Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1806-01-13
Messrs. ADAMS s JENKs,

the Supreme Court at Augusta, in the Cotnt4
Of kennebeck, was closed, having been held
two weeks sy Judge Thatcher when all the III
siness on the docket was finished in q manned
hlghiy satisfactoryto ali but unsuccessful sri,l
orr, and without any complaint even from Them
Thus the Docket Of the Supreme Court M
every County in this District, by the indelatig-
able labour Of the Judge, and the patient alter
tion Of the Juries, has been cleared Of everv
action, except in few instances where ba
situation Of the parties rendered a continuahra
unavoidable. During the fall circuit whia
commenced on the third Tuesday Of Septen-
Der, IT Wiscasset, and ended on the first vael-
of November, at Alfred, one hundred and tim
ty Ncrdcts IN civil causes, were taken and r.
corded, leaving nothing for trial except in Re
County Of hennlbec, where for many wears
there has been a great accumulation OF actions
The Judge with iaudable desire that -
T, cry County should stand upon equal terms, sf-
ter having reTnulned there until the Saturday \
before the Court was to be held at Portland. n
concluded TO submit to the eXpcnce and incon- Il
venience,of an adjourned session in the winter. 4
with a determination TO finish the business be- 4
fore he would adjourn without day. Both
Couns el and parties, calculating upon vigour I
and dispatch IN the Court, were unusually well
prepared for trial, and OF Saturday, Of the Sc
cond week, after completely occupying twelve
days IN court, the whole business was finished
and the Court rose thirty eight yerdicts hav-
ing been given in, which added to those be-
forementioned make 6S verdicts in the ST.
preme Court in this District, since the middle
Of September last---It ought also to be obser-
we'd, that In July last, at Castine, the whole bu-
siness was then finished, Judge Thatcher hay
ing held that Court also.
1t is certainly circumstance worthy ofcon-
graduation to the citizens of this District that
| the prospect is now open to a speedy terTnina-
ton of disputes in their Courts Of Law Of
| course the expenCe Of time and money will be
much diminished-in short, Justice may now
be administered, according to the principle Of
our Constitution, 4" promptly and without de-
llay'-vhile in foreign countries, where there
is freedom Of discussion, law suits are frequent,
ly 50 protracted as to ruin both the parties en-
gagged in them, and while in many counties of
our State, several years delay of Justice, from
the accumulation of business in the courts,
must necessarily take place we have the
Happiness to know, that if unfortunately OBJ
liged to seek redress Of wrong, or defend 4
gainst an unjust claim, IN most cases six, and
at the longest twelve months, will terminate
the contest
The new Judiciary System under which
one Judge is authorizedto hold a Court, altho'
the success oft was at first doubted, is believ-
ed now to be universally popular. Certainly,
in the trial Of facts, where the Court only pre-
sides and the Jury are 10 decide, it is better
that there should not be diversity of opinion
on the bench, which would only tend to distract
the Jury.-As in almost every trial Of facts,
questions Of Law incidentally arise, which are
often Of importance, the alternate terming Of
one Judge and majority Of the Court, who
viii correct his errors, Is e wise provision
III short, the present system, with some few al
teratiOns which might easily be introduced, is
probably the best that can be devised.
As proof that much danger il not to BE-
apprehended from numerous exceptions to the
opinions Of single Judge, and as Just tri-
butte to the Judge who had held the court in
this District, it ought to be noticed, that out
} Of one hundred and sixty eight verdicts, taken
in the course the fall Circuit, and one hun
Z dred and ninety, comprehending the session at
: Castine, not more than twenty bills Of exCep-
, tons have been filed, and many of those are
deemed important only by the Counsel who f.
led them.-Whcn it is considered that the
n counsel are ever eager to take exceptions when
tle cause IS running against them, il there
; be anv chance Of a more favorable decision
the above fact furnishes an unequivocal proof
: both Of the merit Of the system and the cor
rect opinions Of the Judge who has carried It
ins0 execution. VIATOR.
Gen. .4rzastr2ag'a Letter, published in this