§ Mr. Denmanpresented a petition from certain inhabitants of Liverpool, praying that the House would take into consideration the mode of selecting Grand Juries, with a view of remedying the evils attached to it. The petitioners complained, amongst other things, that great inconvenience and injustice arose from the circumstance of a particular class of persons only being summoned to serve on grand juries. In consequence of this mode of proceeding, the grand jury of the county of Lancaster had become a sort of standing jury, the same names being continually placed on the panels. The petitioners attributed the failure of justice in the trials of the Manchester Yeomanry mainly to the manner in which the grand jury of Lancashire was nominated. One of the statements of the petitioners was, that the number of persons who had served as grand jurors in Lancashire, during the last 12 years, was only 38, whereas it ought to have been 163.
Mr. B. Wilbrahamthought, that the House ought not to interfere with the province of the high sheriff in summoning grand juries.
Lord Stanleyobserved, that the mode of nominating grand juries in Lancashire was precisely similar to that pursued in every other county.
Mr. G. Philipssaid, that the subject was one of the greatest importance. He believed that the allegations of the petition were strictly correct, and that the mode of selecting the grand juries of Lancashire partook much of the nature of a monopoly. Under such circumstances, it was not improbable that the political prejudices of the grand jury should interfere with the rights of justice. It certainly had created no little surprise in his mind, that the grand jury had thrown out the bills which were preferred against the Manchester Yeomanry. He was of opinion, that the subject of the nomination of grand juries should undergo a complete investigation.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.