Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-09

death OF wife, are grounds fur in,peach-
menf. ltsnr.iy cannot he expected, that the
man whose body is pnferbcd by disease or
WHOSE heart is lacrrated by the spectacle ofan
expiring wife, will be competent to preside
| over the trial ut our causes, and to admins.
ter justice in the way in which it ought al
Ways Ia be administered IL the health of
the mind frequently depends upon the health
of the body; It the operations Of the judg-
ment ART affected by our distracted feelings.
who can expect. or who can desire, that
our Judges should attempt to perform their
important duties, under circumstances calcu-
lated to shake the Judgment from her seat =
Much less could We suppose, that any impartial
man would attempt To make This sort al ,is-
| talon the subject Of sarcastic reproach, when
to the Judge himself it is the source of deep
regret aud bitter modification.
| We do not deny that Judges themselves are
men; with many of the fobles and weak
nesses of human nature. They too are
sometimes the slaves of Epnui. They too
s"metimes give way TO petty indispositlons.
But we believe, that this is rarely the case
When it does happen, they become de-
ser,rdiy the objects of public apprehension.
The great defect, however, is i'm the system,
itself. Frequently when tn, Judges could rem
edy it, they have done so. When they have
been prevented from attending their regular
courts, they have frequently held special
courts for the trial of criminals. previously CON
fined. That poioer is gwen them By the law
and that duty, il is believed. they haze rarely
neglected But the law does not permit them
| IN such cases Ia hold intermediate terms for
the " trial ofci,Il causes" They can only do
hts. when the regular term has been held.
and AT the end thereof the business has not
been finished And, notwithstanding the bold
question " has any body ever heard of our
judges holding an intermediate term in any
| one county for the accommodation of the
grea' body of the peopIc?" we may safely af.
firm, that such courts in such eases have been
held IL many ofihe circuits, If not in aH Let
| the Dinwiddian" examine the records of the
Superior Court of Princc George when Pc,
tersburg made IA part of it, aud he will find the
best answer Ia his own question Or L., MIN
| enquire of the Richmond bar, and he will find
similar REPUTATION Of his exaggerated asser.
| lions. The Judges have, in variety Of cases,
during their recess held such courts as the
law authorized them 10 hold.-Perhaps il lsa
defect IN the Existing laws, that they are una
| bi'' 10 hold special courts for the dispatch of
ciifl a. well criminal business, in the event
of their being unable 10 attend at the regular
'er,n. But If this b. defect, il is for the Lee
| gslatur. Ia remedy IL not the Judges.
| We can scarcely credit the assertion, that
no courts have been held during the present
automn on the South side of Jamrs river from
| the head at tide water In the Atlantic Ocean,
! But, " TINS were the case, who is Ia blame
Have the Judges wliully neglected their du-
les? Have they failrd to attend, from snffi-
cirnt, from inevitable causes, or from the want
of inclination? IL the latter, then " Oae of
The People, would - do the state som. SER
| 'irt" by pointing oui the deliuG,ieni indiyi-
dual and DIR gsinS him 10 the bar of public
jusfcr.- But. ii the former, is il not ungpne-.
rous and unjust Ia breathe insinnaions into
the public Ear. that are totally unfnunded p
| We have understood, that the courts for f,e
or SIX years past have been regularly htid in
that section OF thr country; aud that duriuG
The same period, some intermediate courts
have also been held to bring up the dockets,
and iOr the accommodation Of the great bu-
| dy al the people" But would II he wonder
fu!. that Some failures should have occurrpd
IN an unhealthy portion Of the country s. in 90
uncommoniy sckiy an autumn? Is il won,
drrfni, that Judges should, Ike Other people.
have been overiakcn by disease Or does this
writer suppose, that the enormous salaries they
receive dr." io elevate them equally above
want aud above disease
We repeat. thai The great fault is in the sys-
tenn Itself. We have already pointed ou, one
defect. But the evil lies deeper still. Ii is to he
found IN that disastrous change which was ef--
trcted In the organization of ouI courts, when
1
respectable auth"roit this Re, olution lived long
enough TO see his error, and tn plore the evils
| which II has brought upon his country. But.
1t would have been far easier sor him 10 have
stad his hand, Than 10 cure tn wound which
II ba~ inflicted. The " bringing ur Justice 10
every mans door," is the popular idea which
gilds the fatal pill. II is this brwiicling delu-
sion, which enIlced the Legislature into the a
doptOp OF the system. And how has il even
tuated? Justice has been DELAYED, and not
facilitated. criminals pine in jail civil suits
lumber our dockrts, because the single Judge
IS sick while, under the District System. his
colleague might bave been able Ia attend and
administer justice Let the singh Judge I've
SICK, the doors Of justice are shot up. Let
bim even attend, can any man believe that t
Is ms wen administered in an important case,
winch Is sometimes decided by ooe man, ip a
nasty manner, under the most par isl views of
the la", AS where even the hints Of nm inferior
assnciaic might cnlIghten the Judgment Of aa
elder iudgr2
II is this popular notion, that seeks to recon
cue lis 10 The frequent vcxaiieue, and expensive
charges Of The renues.
| III - this idea. "hich would reconcile us 10
III" falling nr Of the abilities both Of the bar
anu ibe bench. They act andre act upon each
other. The bench is supplied from he har
ana your judges lose their acumeu. when the
/ lawyers degenerate. But. how can wepxpPct,
mat the rloquence and learning Of the bar shall
| flourish ~ such degree, when the field Of ex-
hibItion IN our circuit courts is narrowed from
a District TO a rounty? THE effect is as GER
tam, as is The influence Of motive in the gene
ration Of talents.
Perhaps we are IN expect M remedy, unless
| Inc Inconvenience which "One of the Peo-
II ~