We the Grand Jury of Talbot County for March Term 1829. We present Joseph Curtis for living in the State of adultery with Harriet Mahon founded from the evidence of James Traywick, James Jones and Alexander Scoggins.

We also present Charles Leath for living in a State of adultery with a woman whose name is not accurately ascer-tained, grounded upon the evidence of John D. Chambless & Charles Fisher.

We recommend to the Judges of the Inferior Court the building of a jail and Courthouse as soon as practical.

We also recommend to the Judges of the Inferior Court the notice of the bad situation which the roads are in and opening of the same. We have examined the Books of the Inferior Court and the Treasury and find them correct.

In taking leave of his Honor Walter T. Colquitt, the jury feel grateful for the courtesy shown them during the present term.

Thomas J. Bugg, Foreman John Avent James L. Burks

Jesse Carter John D. Chambless Willis Cox

George Hughes James Hunter James Jones

Richard Langford John Neal D. A. Perryman

Laban C. Pool John Pratt Cirus Robison

Richard W. Roffe William R. Russle William Towns

James Traywick Lewis Wimberly

SEPTEMBER TERM 1829

We present George Freeman with the offense of trading with a slave on the night of June 29^th last. Witness: Peter Davis, Esq., James C. Leonard and Allen Brooks.

We also present James Bridgeman with the offense of trading with a slave on or about July 20 last. Wit: Robert Brooks, Esq., and John Avery. We further present the said James Bridgeman with the offense of passing a two dollar bill, raised to one hundred dollars and the knowing the said bill to be so raised and altered. Wit: William P. McKeen and Micajah Felton.

We appoint Col. Peter F. Mahone, Capt. William Harvey, Dr Reuben Phillips, Col. Henry Mims, Dr N. B. Powell & Thomas

McDowell, a committee to examine into the state of our County funds and report hereon to the next Inferior Court of said County.

The increasing population and wealth of our County admonish us of the prosperity and of our having our public buildings erected as soon as practical and that we would recommend to the Inferior Court that the Courthouse should be of brick and the jail of wood.

In looking leave of his Honor Judge Colquitt, we cannot withhold the expression of our thanks for his prompt and diligent attention to the discharge of the arduous and responsible details of his shares on during the past week. And to the Solicitor General we feel grateful for the attention and aid afforded us in the discharge of our duties during the present term of Court.

We request His Honor to have our presentments published in some one of the public gazettes of the State.

Signed: N. B. Powell, Foreman

Hartwell Battle John P. Blackmon Robert Brooks

William T. Burke Peter Davis Hamilton Duke

John Dupree Mark Fleming John H. Harrison

William Harvey Thomas L. Huff Michael Kennymore

William G. Kolb James C. Leonard Thomas H. McDowell

Peter F. Mahone Josiah Matthews Henry Mims

Reuben Phillips Charles W. Smith Seaborn Thorn

Whereupon it is ordered by the Court on motion of S. Armstrong Bailey, Solicitor General, that the above present-ments be published in the Columbus Enquirer.

September Term 1830

Presentment of Grand Jury (pgs 85-86)

We the Grand Jury selected, chosen and sworn for the present Talbot County term of the Superior Court for said County, congratulate their fellow citizens that whilst as a commun-ity, we have some causes of sincere regret. That on the other hand, we have every reason to feel thankful to that providence that has blessed our population with the most abundant health, deeply impressed with the many blessings which we enjoin in a religious and political point of view.

The joint ------of the present patriotism and devotion of out County cannot but feel the most lively interest and the most honest concern at these unhappy causes of dissention which but too often destroys all those social feelings which constitutes the strength and glory of a free people dis-claiming an intention to dictate to any man a course to be observed. May we not indulege in the hope that when we remember all the happiness of which we now boast, -----------

-------------------------------------------------------etc.

September Term 1831

The Grand Jury Inquest on the County of Talbot beg leave to make the following presentments:

The Grand Jury view with the deepest regard the general pre-

valence of the vice of intemperance among our fellow citizens and trace many of the great evils of society to the improper use of …spirits. They will not attempt any enumeration of the many evils and destructive consequence will result from that source. The conduct of a few individuals whose intemperate course has rendered them so great of a nuisance cause us to notice them particularly. Where men become so degraded as to allow about the tipply shops and abandon everything like an honest advocation by which to produce a substance, they become a pest to society and their conduct must have a baneful and demoralizing influence more especially upon our slave population, many of whom are supplied with spirits by those vagabonds to the great annoyance and injury of their owners and the community at large. We present Nathaniel Wigginson, John Stokes as being common vagabonds and hope the proper authorities will be interposed to rid society of such a burden.

We present as an evil the perseverance in our present peni-tentiary system. We are of the opinion the experiment of penitentiary punishment as it has been tried in Georgia has proven an entire abortion. It has failed in those salutory effects which its friends had interpreted from it. It has failed in graduating the punishment to the crimes. It has failed in reforming the criminals, but on the contrary, it has turned him out into the world after the period of his confinement more conformed in his propensities for crime, more hardened in guilt and better qualified to prey upon the virtuous part of the community to elude the awards of justice. It has failed to ameliorate society, but on the contrary, it has held out an inducement for rogues of other states to make our soil the altar of their exports. Instead of our penitentiary being a terror to evil doers, it is often looked upon as an asylum for their necessities and over and above all this, the hundreds of thousands of dollars which are required for the support of the institu-tion is onerous in the extreme. It is in fact a ….tax on the virtuous, part of the community for the support of the vicious and abandoned of all other state and counties. Taking this view of the subject we are of opinion that a further appropriation of the public money for the support of the system would be a (senseless?) waste of the public funds and we therefore claim privilege of instruction our Senators and Representatives to oppose all such appropriations for the erection or repair of penitentiary buildings, to exert their influence to obtain and in time, abandonment of the system.

We have examined the books of the County Treasurer and find the following payments by him to the contract of our public buildings, to wit, the receipt for $49.22 and order paid for the Tax Collector to pay the amount of the County tax in his hands over to the contractor.

We find that David A. Perryman, former Tax Collector, to pay amount in default the sum of $611. We also find the County Treasurer has paid the sum of $1579.46 to the contractor in notes in part of the 2^nd payment for the public buildings. We find the amount of notes in the officer’s hands for collection, $1999.15. Also in the hands of the County Treas-

urer, $1134.66 in notes, and the sum of $121.57 ˝ in cash. Upon an examination of the estray book, we find the following Justices of the Peace as defaulters, to wit: Samuel Hopkins, Thomas Howard, and Sanders Walker.

We present William Booth and Thomas Bazemore for an assault and battery on the 5^th day of the present month. Witnesses: Micajah Johns and Edward Bamgard.

We present as an evil, the great number of roads and the frequent orders granted by the Inferior Court for new roads. Keeping up so many public roads is entirely apprehensive to the people. We would suggest to the Inferior Court the propriety of having the public roads of utility kept open or in a better state of repair. We do hope in future they will be more judicious in granting orders.

In taking leave of his Honor Judge Colquitt, we tender him our thanks for the prompt and able manner he has discharged his duties during the present term of this Court.

Grand Jurors

Joseph Riley, foreman John Avant David B. Bush

James Crouch Wiley Howell Robert M. Ingram

Elias Landrum David Lawson Henry McKenny

Samuel McNeil Peter F. Mahone Henry C. Mills

Henry Mims Daniel Owen Norborne B. Powell

Sylvester L. Radey Benjamin Searcy Haywood Sherrod