Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-03

vsnces in all the Constitutions Of the Z. States
put together. Liberty can never be endangered
while the adrninisua'i ion of the government is in
the hands of the middling elias. Of people Indeed.
in that case it would be scarcely necessary TO i'm
pose restraints upon the governors In the funda
mental laws; because the middlin class OF society
can find no interest ia doing wrong to any. The
great DAGGER consists in placing the governinen, in
the hands of The extremes of society either The
extreme rich or the extreme poor; because they
have direct interest in plundering socie'y,f7r he
benefit of their extreme orders. Al this moment
there is an example Of each OF these cases. which
ought TO afford the most Instructive, awful less
thai ever presented TO the consideration Of man
kind 10 G. B.i,ain, the government has, for a long
time, bees in the hands OF the extreme rich; and
from artificial course OF policy. in favor Of their
own order, they have almost snnihilated the mid
ding Glass; and have reduced the iaboring class 10
poverty, distress, wretchednes and starvation.
This is done by tIhes and taxes-by varying the
distribution Of the proceeds # labor b, taking
from the productive aud giving 10 the unproductive
lsborer -impelled by spirit Of avarice which
knows no bounds, and which is the real source of
all modern despotisn. In Kentucky under the pTin-
cip!e Of general suffrage, the government placed
in the extremes OF society; and the debtor part
OF the community, availiug itself OF artificial
peden,s, stripped the creditor par, of the COM
prodacei by this state of things, it is no, impro
bable, that Kentucky was saved from civil
vuIsion by her connection - it'll the other States.
Let these two examples then adnonish the Peo
pie OF the United States aud most particularly of
Virginia. sgains, placing their government in the
hands ct either extreme OF cie'y. ALI the ten
dencie- of The County Court system of Vne inia
are moral, all its results beneficial. Under
It's influence, the County Court # Justices are tie
md
moral Class of men that ever existed in any com
m'ni'y. Deviating in some respects from the
received maxim OF The separation OF departments,
the justices OF the peace constituted the essential
Legislative executive and Judiciary ofthis Common
wealth. They meet here in their legislative cha
rac.er an make laws they PROFOUND and decide
upon the meaning of the laws in their judicial
charac'er-and they direct many Of them 10 be
executed in their executive character. Departing
from another political KIM the unity OF the .x-
ecutive; they form the mos, numerous, and most
powerful executive in the world In addition %
their official influence, they possess great moral
ufuea ce society. Being scattered in neigh.
bourhoods over the whole State, and each iustice
possessing moral influence his p,rticular
neishhoufhool; their. moral influence becomes co
extensive with their official influence; and their
union forms the strongest executive in The wor d.
And hence is seen implicit obedience to
the laws of Virginia, than perhaps in any other
| country in the world. In heir Judicial character
the Justices OF the peace have fewer temptations O
give undue bias to tbei, decisions, than the irs-
tees in any other system heretofore devised and
hence 1t is that almost all their decisions are inn
partial in their objects and jisi in their results
This will appear evident from the very small
| number Of the reyersss Of their judgment. by the
Superior Courts. II is acknowledged, however
that there are some exceptions these results; but
they arc such Only siow oui OF the common
!mpe'ec ious ot human nature. The beneficial
di-pensa'ions Of these justices may also be seen in
their legislative character. | think hszard no,
thing la saying, that the Virginia Assembly du-
ring the last half century, have done more good TO
society and less harm, than any other dsIibera-
tive assembly in the world; and / think may be
INDUCED in making this remark, without; the i'm
pu'ation OF vanity in claiming any share in this
merit, SINCE have been OF those citizens ~ no
have received these beneficial dspensatons with
| ont contributing to them; EXCEPT in the wears
go. 80, and 1900. in which merely dlscharg ed
the duties OF an individual member. Yeti will not,
Disguise from the House my opinion that there
have been rome alterations some material aber
ra,ions from correct principles of legislation;
but they have always been unn,en,ional aud
always corrected, wheneve. he errors become
manifest. Let me now, Mr.. Speaker, contrast
the opposite system OF perquisieS. with this be
nignan; system of The Administration of Justice.
&c free, without reward The tendencies of the
Perquisiie system are all immoral. They serve
directly TO corrupt society, and extend this cor
Tupion even 10 the middiing class; the verJ heart
and core OF society. The justices themselves
Become converted, by their interest, into the
common disurbeTs Of the peace. The eiec-
ton OF The justices OF this system is found
ed upon the right OF general suffrage. The
Offices themselves are numerous, and are said
to be sought after with more sviIi,y than any
other Offices within the gift OF the people. Hence,
the bsneiui eleotioneeIing spirit is found 10 exert
itself more 10 obtain these Offices than any others
within the giif OF the people Hence, a waste OF
morals, waste OF time. waste of money, and
waste o! wbiskey will be seen in the cortuntion
Of the people Tor their votes; and even iistice
herself is offered as premium TO the most ropu-
lar of the voters thus converting courts Of JUS.
lice into courts Of favor. Justice is no longer
blind bet has all her eyes open TO the Popular in
auence OF the voter; aaGit is now even said thai
the middIinS class baye Ceen oIsiej from all these
Offices, and they have been placed in the hands OF
the most unpfinciped and least competenf class of
society. The expense TO, Of this system, i.
enormous Whilst The people are amused with
the privilege Of choosing their own petty neigh
borhood iyTsnts-- the poor are scourged with b.s.
w amerc emsn's in the form Of perQuisitss. The
uial OF single warrant viii cost poor man.
perhaps, ten times much as The poor man in
Virginia pays for the whole of his governmental
protection, including al the dispensations Of ius-
lice. The whole annual taxes called for from the
Oh msn Virginia, amount 10 only yyo add
three pence; whereas, the trial Of .inge ,yaran,
under the p-rqusite sysiesi, would cost perhaps
ten times that sum. ! had once an opportunity of
deriving some minute and particular Information
upon This subject, in consequence Of being upon
Committee 4 memorial from the Justices OF The
llf.fri cf( frls tor "A