Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1802-07-31
IL - CENTS SivoLE.l

hoor- 1Ielcye, sis, gre9t ird ii,st dsr j,
S"CG '"r me author o. the ancient schcn,e
PreFehteu any innovation upon It's nlate,ia
principles. There was no gentleman. =. l.c
teit THAT deierence more than ovsclf nc,
should have ever hazardch a chancs nm.
on speculative orinion. But D,acliCe bad
discovered defects which micbt wrll "a.
cape 'he most discerning mind in planning
ule theory. The original system could
not De more than experiment; Z. was bri,t
upon no experience. II was the FIRST en-
plicafIon OF principles 10 new state Of
Things. The first judicial law DISPLAYS
great ability, and It is no dispaiageiYent Of
me author, to say its plan is not perfeG.
/ Know, SIR, that some have said, and
perhaps not lew have believed, that ~.
new system was introduced not so much
I with view to its improve mt of the cid
as 10 the places which il provided for.
the friends OF the adminIstrat;ou.------.
his is a calumny so notorio,isIv false. and
/ so humble as not TO require nor deserve an
answer upon this floor. Ito.nnor b, e,.r,
Posea that the paltry object Of ployidiTe
i%r sixteen unknown men could have ever
offered an mducement to a ereat pertv.
baseeiy to violate theiy duty; mea2,y "a e.
/ crahce their chara6ter, and foolisbiy toF fore
50 al future hopes,
now come, Mr.. Chairman. to xaiaire
me Changes which we're mad. hy ,},s late
law. his aubjeS has not been cor, .e6 ,ly
understood H. Eas every -,lare bcs'n er-
ronepU5ly represented. / hsye bear5
much sad about the additional conrts err,
ated Cy the ac( OF last session. / n.rce;,-a
them spoken ofin the Presidents 7,oess,-e-
mn M inc Ia, II this high authority, IuDGe.Z
'aiNe :" s'aIe' lhGt no additional court was
established by that law. Under the fo-,,-
Ct system there was one supreme court.
ana mere IS but one SOW. There 7vere
seventeen district courts ana there AM, m
more now. There vas circ,,is co.,,
heid IN each distyiEt, end such IS the rses
~ present, some CT the dist;9 ;udyss 80
directed toho.d their courts et ,ie7g 7,ls.~e
nat there IS still in each dist,iA bit ora
c -, court What, sir, has been done
l% unnatural alliance between The y,,-
P4elne ano distinct courts has been sever.
Da( the Jurisdiction OF both Of thcsc cc,,,,.
remains untouched. The power ~, an
thcr''y Of neither e I1.o To- -.
augmented or diminished.-.The; ,ris.
uctIon OF the circuit court has been extenf.
ed TO the cogni2ance Of debts Of 1c0 Goi-
lars, and this is the only mateYal chance
IN the power Of that court. The chief O.
Peratlon OF the late law is a new orranizs-
ton OF the circuit courts. TO avoid the G.
Wis OF the former plan, it became neces-
sary 20 create new corps Of Judges. II
was considered that the supreme co,,-
Ought TO be stationary ard to have no cor
nechon %iih The JUDGES over wbcee
ton.
10 nave formed circuit court OF lie
district Judges, would have allowedroccu.
Of appeal from TIE distriCG court. excent
tie supreme court, which would have been
! attended with great Inconvenience. Eur
| thls scheme was opposed by q still greater
difficulty IN many distress lie duties of
the nudge REQUIRE daily attention. H. al
OF them business ofgrest nfortarce may
on unexpected occ1wsnce8 require lis
/ presence.
This plan was thought Of; Il wes w..i
ezom;ned and finally rejected, in conse-
quence Of strong obic is to which il was
liable. Nothing therefore remained. bur-
70 compose the circuit court cut Of iudees
distinct from those Of the other courts.
Admitting The prcpriety Of excluding from
ths court the Judges Of the supreme and
( district courts, think the late coprr-.-
cannot be accused ct any wanton cxpe7se
! ror even oi neglect Of economy IN The
new eatthiishment. Ills extensive conn
! Try has been diYided into SIX circuits, ana
three Judges appointed Cor each circpi,.
Most OF the Judges have twice wear To
attend court IN three states, and ther. IL
not one of them who has to travel fa~fher
and who in lime win rot have more labot
to perform, dian any Judge OF the y,sfe
I courts. When we call 20 mine. that H.,
jurisdiction Of tbis court reaches the E6.
Of the citizen, and that in civil cases ;te
| judgements are hnai 10 a laroe amount
/ certainly 1t viii not be said that It ogei,>
20 have been composed OF less than tnTeo
IUdges. One was surely not enoueh. aud
/ il it bad been doubtful whether two 49,.
rot sufficient the Inconvenience, which
would have frequently arisen from an =.
qual division Of opinion, iuyiifes the ,,o-
vision which secures determination IL al
cases.
It was additionally very material 20 risee
ON Tie bench Of this court, iudes.fro,y,
each STATE, IS ;ae court wss in ren.rrT
| bound n conform ~ the law and tl,c4.
tee Of The several states.
trust s'r tte committee arc safse y
! that jhe nu7aber iudees vh.eh corn.
ta- 6iFcrt court not TOO gisae.
e ieEf1a 'te fai zee bcCr rx.fr+..
I lv cuiBabir. 10 inrs r,t,,,.