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AUGUST A, Augufiiu (
Judge Walton*;, Charge totheGrand
jury ot Richmond County.
Gtntlemtn of the G r and Jury* ..
IT ha» been the peculiar misfortune of tn>*
county, to have the place for holding its
C ourts uncertain and fluctuating, (o as neithsr
the citizens, the suiters, or their counsel, fr arce
ever knew at one term where they were to
efleiub.e the nett. Frfcm AOgufta to Brownf
borough, alternately, and from both to the
Xiokies, then back, and now here again—
Changes direftly tending to destroy the con
fidence of juthce, and the certainty of the
law,
Several plans have been formed, and expe
dients attempted, to unite the different opi
nions, and to flx the attention to some spot,
the lituatisn of which might promise perma
nency, and j iftify the ereftion of the necef
f t ry buildings : but, unfortunately, this has
hitherto been in vain
Iu the principal feflion of the present year,
the Legillature had before them a bill for di
viding the county, which parted one House,
and flopped in the other. Had this bill been
carried into a law, there is no doubt but that
the Court-house and jarl of the lower county
would have been eftablilhed at Augusta j and
as this event will, without question, feoner
or later take place, and as proper buildings
cannot longer be done without, will it not
be ccconomy and security to ereCt them there?
They would answer for the whole body of
the county sot the present, and for one part,
certainly, after a division; and the fame
power and relources would be employed to
ereft others where and when they should be
fnuud necCtfary.
In addition to this mod obvious reasoning,
Jt Ihould be contidered that Augufla, beiug
the place appointed for holding the Circuit
and D (tntl Coutts ot the Union, a decent,
as wen as an interefled, refpett for the gene
ral uov eminent, Ihould incline us to an ar
rangement ot accommodation. There must
be a place alio lor the meeting of <>ur own
Judges after the Circuits, on important qtief
tion-, to cflibi th uniformity, and to correct
criors ; and none so proper as the ieit of go
vernment, or so convenient, for parties aud
couniel, as Augutfa
It might also be considered, that that ad
mired and advantageous spot in the foutlietn
Hates, beng the feat of government and of
public otfice iu Georgia ; being alio the head
of navigation, and the general flore-houfe of
all the weflern productions, will soon become
the gieat center of commerce, and of in
ternal tranfadious *, and that the trouble of
attending Coutts, will amply be compenfatcd
fcy the opportunities of butinefs.
fiefldcs, it ought to be well underflood,
for it is indubitably true, that every man’s
property in the county appreciates, in a just
and inevitable proportion, with the rife and
ptofperity of that metropolis.—l am aware
©f an objeftion with refpeft to elections, which
have heretofore been held at theCourt-houfes;
but this ihould be altered for the ease of the
people; and, perhaps, regimental diftrifts
would be the must eligible mode.
Having frequently spoken t® the Grand
Juries of the county upon this interesting fub
jeCt, I hope 1 am now indulged without of.
fence. These ate the only occafious allowed
to me of avowing my sentiments upon fueh
matters. My anxiety and perfeveraoce will,
at leift, stand jollified by comparing the town
now with what it was a few years past. Per
iiaps no place from natural caules ever made
a more rapid progress. In ancient hillory
we find, that the face, the name and extent
of Byzantium, were changed, and the em
pire of the world removed fiom R.ome to
Constantinople, by the ambition or luperfti
tion of Conitantine and the power of the Ko.
mans • and, in modern tunes, that the m>*
yailes of me Fmdland Guiph were converted
into a laige and elegant city, and the moil
•xteniive monarchy now exiftmg rem »ved
from Moicow to by the genius
•t me gieat Pe.ei, ant the larriiict of mil
lions of m »nev, and of thou Uadi of men.
Bit Augufla, without uoie exnaurtmg exer
tions, riles trom the uie o» the telling axe,
me hoe, the Ipale and the plougniheai ; its
itavigition to me city end port of savannah,
our principal key m the ocean, and ns central
p nil ion I by which it w II be the p uni tn
pohuwai n* uamauon a# an# oonm, *4«a am I
p!ire for receiving an 1 ! returning the i n -^ r- '
cou fe witfi the Union, the temporary feat of
government of which being in a line with it,
and the peimaneut one ftiH farther to the
Weft.
Above all, it is the principal feat of learn
ing i. the southern states. What pity, (hould
leller views, or the baneful influence of party
measures, weaken or reftram its growth.
Permit me, therefore, to hope that your Se
nator and Reprelentatives will meet the next
Legislature with minds disposed and deter
mined to make the molt of such great advan
tages.
Gentlemen cf the Grand Jury y
Our principal mart being within your coun
ty, and the government of the state admi
mfteied in it, your attention ought to be par
ticularly directed to the condition of the public
high-Ways. The tranfpbirtatiOn of produce,
and the access to government and the public
e ces, should be made as easy as possible.
. Collected, as you are, from the different
parts of the county, it is in your power to
give information to one another, so as to
bring to public view the' roads* which are in
order, and' those which are not. Refiifals
and negiefts are equally puniihable, and are
propei fubjetts for your inquiry and prefer
ment. One great error heretofore has beetr,
a desire of increasing the number of roads,
mote than the perfection of those already efta*
blifhed. Instead, therefore, of contemplat
ing new ones, it should be our aim to com
plete those already laid out. Over some of
the runs inefficient bridges have been erect
ed, and the public money expended without
effcCt. This is highly censurable ; and the
utmost care ought to be taken to guard against
such impolitions in future.
The bridge over Little river, at Scott’s, has
been swept away by the frefh. The con
flruftion, it is said, was inefficient. Al
though it was guaran'ced for seven years, the
Grand Jury of Wilkes recommended that the
bonds should be cancelled, upon the money
be:ng refunded by the contractor j and so it
was oidcied. This county being concerned,
it is alfoI’fubmitted 1 ’fubmitted to your confidetation j the
refu t of which you will please to report by
way of recommendation. As the speedy re
building hat bridge is important to the cul i
vatiou weft *f it, and of course the gcneial
exportation, effectual measures mult be taken
tor that purpose before therifingof the Court.
—When we fee a tourfe of ltupendous arches
ftreiching over the broad furface, and rapid
ft earn, of the Savannah, at Augusta, by the
design and efforts of one man, something less
than a difficulty ought to be felt and experi.
enccd in perfecting the little palles of the
county. The works of this fort hitherto
made were flight and temporary : But the
plenty aud strength of the coumry a* ft now
equal to more substantial establishments. Let
what we may hereafter do be well done and
we may promise ouifelves it will be lading.
The roads and causeways of the Roman
empire were so firmly conftrutted, that the
vestiges are to be seen at this day. What a
lesson to the enlightened times of the preient
age and country!
Now, Gentlemen, to the immediate duties
affigued you as your portion of the public ju
risprudence. The Solicitor-General will
give out to you, is the form of indsfrments,
inch profecutious as he fball deem proper aud
neceifary i and where he shall find a general
complaint of abuses, without any one amount
ing to a ground of criminal prosecution, he
will charge you therewith, that you may make
presentment thereof for public observation.
The Legislature, in reviewing such prefer
ments, will fee the way to a reform.
When detached from the Court, and fitting
as the Grand lnqueft, it will, in the lauguage
of your oath, be your duty, 44 diligently to
inquire* into the truth, and to prefer with
out regard to any other confidcration. fear,
hate and revenge j affeftion, favor and re
ward ; all are equally out of the question.
Holy and (acred truth mull be your only guide.
Every wituefsto be examined by you, mu ft
be pi evioufly iworu or affirmed in open Court.
Testimony has been generally on the part of
tue profecutiou ouly i But Irom the letter and
(pint of your oath, you have a right to any
evident* which you rtwuld know to be appli
cable to the call before you, being flirt qua
liked in Court,
Be iliife our ruin, and jufkici will bi done,
I Anllhi *J«| J* V# l/y^
Presentments.
Richmond County, Superior Court,
Augu/tlerm , 1790.
WE, the Grand Jury for the county of
Richmond, have taken under our con
liberation, the<.harge of your Ho
nor, delivered us at the commencement of
the present term, and thereupon have deter
mined to makeW following recommenda
tions to the Court : .
With reOeft to that part of your Honors
Charge, which relates to the bridge to have
been built over Little river, at Scott’s, with,
the proceedings of Wilkes county accompa
nying the fame, it h the opiaion of the
Grand Jury we ought not to accede to the re
commendation of the Grand Inquest of that
county; but, on the contrary, we recommend,
that the Commissioner appointed on the part
of this county to attend to the contrast, do
immediately take vigorous and effeftual mea-.
fures to eplvtcc the fame. And in case it
(hall be found necessary to commence a suit
against the contraftor, that it be recommend
ed to the Court to order a levy and collec
tion of a fufficient tax in this county, to go
in a just proportion with a tax in Wilkes
county, towards a nevV cortraft for the fame,
; upon like principles. And
We also recommend Mr. Sherwood Bugg,
as a proper person to be appointed a commis
sioner, to join the commiflioners appointed by
the county of Wilkes, to attend to any future
contrast that may be necessary, to be entered
into relative to the building of a bridge over
Little river, at Scott’s ; and also to execute
any dutie that may remain unperformed by
Mr. Barnett, former commissioner thereof,
who hath removed out of the county.
We recommend that the present and form
er (heiiffa of the county, the former com
miflioners for building court-houses and jails,
be required to call on Robert Forfvtb, George
Handley, and John Meals, Etquires, the pre
tent commiffioneis appointed to fupenntcnd
the building court-houi'es and jails; and to
fettle their accounts of receipts arid expendi
tures of monies coming into their hands frum
the funds appropriated by law to that use. .
We recommend that the lheriff be requir
ed to call on the clerks of the Superior an<T
Inferior Courts, and obtain certified lifts of
ail persons who may have applied to the re
fpedive courts for licences to retail fpintu
ous liquors; and lifts of all forfeited recog
nizances, arid to proceed to colled the fame,
where monies (hall appear to be due the
county, and pay over the monies collected a®
afoie-direfted.*
We recommend that the judges of the In
ferior Courts do appoint some proper perfoa
or persons, to call on the different commif
lioners over the several roads iri the county,
for a lift of the defaulters, who (hall have ne
glected to yield the services required of
them under the aft of Assembly, passed
the 4th February, 1789, and to colleft all
the fines arising from the aforefaid aft.
We-recommend David Walker as a proper
person to succeed Isaac Low, fen. deceased,
as a commissioner to open the road from the
head of Rocky Creek to Augusta, and to take
charge of the remainder of the road over
which Low was commissioner.
We recommend Mr. Hargrove, jofhua
Sanders, and John Cobbs, jun. as proper per
son-s to fill up vacancies of the commiffioner®
over the toad leading from the Kioka Mee.-
ing-houie, to jolhua Sanders’s.
We recommend that the river road, lead
ing from Mr. John Wcreat’s to Augusta,
which appears to have been difeontinued, be
again opened as a public way, the lame hav
ing been petitioned io to be ty Mr- Wereat,
in behalf of the inhabitants on and near the
lame. And we iccommeud that the inhabi
tants, living between it and the river, be di
rected to keep the fame in repair; and that
Mr. M'Miliau be appointed commissioner
the eot.
We recommend that Spencer Reeves be
exonemed tram paying his poll-tax.
We do lincerely regret, with your Honor,
the peculiar uiistoituuc of this counifi 1®
have the place for holding its court! uncertain
end fluctuating, so aa neither the ctti/eua. the
fuiien, or their counted (carte evet bn****
one tein* *beie »h«* *eie w eileiublf tie
J MM* Ihet the chan*** vcft.th have lahifi