The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-05
PAPERS OF A CENTURY AGO.
CONTINUED From Elghth Page)

| Continued From Eighth Page)
serve as a Democratic campaign leahet
| OF the present day. The preserCnents Of
the first grand jury whose sayings are re
| corded on the minutes Of the court are Of
! this character, and make the general ma
! ture Of all of the earlier ones clear and
| easily understood. The Circuit Court OF
! the United states was at this time, Tues
4 day. Oct Is, 1871, in session a Augusta,
and the foreman Of the grand jury was
| John Powell. lie and his associate jury
men made the following presentments to
| Justice Iredell and Judge PendletOn:
I'VE, the grand federal inquest for the
District of Georgia, do make the following
| presentments:
First. We present the excise law pass
| ed by the last session of Congress, so far
| as it respects spirits distilled within the
United States. The same appearing to US
partial and unjust in the highest degree,
| inasmuch as, If an excise on liquors made
| in the United STATES was necessary to
answer the demands OF justice, il ought,
| in justice TO have been general. and
hence cider ana malt liquors should have
| been included.
| Second. We present the want of Ill
Of rights, clearly defining the reserved
rights OF the several states, comprehend
| ed in the guarantee of a republican form
Of government to each state by the con-
SuluJlOn or the United states.
Third. We present as a grievance that
Congress have laid heavy duties on many
Of the most essential necessaries used in
| the Southern states, which duties operate
merely as a bounty and encouragement to
| the manufactures Of the more opulent
| Northern states.
Fourth. We present as a grievance that
| an allowance in lieu of a drawback on the
| duty of salt made use OF in curing dried
| and picked fish and sailed provisions, ex-
| ported from the United States for private
emolument, is granted; whilst that on salt
used in the United States, and absolute
| ly necessary for the consumption of the
| Inhabitants is exacted and collected
Fifth. We present as a grievance every
measure Of the general government. by
which the territorial rights of this state
| are or may be infringed
Sixth We present as a grievance that
| the citizens of this state should be held to
! bail on account of moneys due TO British
| subjects whose debts or property are con-
| fiscated for the use of this state. Mr.
| James Spalding informed the grand jury
he stands in this predicament
Seventh. We present as a grievance the
eXpensiveness of the present judiciary de-
partment of the United States.
Eighth. We present as a grievance the
want of a bankrupt law
Ninth. We thank mis- honor the judge
lOI 4llS JuNitlOlA7 Cltdi Sc anu request bAtclt
| the same, together with these, our present.
| mentS, be published in the Stale Gazette.
John Powell, Foreman.
| There are en- record the presenIments OF
other grand turtles that are along the same
line. Another of these, in speaking of the
want Of a bill of rights, declares that with
out such a statement Of reserved powers in
the fundamental law of a country, free
| government such as had been designed in
| this country, could not and would not long
| exist. While history has shown that
| these deductions from fact are not correct.
| for the country has lived without the bill
of rights. they are SO far true that the
bloodiest civil war of the ages was waged
| TO decide the very questions that these
grard jurors would have had peaceably
and finally determined.
Attacked Protection.
In other of the presentments are attacks
| upon the system Of projection and upon
the excise Jaws which the grand Jurors
| evidently thought favored one section OF
| the country at The expense of the other
SIN ano her jury takes fal out of one
of the presiding judges, by contrasting his
want of punctuaity with the punctualtt9
of another of his brethren, and remarkine
that it would he well for him to emulate
this example His lack of attendance upor
| the sessions OF The court, the grand jury
said had resulted in much loss of time and
| tended to the complete defeat of the end:
of Justice Such a criticism upon the ju
dietary of the present day would, in al
human probability, result in the offenders
acquaintance with the inside of prison
walls.
The roster of the district judges whC
have held court in Savannah embraces
many distinguished names. Beginning witt
| James Pend.etCn, il embraces in success
sion the names of Joseph Clay, William
Stephens, jeremiah Cuyler, James NJ
Wayne, John c. Nicoll, John Erskine anC
Emory Speer, the last named the presen
distinguished occupant of the bench. Cour
las been held IN Savannah at various
times by many of the more prominent o
the associate justices Of the Supreme Cour
among them justices Samuel Chase ant
Bushroyd Washing on, and by one chic
justice, Hon. Oliver Ellsworth.
The courts We're moved 10 the Custom
House. upon the completion of that build
ing, in 1850, and have been held there sine,
that time The most brilliant names anon,
| the bar of the state, throughout all lis his
| tory, are included among the members o
| the bar of the United States Courts 70
this district and the old wa,ls, that have
been lett now to more prosaic happenings
have resounded time and again with the
| eloquence. There history has been mad,
and unmade, and from these courts have
| emanatel some Of the cases whose decis
ions form the ground work of legal liter
AZURE and the very basis of American jul
| rsprudence.
A HUMAN SLEUTH.