The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1821-03-01

ms State, not one quarter part OF which are
carried to the Supreme Court more than three
iourhs therefore OF all the lawsuits are settled
IN the Common Pleas; does this look Ike
sham There is provision ~ the amend
ment. SIR, that the Supreme Court shall have
concurrent jurisdiction m all actions where The
damages are over s 100; here then The PRIV.
lege OF election is given 10 parties, IN which
Court 10 commence their SUIT, II they do mol
like the odieus Common Pleas, they may re-
sort 10 The higher tribunal. One great ob]eC-
iIon ~ my mind sir, in rejecting this amend
ment, Is the great expence and delay there
viii he occasloned by carrying 10 The Supreme
Court, all appeals from Justices, and all the
other tIiiiDg causes which ere now settled IN
tue lower Courts 1hose who happen TO be
last, must wait through long term, al great
expence, especK1y OF time, which IS the
creates, expence, until their turn comes; 10 use
familiar Illustration sir, II would be as II the
inhabitants Of a large town should go 10 The
Post Office at the same moment; what delay
and confusion would ensue. The amendment
as II strikes me, Is vast Improvement upon
the present system.
| have head SIR, said Mr.. A. with some sur
prise, the remarks which have been made con
ceIning the newspapers attempting to foresia /
and controi public opinion. have seen noib-
ing OF thai KIND, bul have seen pieces IN the
papers OF tins lomp, osyuIh sides OF the ques
lion; ihese remsiEs may or may not be irue,
but IT seems TO me, there should De some eVi
dence 10 support them, before they are offered
10 this committee. One other consideration
bias great weight with ne ; II IS, that d we do
not adopt the amendment, we are like 10 have
the present system saddied upon US tor another
year with all its numerous detects.
Col. CURRiER, observed that his situation did
not permit HIM TO 60 INTO details, lie should
therefore confne hlmseIfto general principles
The voice OF the people was heard last spring
on this subject and their petitions were multi
piled on your honour's table; there was no
bo.sierous expression Of sentiment, but still
small voice. The Legislature took the hint !;
nothing was done at Tie last session; the lie
gislature went among the people and are no"
returned possessed OF their opinions. Did
this sentiment OF the people stop here 10 sir,
it moved on to New Hampshire, It dld mol
rouse there the staysites, but The great law
yers of the State. Did II stop there no sir i,
it kept ON to Boston, and shook Beacon Hill
and The capitol and The memDers OF the Le-
gislature, some oi them perhaps out OF then
seats; they have altered Their system IN each
of these States; and now 1t The two Houses
cannot agree upon The bill as it has passed
this House, should hope we might continue
as we are, to observe the operation in those
States. Mr.. c. observed that rich men could
by the amendment take advantage OF the 3D.
preme Court, while poor man who had a
claim under 500, must be slammed OF upon
the lower Court some, he said, objected mat
the dignity of the Supreme Court would be
effected in private lie, he said, they mlngle
with the people, why should they moi bring
their Office down also 10 this level. The Su-
preme Court may be compared TO the sun, the
Intermediate Court 10 something between II,
and US, which deprives us OF his genial and
fertilzipg beams after the farmer had put bls
seed into the soil, suppose the Creator should
inierpose some opske bodies between US and
the SUI, TO deprive US Of his rays, 1t would be
no comfort to the farmer TO know that there
was sun, but that the Creator had hid his
invigorating beams. A poor man, If this a.
mendment prevails, cannot get up TO the Su-
prene Court. know of no way by which he
can reach it, but by committing crime, and
then he will gel there fast enough
Mr.. WILSON, said be wished to answer an
objection which appeared 10 some to be form.
dable, and that is that this bill would degrade
the dignity of the Supreme Court. He said,
he would be the last 10 destroy that, but be
practised on the maxim, that honour should be
given 10 whom honour was due. la this ceun-
Try mans dignity emeRated from himself,
and the dignity OF this Court would consist in
relieving the oppressed, assisting the needy in
doing justice to every one, and in the dis
charge of their duty, however small
Mir. SPoFFoRD, would not undertake to fol-
low the gentleman from Readfeld through all
suns and blazing stars, that he had complete
ly lost sight of his argument. The gentleman
stated that your table was covered last session
with petitions for this bill ; ne is mistaken, sir,
or ] am the petitioners DID not ask you 10
take away or a5ridge the presen, courts, but
to increase them; they asked for courts TO be
established in each town that justice might be
brought nearer home 10 them aud so tar from
answering their petitions, you are acting d.
recny contrary to them instead or giving
them more courts, you are destroying what
they already have. They asked you for bread
and you give them stone, for fish and you
give them scorpion. DIR. s. objected TO the
report OF the committee, because ITS tendency