Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-28


this nature, which are contnua.ly growing
out of the various transactions OF socie-
ty.
tits now proposed 10 examine some Of
the most common audp0pular objections
20 the comfy court establishment. The
first is, To their yeatuitous services. 1t is
asked, why should not the county court
justices receive compensaiicns for their
services, az well as al Other officers ~
| state This question may be answered
by another: why should they receiSe
compens 'tions. if they do not require
them, and will perform the services wth-
out them? Bat this part of the SUBJECT
! is tho interesting In be salts lied with ms
! mode FRENZY. They are ton numerous;
| and il wonld add too much Ia the nuhtlc
| contributors 10 -eiauncy.itc t!lensli he
! sides, hcing salary offices, would ncces-
Sariv exclude them tro,u seats in the
General ASSEMBLE ; ard the people would
| loose their most important services IN the
! legislative department. To slew more
| particularly the value of the judicial ser
vices, gratuiiousl, rendered by the county
| court justices, let rough calculation
! be made IN round numbers. !; * merely
| intended here to give an outline view,
| which NAV be corrected by others, re-
| curing greater accuracy. Let it be sup
| posed then. that there are one hundred
counties in Virgiuia. averaging twenty
Justices in each; this would make the
whole number 600 Suppose the mode
rate compensation of 200 Dollars TO be
gIseD To eacl, Justice. the whole amount
OF compcnsation would he 5 400 600 The
whole revenue of Virginia amounts to
i!!,le more than s 500, 900. II would ap-
tlpn tInf 10 ma fn
sation of Justice, alone would amount to
nearly four tiiths Of the whole revenue Of
the state. This view OF the subject,
would at once silence all aitemnts 10 nav
them ont Of the nnblic treasury, aud at
III" same time shows, The great value of
Their H-ituitOus services. But 70 avoid
this consequence it is proposed bv some.
TO pay them by perquisitcs ; and 70 lessen
their numbers. This mode of paving bv
pcrquisites, IS The worst that can be de
vised. Instead of making them conser-
vaiors 0f The peace, II brides them 10
become disturbers ofthe peace. II brides
them 10 encourage quarrels, and law suits,
by Which the emouSentS from peruni-
sites become increased II would seem.
that socictv could hardly be infested hv
two worse pests than iusticcs receiving
perqlisites, and peitiCoggng LAWYERS,
who are always in their train and who are
disgrace to their profession, hunting ND
quarrcls and law suits, that they may
fatten upon the spoilS Resides, who
would pay these perquisiIes? Generally
lie poorer classes Of society. Most of
the perquiSites would accrue for scrvi-
ccS performed by individual justices
whose jurisdiction is limited to smaIl
sums ami although The amount bv Der
nnIClfc< would 10 L.. 81, l.
ments irOlu the treasury, it would of
course, generally fall upon the POOR
whilst from the wise and benevolent1en
dency OF a government, in the hands of
Tie mlddling class of society, the public
contributions are generally levied Oh the
rich. certainly on people possessing pro-
perry: The poor scarcely ever know, or
feel the weight of the publick contribu
tons II was chiefiv from the recollee-
ton Of these facts and consequences:
thai IN some preceding part Of these ge-
neral reflections, it was Observed. that
the poorer classes of society, were The IA
vorites, not only OF the laws. bur of fine
administration ofthe laws. I'm This view
may be seen lie mod,s ose,u,,H evident
~ producing this effect. Yet uncrcas-
ing efforts are made by the enthusiastic.
rr'"rmers of the day, 10 render this most
favored portion 1T society, dissatisfied
with Their government, and with their
real heneiactors.
The Potonlacll is the boundary line he
tween the dIsntercsted and Deruuisite
justices ofthe peace. Our very resppcta-
bic sister state, Maryland, has adopted
The perquIsite system and, il is believed
from some observations upon The nrac-
flce under these different systems that
The poorer classes of society i'm MARYLAND
pay AT least ten times as much, I'm neruui
sites 10 justices, as proportionate NAM
Der III Virginia would paw for their whole
contributions. II is said, that in NIarv-
land, here IS II. re electioneerinr for law
suits, decisions and pcrquisitcs. than for
all tile honorary Offices of government
pnt together; and If was reported of one
oil fhe most expert justices i'm these res.
poets, residing i'll the neighbonrhood oG
Washington, that he was such an adept
at getting his neighbours by the ears. and
then settllpg the differences between
them, that fhe amount Of his pprrujsjtrs
Tor these good offices, exceeded tbat of
the highest salary officer in Inc state
these, and such-like re-
suits, 1t is proposed TO exchange onrsvs-
ten Tor theirs; and this too, out of treat
tenderness and loving-kindness towards
Tie poorer classes of society. With res
pect to the proposed improvement. by
lessening the number of justices, il must |
he seen, bv the most superficial observer
mat whilst no good could grow out of the |
their moral influence. in |
giving respect aud efficacy to The laws.
woiht be prOp0rtlOnablV diminished - |
And Vt would scarrclv lac uoSsibIa - al |