RELIEF OF GRAND JURORS.
Mr. MILLER called up the bill [H. R. 421] to empower the Board of Commissioners of Counties, in which Criminal Courts are established, to make appropriations out of their County Treasury for the relief of Grand Jurors, in certain cases, which was read the third time.
Mr. SINCLAIR said: This bill is for the purpose of covering cases where the Grand Jurors have been misled by the charge of the Judge. We have a case in our County where the Grand Jury was charged by the Judge of the Criminal Court that in case they could not find an indictment against a certain man, against whom charges were made, that they might return to the Court the facts found, and present them to the Court. They did so in one case, and were afterward sued for slander and libel. The damages were between $300 and $400. The County Commissioners and the people are willing that the Grand Jurymen shall be relieved from this damage. This bill is for that purpose--to enable them to do so. There should be relief in such cases, and I hope the bill will pass.
The bill passed--yeas, 69; nays, 0.
