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

FOR the cheapest or the most sklliul Were
YOU 20 hire laborer, for instance, now
er. 10 take the crop from your meadow,
would you employ one who knew his bus-
ness, at liberal compensation-or would
YOU look for some cheap hand who never
swung the scythe--and who instead OF
moving your grass, would only hagge and
entangIe it2 There may be an economy
sometimes exercised which instead Of saw
ing may destroy the object of its care.
Take from the Judges salary ofa thousand
dollars,the expenses which he is compelled
20 subject himself to, and il viii leave a less
compensation than you pay for other ser.
vices you pay your school masters as
much, you pay the cashiers Of your banks
as mnch--your mechanics get more--and
one who tends a spinning jenney in a
cotton factory, gets nearly as much.
The salaries Of lhe Judges al the Su-
prome Court, are and have been so low,
that the services Of the Judge are under
rated; their chcapness has depressed them
N our view, and we do not look ut the i'm
portance OF that high station with an angle
Of vision sufficiently elevated. Not sir,
that we have been altogether destitute Of
good sense ana some talent in that depart
ment but the best men we have had there,
have been so poorly paid as not to make
ihcir judicial duties an object Of attention.
But there is at this time an expression Of
public sentiment in favour Of more liberal
compensation, and if there is any sincerity
in that expression, the people will not be
so squeamish as to dlsapproVe Of a better
system, because it costs two thousand dol
lars more than the present, especially II 1t
should save ten 10 sultOr5. You pay TO
the Supreme Court upon the old system,
ten hundred and fifty dollars, and by the
provisions of this bill, you will pay 5000 dol
lars difference only Of 1850 dollars.
But If you thus compensate them for de-
voting more of their time to thcir duties,
you may delegate to them an additional
business. There is the trial of nsoyent
petitions, n business that has long embar-
rassed the General Assembly, and hung
like mill stone about the neck Of Iegis-
lation. The Assembly have endeavsurod
to cast it of, and it has rs often returned
to them, aud your table is now loaded with
an accumulation of petitions Of that kind,
and you know not what to do with them.
That jurisdiction may be removed To- n Su-
prcme Court, if you will pay them for sus-
tanning it.
Bat sir, there would be a further saving
ny ofthe important cases which Legitimate.
" belong to the jurisdiction or our state
Courts arc now transferred to the United
States Court for trial. OuI citizens either
move out of the state, OF falsely describe
themselves on the record as out Of the
state. merely to change the jurisdiction (;
and there Is now pendng in the Supreme
Court sf the United States, n case depend
ing upon the construction Of our Statute of
Dcscents on the question IF the inhCrlta
bic claims of the whole and half blood.
TINS arises from the want Of that legal sci
cnce in our Courts competent 20 decide
correctly upon nice points OF law, aud
which is only 10 be at. by constant
devotion TO those duties. Would II not be
much cheaper to litigatc those Qu",tlous IN
our State Court and are not the people
already satisfied Of this If ther are, they
will have no scruplCs about this small dli
ference of expense, and if the compensa
ton now proposed is so eNtravagant as t.
endanger the passage Of the bill, let it be
lost in the Senate and there let it lie TIL
the people are satisfied that it would not
he useless expense, aud are resolved To
cary it into effect.
NJ Jesse. ReyNoids--I am in favor ot
this bill and | want it TO pass go that IT will
90 through the Senate. think 500 dol
lars will do, and am very sensible that Il
we oct real good Court 1t Will reduce the
business Of the lawyers So much that We
can get the first legal characters in the
State 60 take it for $500
NJ. 7idiaghos! said, that was very just
remark.
Nj. Ni,rcl said tire town he had the hon
or to represent in part, Providence was
the most Interested in the public cNpCud
lures because il paid the greatest proper.
ton OF these expenses; but he was satisfied
pino tcnths of his constituents were in ia.
vor of establishing good Court, and pay
ing them hbcrally for their services and
believed the people at large were in favor
Of tho same measure.
Mr.. Gideon Greene hoped they would give
the three Judges just what the 1--WE had now
(SlO5O, which would be $500 each.
The question being taken, the Speaker
could not decide from the sound. The
House was divided, when % were in the
Affirmative, for : Sl0O0 and ~ IN the mega.
tlye-so that the sum Of 1000 dollars was
agreed to.
Mr.. Robbins said he was in favor Of the
bill. and of the sum that had iuSt been q.
greed upon but he was satisfied IN at the
small majority that appeared for tins sum
would hayc a tendency TO defeat the whole
bill: he, therefore, as one of the minority
on that vote, moved to- rccedc, with view
of adopting $500 for the salary.
Nh Diron said he had been in favor OF
agreeing upon the largest sum, $1,000 He
was still in favor Of that sum, but as the
friends of the bill were apPrchcnsiye IT
might be defeated by an adherence to this
Il