The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-02-08

to accept appointments in that departments
among other Inducements there must be-
an adequate salary. and as the provisions az
! this bill impose high and responsible dulles,
/ thcro ought to be a compensation IN some
| degree proportionnble. You enjoin II on
the Court to charge the Jury on questions
oflsw.--This duty would generally deyolve
on tho Chief Justice; but, as by this act ~
might sometimes dcyolve on the associate
Justices, who are Of course n be qualified
! for those duties, | am in favor Of making
the compensation equal among them alt,
/ and thousand dollars for each, IL they aro
well qualified, is little enough deduct
! from that sUm their expenses upon the cir.
! cults, and the necessary expenses for pro-
I tessional books, and they will have but y
moderate sum left for their support. The
! present salaries of our Supreme Court aro
/ only two hundred fifty dollars for the chief
! justice and 300 for tho associate justices,
/ but little more than enough to deirny he
| travelling expenses of gentlemen in ther
station, upon the circuits They therefore
! get little or nothing for their services, and
/ We cannot expect them to devote their
whole time and attention to judicial dutica;
and hence il is that there is not often
! fu,l Court on the bench--Indcod, in the
|
! through the term more than three Judges
ont of iivc.--it is not strange: because they
are paid nothing for attending. Their
salaries will hardly pay that number ofmen
| for dodglng in and out of the icpective
Court-housos in The Sta,e--to say nothing
ofthe discharge OF their duties while there
| Pay them and they will attend; but without
| it YOU cannot expect their attendance on
I nj hnp
ces than YOU pay for.
But SIR, amount Of salary, is not the on
| ly consideration which induce men Of suit
able talents to become Judges: Tenure of
Office may sometimes enter into the cacu-
latlon; but that cannot here be taken INTO
! the account.--This State can make only
annual or periodical appointments of Judges
and OF course the incumbeuts are always
| dependent ou the Legislative will. This
consideration ought not TO lessen, but l
should think 1t ought 10 increase the snla-
ry--tor AZ Tenure, and SALARY are the two
great inducements, what You fall short of
uifurding IN the one. YOU ought TO make up
IN the othcr--and is II 10 be disguised TINT
! professional nien are contemplated by this
hill Why do you make IL the duty OF tho
Court 10 charge tho Juiy upon The law? Do
| yon think any one will presume to charge
tho Jury upon The law on important and
! difficult points, and in tho Court Of the
last resort in the State but, Lawyer? II
they are then to be professional men,-~
where ] ask are you TO get thcm2 Are
you not most likely TO find them at tho
bar, and IN full practiccy--Thcy will not,
TOR trifliug considerations, give up the Ger.
talnty of the bar for tIic uuccris slnty ofths
bench. 10 be- Judge for one or few
hn, S,.,n NJ
poorer than be came in, would be no high
nducemcnt TO professional men, TO give
up his prnctce a few years absencs
from the field Of his professional labors.
would destroy his practice and he might
as well attempt to gather up drops Of wa,
ter which had been split upon the ground,
as to regain il. ] ask then, whether ono
| thousand dollars is M cxtrayagant salary
for Judge in the Supreme Court? Tho
gentleman from Bristol says that 500 dol-
lars would be reasonable sum 10 fill tho
blank with MS the state is so small and there
is so little business, the Court would not
have occasion To be together but O few
weeks in a year. and that thousand dol
lars will defeat the bill.--But ! am appre,
hensiyc that the bill would not pass at thi9
session, allowing either q thousand or eight
hundred dolars--I should think those who
would be opposed TO giving 1000 dollars
for this purpose, would be opposed TO give
ng 200 dOllarb--But sir, as there seeing
to be n decided expression in favor OF re-
forming the Judiciary ofthe State, | would
test the sincerity Of that expression.--Pre-
pare the bill az IL should be, and if thp pco,
pie want it they can have it; and am con.
lident 1t would be well received by those
Of the community who calculnts on the im-
portance Of tho sublect--aDd ~ 10 thoso
Wh no do not, they would not be satished
with any increase ofsalary IN tho Court.
n 10 true the State is small, and Judge
would be- upon The bench but few weeks
~ the year but is that all Judge has 10
DO IL he not employed in vacation as
we'll as term time-has he not cases to OK
anime. and settle the principles on which
they dcpcnl ; OF course research calls
him 10 his library, and no must have books
20 exBmine ns authorities. The accumu.
lotnp wealth Of this state, and ITS multi.
piled concerns IN business, cannot but mul,
tipy the number and increase the impor.
tarce of subjects Of liugation--and II er
all. DE- The Judicial department Of the State
government 80 indlhcrently 10 be regard.
Cd, and the labors Of the Supreme Court,
considered ms n business onN Of few
weeks employment 2 Does not 'he Su.
prone Court decide upon all your rights of
property as well as liberty and life IL
you mean that the Judges shall decide his
cases correctly, enable him to devote his
Lifc 10 his Judicial duties Let him be-
come a Judge and Judge only bnt If he
cannot live upon his salary, he must re.ot
20 other avocations for living. His Ju.
dicial duties become with him but second.
arv object, and TO the public his services