Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-09-19
ron THE GAZETTE.
TO THE REPUBLICAN ELECTORS OF The
COUNTY OF ESSEX.

FOR The GAZETTE.
TO THE REPUBLICAN ELECTORS OF TIE
COUNTY OF ESSEX.
The time is fast approaching when you
will be again called upon to exercise one
Of the s. unalienable rights" Of freemen. al
the ensuing election, for Members oil the
Legislative Council and General Assem-.
bly,.
Whom will you send to represent you
in the cou'.cils Of the state Among The
number OF gentlemen upon nomination
whom will you select ? This is question
at all times interesting to the citizen, wher
he adyer:s 10 the important duties Of 9
legislator, to the important powers vested
in a legislative body. IL is a question
DOW, If We do not much deceive our
selves, doubly interestins-for need you
be reminded that the District Judiciary
Lam will again be brought before the LIE.
gisialure Of the state--that again win bt
bEeagh. late action all the address. the
art, aud the intrigue OF modern Legislative
bodies, on The one hand TO support and
render permanent that law, and on the
other to expnnge il from the statute book
and resrogrsde us to the former state Of
things. Need we argue the point-that
40 enlightened and impartial administra-
ton of justice is essentially importan, TO a
state--to free state more especially
that states must have laws TO regulate the
concerns and transactions Of the different
members with each other ?-tha; in pro.
portion TO the liberties which any state en-
joys, is and mus. be the number and null
tiplicity of its laws ?-that to administer
the laws, knowledge of them is neces-
sary THAT knowledge in any particular
art or science is not innate, much less is it
inspired, but can only be attained by pa
tient investigation ?--Is moi the conclu-
sion irresistible, that 40 enlightened Ju-
dietary is essentially necessary 10 every
free state But this point we do not al
present intend to discuss.
Every enlightened and patriotic Jesery-
man must regret, that the question Of the
District Judiciary Lam should have given
rise TO SO much debate, to SO much alter
cation as j: has dcse. And we do,lht mol
every republican in the state must re-
greet with ourselves, as We most sincerely
do, that divisions should have taken place
among them in consequence of that law.
The District Judiciary Lam was passed
in February, 1918. by the votes OF the
federal members of the Legislature, to-
gether with few Of the republicans, al
together forming snf6ciency for its pas
sage iuto law. 1t originated with the
republicans at least ostensibly so. A.
mong the republicans who voted for the
law were The then. representatives Of Es-
sex. The great body of the republicans
voted against the law. and were in the
minority. Many, and we think the great
body Of the republicans throughout the
state, have seen the necessity of an i'm
provement 10 our old Judiciary system
but they have iusuperable objections to
the form of improvement which has been
adopted, and we may venture to assert
will never give it their support, aud with
out their support it never can become per-
manent.
Contemporaneous, we believe, with the
passage of this law, aud as substitute
for it, bill was introduced into the Lee
gislatHre to have the proposed improve
ment of the Judiciary in a different form,
that is to say, by authorising the appoint
ment Of a fourth Judge for the supreme
Court, and by having as Presiding Judge
for the county courts one Of the Judges OF
that court. thereby making il necessary
for the appointment OF one additional
Judge only, instead Of three, as is neces-
sary by the District Lam. This plan,
possessing all the advantages Of the Dis
trict Law with but few, if any, of its OBJ
jections, could not then succeed !; but if
we may judge from the attention which il
has received from the most influential re-
publican members ofthe Legislature, who
we're opposed to the District Law, we
should say, that all the members Of that
side Of the house would give it their de.
cided support-aud il the republican mem
bers who have heretofore been so much
enamoured with the District Law were 10
join their brethren, there is 90 doubt but
The plan would succeed, be permanent
aud general throughout the state.
But this plan has never received that
attention which its merits deserve. The
republican members OF Essex, and Of some
other of the eastern counties, have been so
devoatly attached to their system--to the
6 idol which their Own hands have form.
ed'-that they have not listened TO its
claims-its merits they seem to have to-
tally overlooked--and the plan has hith-
erto remained I" unnoticed and unknown
as 10 its exceIlencies or its defects, for il
prefends not to perfection.
We wish the republicans throughout
the state to take an enlarged, a liberal and
e