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ITURDAY, June 23, 1787.
GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE
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INDEPENDENT REGISTER.
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i FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JURY, to remain inviolate forever. Conjtitution of Georgia •
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17 G U S TA: Printed by JOHN E. SMITH, Printer to the State-, EJpiys, Articles of Intelligence ,
I Advert ifements, &c. will be gratefully received , and every kind of Printing performed.
jcharge delivered to the Grand Jury of the
ounty of Waihingtou, May Term, 1787.
Gentlemen of the Grand fury ,
absence of his Honor the Chief Justice, and
y appointment of the Court, it becomes my
to address you, which my indisposition yefter
brevented. I very sincerely congratulate the
ly of Wafliington that the period is now ar
■ when the administration of justice has taken,
■within its limits, when the good citizens are
wre compelled to pursue their just rights in
■counties, and no longer called to answer
Igcs against them before tribunals remote from
r jrefidence.
tt a time when peace and tranquility pervade,
your duty, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, so
jpgulate the police of your county, as to render
n|at a blefling permanent.
>ne of the firft*objefts which ought to engage
f attention is the state of your academy, for
establishment of which an Ad of theLegilature
been some time part. You mull be very fen
! that a general and diffufive knowledge of po
is the life of all governments, which is only
attained by education*, it is replete with
to civil society; it produces that
Ipfium in the cabinet, that renders people
Ipwithin themselves and refpedable abroad :
trefines the sentiments so it organizes the man
ly *»d fills the mlnrl for the noblest purposes.
Important considerations, merit in a parti
pppnner your very serious attention j it will
become you to enqyire diligently of the
HǤ! inade therein, into the state of the funds
Half purpose. and what appropriations have
thereto ; and fliould you find that the
WBuM. measures have not been taken to carry
■Hip a law so truly interesting, fail not to
Ebofe in whom this trust is reposed, feel your
Hess censure for their neglect.
|is a misfortune common to frontier coun
be very remote from commerce, and the
by which the inhabitants can enjoy in
||||||e a participation of its advantages, is by
|gg a|due regard to the state and condition of
RjSgflitic highways, you will therefore do well
Rpflijptrnend to the Court, that such roads be
BfpnroUgh the different parts of your county,
Hi may think most conducive to its conve
ice*
„ong experience having evinced our conlhtu
l ja its present form inadequate to the grand
of government, the Legislature at their last
|£|itought proper to recommend to the pub
amendments thereto ; lhould they take
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place, I am persuaded it would add materially to
the happiness and prosperity of Georgia.
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury ,
Let me now call your attention in a most espe
cial manner to the fuppreflion of vice and immora
lity of every kind whatever which may come with
in your knowledge. It is too frequently the case
in new fettled countries that the peace and harmo
ny of the public is interrupted by idle and dissolute
adventurers ; the common receptacles of such men
are tippling-houses, and so long as they are to
lerated, in vain may we eredt public seminaries
for the education of our youth, who too eafiiy led
away by bad examples, become a disgrace rather
than an ornament to their country, and ilioft: great
and noble purposes for which man was designed
prostituted by the vilest practices.
Another evil incident to tipjling-houfes is gam
bling—You will for a moment reflett on the fixa
tion of the unfortunate gamefler, (for some unfor
tunate there mult be) led on perhaps by intoxica
tion, view him deprived in an instant of all he pof
fefled ! View him surrounded by an innocent wife
and family reduced to vfretchednefs by his folly 1
And then view him in despair untimely ending a
wretched existence, to the disgrace ofhimfelf, and
injury of his country ! These, Gentlemen, are
gloomy reflections indeed, and such, I trust, as
will stimulate you to the most effectual measures to
obviate.
It is much to be regretted that prophane cursing
and swearing is so generally tolerated as to become
almost a principal ingredient in polite conversa
tion ; but, Gentlemen, let not such offenders escape
your censure in whatever rank or condition of life
they may stand.
The Tax Laws will be laid before you, together
with the lifts of taxable property for the last year,
which you will carefully examine, and also recom
mend proper persons in the different diftrifts for
the purpose of receiving returns of taxable proper
ty for the current year.
Should any bills of indiftmeht be laid before
you, you will proceed to enquire of their merits
with the utmost circumfpeftion ; but I am happy
to find so little criminal business in your county*
You will now retire, Gentlemen of the Grand
Jury, to your deliberations, inthecourfe of which
I fliall be happy in giving you any further advice
and inftruftions you may require.
WILLIAM STITH, jun. Attorney
for the State pro tern,
Washington County ,
May aa, 1787.
THE
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[No. XXXIX.]
Presentments of the Grand Jury of Wartiington
County, May Term, 1787.
W E > the Grand Juiy of the county of Wafiiing
ton, on our oaths present as a grievance the
present depreciated slate of our paper medium,
owing to a negleft in the Legislature in not eftab
lilhing an adequate fund for its redemption by ap
propriating the late cession of land to that purpole.
We present as a grievance the many dangerous
consequences arifrng from the delay of the Com
missioners appointed to ereftan Academy or Semi
nary of Learning agreeable to an Adt of the Legis
lature parted in the year one thousand seven hun
dred and eighty-four.
We preleut John O’Niel and William Drake as
disorderly perfonb, forfaking their wives and child
ren, and cohabiting with idle and diflolute women,
which is a nuisance to focicty.
We recommend the following as proper persons
to receive the returns of taxable property for the
current year :
For Capt. Shield’s Diftridf, John Watts,
Capt. Fort’s, James Evans,
Capt. Kemp’s, John Crawford,
Capt. Irwin’s, Benjamin Griffin,
Capt. William’s, himfelf,
Capt. Smith’s, Benjamin Tennill,
Capt. Barclay’s, himfelf,
Capt. M‘Dowell’s, Joshua Williams.
We further recommend to the honorable Court,
that a road be laid out from the Court-house in the
most direst manner to. the town of Sunbnry, and
that Commiffioncrß be appointed for that purpose.
We have examined the tax returns, and are sor
ry to observe some of them not so correct as ne
ceflary, and recommend that the Clerk make out
a report of all defaulters, and that the Sheriff im
mediately thereon proceed to the due execution of
his duty.
We lastly return our thanks to the honorable
Court and the Attorney for the state, for the great
and worthy charge delivered us; and recommend
that theft our presentments together with the charge
be published in the next Georgia Gazette, and laid
before the General AlTembly at their next meeting.
(Signed)
Alexander Irwin, Foreman , John Rutherford,
William johnfon, Eliffia Williams, Jacob
Dennard, John Robertson, Joseph Bedding
field, Philemon Franklin, Aaron Sinque
field, Joseph Avent, John Shepperd, James
Thomas, John Danie , William Irwin, jo
fliua Williams, Samuel Sinquefield, Ben
jamin Tennill, John Martin, John Burney.
Ordered ,
That a fair copy of the charge and presentments