District Court For Washtenaw Co.

Jlpril term, 1844. Grand Jury Room, April 9, IC 44. $ Tbe Grand Jury of taid County enquiring ia and for the body of Baid County, beg ieave to represent ihat, being called from every part of ssid county to enquire inlo and present such violations of Law as shall ome to their knowledge, they were first charged among otber thincrs, to sce that no one should escape with impunity, who had been guilty ofing Bpintous liquors without a licence. We had ecarcely organized before some dozen or more complaints were made to this body of yiolations of this very law. This body were hoping there were no more cases of thi kind, and that these were of that class w-h o could not have obtained licenses from the proper authorities, had they been applied' for. But in this we were soon undeceived: complaints were fornially presented ugainst almost evcry person who had kepl a tavern, grocery, or atore in the county, for the purpose of sellingardent spirits among óther th ngs, especially was this true with regard to Ihose who resided in the centra] and eastern parts of the couniy. We alo learned with pam that eevertil of these establishments, were sinks of iniquity, and so far from being such establishments as the wants of the community demand, were complete nuisances, on account of the excessive drinking1, garabling and disoroerly conduct allowed and practiced in the earoe. In view of all these facts we are naturally led to enquire how it is that such a fearful amount of crime and disorder has heen allowed toaccumulate, and on examination we find there has been a remis-sness on the part of certain public officers in enforcing the laws. The statu'e makes it the düty of the Supervisors of the several townships to pros-ecute all persons who sell ardent spirits without Tícense. We cannot find on enquiry that any prosecutions have been commenced on any person. The result has been that others (seeing that those who were engaged in the trrffic have been auffered to escape the penalty of the law,) have been etnboldened to enter into the same illegal course, and thus tliia great evil hasaccumukited until it arrived to sucb a crisis as to cali loudly for redress. - It has been our endeavor, as far as possible. to strike at the root of the evil. Consequenlly a great number of bilis of indictment have been found against individuals for bieachesof the excise lawá; all, o'r nearly al!, of which costs and expenses would have beensaved to the county ; besides a fearful amount of crime and wretchodness, had our Supervisors done their d.ity ns they oughf. We feel loth to inflict pain unnecessariJy, yel wbere we see so gross a violation of duty, occompanied by such disast rous and disgraceful conaequences, we feel cttiled upon to speak out in euch lanjuage as tobe understood. We lèe! bound to say, that at the door of the Supervisors, and íhere alone rests the accountability for this great amount of evil. How much better to prevent crime by a )igidand and 6trict ndhererence to duty in public orBcers.fhen by neglect to suflèr crimes and misdcmeanors lo incease, and then becomjieüed to pay the expenses of ferreting out the culprit8. Althoagh through tlie nefflect of the proper ofilcers to attend the coüection of the 8ums to which they, the retailere, Sic. are made liable to pay lor Jicense to traffic in epiritous liqtiors, a large amount of money has been lost to the public, and in the prosecution of these indictmenls a much larger amount must necessarily be expended; yet we look upon this as of small moment, when compared wilh whatlhe community suffersfrom that lrxity of moráis in consequenco of tliia total noglect of duty by public servants, which is gradually, bnt too surely undermming our instituüons. We cnll upon the people to awakeand look well to your public ofïïceis. Teacli them that they are no mere íhan public eervatüs, ond !hat the public havo a right to expect from them the performance of those duties which they have sworn to perform. Resolved, imauimausly, by the Grand Jarord of Washtcnaw Coi.inty, Thatihe foregoing address be eigned by the foretnan and clerk, ond that the editors of the several newöjiaper? printed in the county, be requesíed to publish the eame. MUNNÍS KP]NNY, Foreman. H. B. Norton, Clerk. (L To day we finish thesenes ofarticles by S. Y. E. and also publish the second ':Lay Sermón" by L. C. These two writers, perhaps, represent the extremes of opinión on this subject. We give both a chance to be heard. Our own position needs no defining. It is neither Conservative, nor Destructive, but Reformalory. We are for just so much and such kind of discussion, agiïation, and action in every church as will best exclude Slaveholding and all other Popular Sins from its support and countenance.CCr The Cabinbt of President Tyleb. is now composed of the fullowing gentlemen: JohnC. Calhoun, of South Carolina, Secretary of State. John C. Spencer, of New York, Secreiary of the Treasury. William Wilkins, of PennsyIvania,Secretary of War. John Y. Mason, of Virginia, Secretary of the Navy. JohnNelson, of Maryland, Attorney General. Charles A. WicklifTe, of Kentucky. Postmaster General.