The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-13

I the rate becaufs in that cafe many evils wou!
I exit wishoa''a remedy. II there was no pe,i.
/ ton, there would be no redrefs.-It w,s no.
rieht TO FAY. chat the prefent n,eafare would fall
more oppre:hveiy apon the poorer claslts: be.
ca.i'e the poor are more generally defendants
and the rich plaintiffs. Merchants on wind
ing NJ their buinrfs, or breaking up their part
nsrih'cs, always crowd the petition Docket
w'fh their fuits. A nd the rraion why the fiiits
n'to'oear sard is, the accumulation of the dcbf
from the addition. OF the fees.-Mr. II. referred
to precedents from our Iiiler itates He had
pract,ied IN Gate, where the jurifiietion of the
| n'ag'itrate at that time extended to E. le; and
n"ce 1t has been extended to E. %. BIT under
tue Former regulation, not one in hundred had
appealed, though they had the right and un-
der me prefent, he had heard OF no complaints.
ne hopsd that the houfe would adopt this mea-
'ure, asit would fhow that lawyers are not 70
much bla!ied by their own interefts, as they
nave been generally fad TO be; and becauf. it
may thus lead to greater concilia'ion between
mem and the other members OF me community
Mr.. Byrd fuggrftsd that his conitituents were
10 warmly attached to the prefent rneafnrr, that
'hty h'd even covered petition IN favor of it
wins or hundred fnbfcribsrs. He him
len had pra6tiitd upwards of tx wears in three
county courts. In one of them the petition
docket had not been attacked in all that
time; in another ofthem, the petition dock
et rad not been touched more than three times,
ana the third court had never taken up the ne-
e0'on docket except "a very few times The
petition dockets in thofc courts have not
been at all changed fince that period. Does
not the preient law then call loudly for-refot-
NATION! Is moi this complete delay of jatice
equivalent TO its denial? II lis A fad tiiat n
note for Is or 20 Dollars is not worth more than
half the price. Mr.. Byrd E,id that the lawyers
CO.ffn FIJI a., l,x;,,n To-. L
magittrates, that might he eatl; and fatisf,cto-
rily t'led before one He could mention one
Gale, III which the COTS of filit on petition &,
luminous bad amounted to 95 dolls. and auo-
ther tor l2 dolls. the COTS of which had a
mounted IN years to 90 dolls. The gentle
man from Campbell had fad tha,he fhould vote
asanit this amendment, becaufe he was nor in
hructed. He ihould recollect however, that
we were legllating for the whole itate, & not
TOR part ot IT. Let the prefent meafure pafs,.
tft!d MI. } and iutice will tier be with as
what it is nozv with rim 1t istrue there is no
general hftruttion by the people but il is ALTO
true there was no recommendation by the Lee
giiidiure to collect the fcne of the people, and
none from one county to- another.
Mr. Laid'ey and MIR. Sharp expreifed the
wi'hes "f their REFLECTIVE confituents when a
member moved to take thu Ayes and Noes.
Asalnit the amendment los
For it ss
The qaeiton was then taken on the original
report OF the committee of Courts of Juitice,
and the refolution carried by large MAORI
ty.
Ordered that the committee of Courts Of
Juiiice do bring in Bill purfuant to the E,id
retaliation.
No ma! can perufe the preceding Ncetch, without
beng truck with the Obvious contrare:y which, ex
her yrep -.sl,,a ~. ,oT. j,
different coaaties. In fone of them, the petition
docket is Hated he free from enblrrafnent in a.
theirs IS crowded with the unniihed absur of pre-
cediig years There IS none too, who does not per-
eeive, that this contrariety important not IS mere
matter OF theory, bu, beng the foundation of DIFF
erent nieaiures o policy From the fr9 il is infer
red that there Is no necety for altering the exiting
laws; from e lait thar j, ablsiutey proper to rake
theie petitions of the county courts and fub,t
shcT to the lurifiicion of Jingle Iaae;ifrate Does
not tueh a this iisw the extreme uriiirv which
would reu!t from general review and underilardirs
OF our Judiciary iyftem! Let then the Legislature
ntruoi hc Clerks of each County. court 70 draw. ON,
general Eetch at the Rate OF their REFLECTIVE doc kets
rot only they preent are bnt as they have been
Tor ieveral years patt; and dribued int tch heads
may eSh bit the various caes of iuits both crimi-
ual and evil, and civil iuts for greater or fma.r
fums Let the fame plan be even carried no to the
Superior CouEts. 1t was by lch documents
ID tleir that the Greidept CT the United States
laid open 70 completely, a view of the DIFF
ierenr federal courts aud 10 ucce,tuy aiited Con-
2res IL its deliberations upon the great queftion of
neV-inode!lng their Judiciary fylen. If fuch
iehedule Is we naTe hcre recommended produces ITO
crhcr benefit, it viii leaf have the effet9 of ned
ding comfortable light nponour former and cur pre-
iert plans Of criminal jurprudence. The number of
GRIMES which have bcen rerpe,rated under EACH may,
IN omc degree At Leaf contribute to Anew their conf
paratiye Contingencies.
During the fitting of the Legislature on Tucrday.
MIR Miller (of Powhatan) oblerved that our relat;-
with lome of - countries of Europe had 4,
this time aiuned gloomy and portentous aipetee
Fhey mad made depredatiors upon our commerce.
nFoads upon our territory, and inflicted numerous &
revere injuries upon Our ul6ffending countrymen.
The Preifdetit in his late mefTsge TO Congress, had
recommended the adoption of fomc eiaclna nieafrres
tor remedyng and preventing thefe aggreliions upon
our rights. Other meaures, however might be re-
orted to for evincing, fnot the force at leaf the f
rit, 81 the naion Ii behoves behsves all the
people OF the United Starss, to rnarit-N round the
itandsFd OF the government and to convey 20 the
world the un'haken confidence whLh. they feel in
the wiidom and brnnefs of the administration; and
their determination to iupport them in every eafure
which may be required by the ;pln,edjate ntsres of
our country. He therefore fubn1itted 70 the houC.
the following preamble and rel,iution
At this important criiis in the affairs Of their eo,Ip
try, the Eeglatfire Of Virginia feel it to be d,,y
al. IL