Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-07-08

circuits and single judge assigned to each circuit
he division is very unequal, and the arrangement
Jectionabr IN many respects; but this - the faI!
moi OF the judicial but of he legislative department
court Is held in each county of the crc nit for ia
ual OF criminal causes, and of actions and suit
| common law. The judges on their circuits, IiS
charge their duties with diligence, and general !
10 the satisfaction OF the lawyers, the suiors, an
! the people They commonly try all the cause, on
| the docket: il the legal term is too short, they
omemes appoint adjourned sessions Of their courts
| In performing those duties, they frequent,
subjected to g'ea abour their daily sessions are f'-
quenty protracted toSor 10 hours, and they are o
necessarily engaged their circ uit dulles, for the
space of or months in the year, and in some il,
stances Tor longer period. With what proprety
then, sir, do you tan Hngy tell them, that the y
may =" retire To the estates in easy Incidence, *
RIDE their circuits for health and recreotion? do
you really think, that the public lives of men, who
faithfully discharge those important duties sal
most marked with utter usetessness? Believe
me, sir you were influenced more by passion than
by reason, when you gave vent to these bitter de-
nuBciations!
\ ou also tell them, that they may travel TO
Richinoud i'll November, when the season is agree
able, hut nerer III June, when the heat il oppres-
sive This courteous permission is extended to
them, ter the Charitable purpose of proving your
position, that their public lives are :. dedicated to
Incidence" Buti would have been well, that
you should have endeavored TO be accurate i'm your
| iactS, before you made such exhibition of your
charity. Now, sir, 1 aver that from the June
term 1914, lin which year the new law took effect,
OCCURRING majority OF the judges TO constitute
General Court) TO this unfortunate term of June
ISIS, space OF Ia years these judges whose lives
are . dedicated 10 Incidence, did constantly hold
their court in the hot and oppressive month of June
During The same space al time, three failures &C.
Cured in the agreeable season. OF November.
AZ proof OF these facts, refer you to the printed
volume OF The Decisions OF the Court
full Ilc,t a., m
portion OF business at my time before the Gene raj
Court III does not constitute tenth part, in some
Instances not u twentieth part. of the business Of
tn courts in single circuit. Fiat small portion
however, Il generally of an important character.
ami the judges ought always 10 make such pre- vi
Gus arrangements, as will insure the assembling OF
a quorum. do not believe, that the legislature
cvef expected, that all the fifteen Judges should be
present at any tern they scate red all the
Sominonwcnlt.i land some OF them reside 30o miles
or more from Richmond II not to be expect
ed, that these should attend ihere twice year for
the purpose OF deciding the small portion OF busi-
ness before the court. 1t is a want of concert a
'nongst themselves which has produced this result,
and not their Incidence, nor any notion that they
are irr 'spon'ible', - am..nable to public
Opinions, or even 10 public prosecution. Much
less can the unjust and uncharltahle imputation
fasten OH them, that tn y willing 80 to pocket
their salaries, and defy the people" You cannot
persuade the people OF the different circuits, tina
such Is the character oil their respective judges
they know them better.
beg leave to say word OH the extent of the
injury done by the failure 10 hold the late
4 Gu suppose - that many an innocent man, who
may have been dragged TO the bar of Justice for a
supposed crime, may have been left for half year,
/ TO linger amidst the horrors OF a loaihsone dun
geoa, because, iorsooI, il is unpleasant to these
honorable gentlemen to travel 10 the city of Rich
mond i'll the hot season." am tod that there are
only two applications for writs of in cases of
felony, docketed: these are from Hampshire; and
NJ
in Petersburg of embczzlemen,, intended also 10
apply. There Is not single adjourned case
OF felony. Ii there should be any error in the
records OF the three aforementioned cases, those
three individuals have been injured by delaying
their cases till November. The suits against the
administrators and heirs OF Jerman Baker, were
not tried, nor can they be tried except by full
/ court. The Comnonw ea!th has sustained delay
oil i've months in recovering her judgment: the
debt Is perfectly safe. The greatest evil which il
dreaded Is, that the suretes, who numerous
and respectable. may sustain ID loss in conse quencr
oil the suits against the administrators, not being
tried But the danger TO them, understand, is
contingent only. These the principal evils
resulting from the failure TO hold court, and 10
the extent OF the injury done thereby, the absent
Judges, who have no sufficient excuses, must be
content TO meet whatever censure the people may
inlet Tor their traDsgresson.
You remind the judges that civil revolution is
at hand; you declare it to be desirable that the
people should meet the crisis in a state of tranquil
y; that they should go into convention free from
any strong bias, or excitement and free from all
Indignation and disgust at any department of the
Government. And yet, Sir, although all this is
desirable what have you done? You have attempt
ed to cNasperate the minds Of The people, and TO
disturb their tranquility; and you have done
more to excite their disgust and Indignation against
the judiciary department, than any other writer
whatever. From the violence which you mani
lest, presume you must be neiD convert to the
doctrine OF constitutional reform; and the arior of
your zeal seems proportioncd 10 the regency OF
| your change. trust, however, that the modera-
ton OF the old and steady friends Of convention
| viii temper your warmth. trust that the people
OF Virginia will resist al the attempts OF enraged
enthusiasts To madden them into frenzy, and that
| they will meet in convention with their charac-
ter5tic discretion, wisdom, and love OF Justice.
| VIRGINlENSIS
| THE 9TH OF JULY.
L Ihn naX shere in E,r, - LIZ.