistency. lie declared
cmphatically in court that he would not issue
an order for the publication OF the minutes
1t may then he taken for granted that the
minutes will be placed in the Mayors pos
session. if at ALL to enable him to hunt the
pcriured rascals down" and not to cnllghten
the public
The Aldermen. who shared with the Mayor
in the ccnsure of the Grand jury. will prob
ably prefer to have the Mayor carry on his
campaign against his enemies without unneces-
sarv publicity. The cool thirteen are not
sensitive. They do not blush easily. They
have not entered any rcmonStrancc against
the pyesentment. If there had been bundle
of indictments they would have been impressed
by the action Of the Grand Jury; bat a moral
lecture in the form Of Il prcScntmcnt only OK
cited CYNICAL amusement. Blank cartridge
firing does not trouble them. There is little
smoke and nobody is hit. Probably the aStutc
Aldermen are already rejecting that the affair
would have been forgotten already, II the
Manor had not been thin skinned and sensitive
about his reputation Probably the publlca-
ton of the minutes is the last thing III the
world which the Aldermen desire. If the
Manor chooses to make loud cutlery of per
jured testimony" and cvinces muIderous de-
termination of making it hot for the Grand
Jurys witnesses, they are not inclined to re-
strain his ardor; but publicity is not to their
taste. They prefer to have everything done
in their own dialect. on the dead quiet" just
as the railway franchises were sanctioned.
If Judge Moore rises to the height of the
occasion he will deny the Application and
vindlcate the time-honored principles Of secrecy
and inviolability of Grand Jury proceedings.
lie ought to do this, for it is law As old as the
hills When Mayor Body, breathing out
threateningS and slaughter against the Grand
Jury and the "pcrjured Witnesses" receives
his answer, it should be clear vindlcatlon OF
the right of that body to examine in secret
such witnesses a> it chooses, to Judge OF the
testimony on its merits and to bring into court
such indictments and prescntments as may be
consistent with a Grand Jurors oath. If
Mayor Body be placed in possession of names
and testimony, it will be precedent which will
parayzc Grand Jury action in future and leave
honest witnesses at the mercy of raScals whose
conduct may come under review or ccnsurc.
Judge Moore was elected without opposition
as a candidate of both parties. He owes moth
ing TO boss, ring or gang. lie is under oblIga-
ton to the people Of Brooklyn to defend what
has become the last stronghold of municipal |
reform-thc Grand jury system.