Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-06-10

You viii be pleased, gentlemen, 10 accept for your
selves, my thanks for the very polite and kind manner
in which you have expressed yourselves towards mo
in communicating the Resolutions a'opted in Matthews,
diminished regard and friendship.
Your most obd't serv't,
JAMES SEMpI-
To Messrs. VIM. III Roy, Jno. Dainger6eId Jr. Vim.
Todd, Thomas r. Yeaiman, John ID. Jarvis, Thomas
Hudgins, Charles Atkinson, Thomas Edwards.
o III ENQUIRER.
GENTLEMEN The public laws passed at the last
Session OF the Legislature. have just come TO hand. Ii
has become my duty TO examine them particularly, and
more especially the list of fees allowed Clerks of Coun-
ty and corporation { urts, tat might be enabled to-
make out a bill! OF costs, when required so to do.-Now,
Gentlemen. ! do not compla n, because my motto is, let
the majority govern, until altered or reformed ; but re-
ally l do raise my voice in behalf of the country, and
in justification oil an honest, faithful and capable public
officer; and do hope there are some among the many
Clerks of Courts we ~have-(hough several Members
OF the last Legislature would have insinuated other
wise, - and say the Guardians of the People, i'm gradu-
ating the fees OF Clerks of Courts, have made them en-
tirely too low, and so much so as 10 compel a man, re-
ally disposed TO do his duty, TO abandon the employment
in which he has been raised, and perhaps the only enc
with which he is acquaint d, for some other way TO sup
port his family. Do not understand me, Gentlemen, az
advocating the principle, that public officers should
grow rich out OF the peoples funds. No, far from it
but then, while you induce a man TO qualify himself for
a particular occupation, he should be enabled by that
10 live above the trowns Of the world.
The reason given by some of the Members, that the
Clerks oil large Counties were making too much money,
was a bad argument, and the only answer necessary 10
give to it is, that the Clerk performed and caused to be
done by others, duties corresponding with the fees. If
tor instance, he made his 81 900 and my 81, he had
a thousand times as much business to do as | in my
small county. Permit me, Gentlemen, Uhoueh not
speaking arroganty0 10 say, it is bad doctrine to drive
from the t~lerkship Of the Coanty Courts men qualified,
aud to fill them with men who do not know their duty.
Ii ever a body or tribunal OF men wanted a good Off
Ger, II is the County Courts. The peoples property
and rights are not safe in The hands OF an incompetent
Officer OF the County Court. Not so with higher
Courts; the Judge can instruct the Clerk in his duty.
Dut INC County Count cannot and 4 really do fear thar
many Of the Counties will be deprived OF a competent
Clerk, (unless he should be determined to make the
most OF his Office, and bid defiance 10 the law.) Such,
l hope, will not be the case. Permit me, Gentlemen,
here TO say, that the fees of my Office are less than
$1,000, and that IT requires three persons TO discharge
the duties as they ought TO be, and insist upon it, that
no Clerk, if he discharges his duty, is more han paid.
am Tree 10 confess, that some few fees W re too high,
while many others were too low. The fact Is, the fault
lay in This that the old list Of lees as ueli as the nete, ,D1s
and as so ambiguous, that different constructions ,cere
and mill be, placed on them by different Clerks: nv
rule ,ods and ,oHl be when doubt erisfed or shall erisf,
to take the smaller sum-: do not mean to argue this mat
ter. will only add again, that ! do lot COM
plain, for I am above the fIOwns of the world, mot
though acquired by my ofice) and that il is n matter of
very little difference with me what the fees are, for |
hold my office more for amusement and qualification than
profit, and | will %candidIy say that | will again be thank
iul TO the court of my county in June for the office, if
1t is only a qualification of my pride, for we all have
some pride. So it is only in behalf OF my country and
many OF my brother clerks, who are poor, that 1 give
this hint.
Before ! bid you farewell, permit me 70 mention one
or two facts: at page SO of Session Acts, ''lor making up
a full and complete record for every thirty words 2 cts.'
Now, gentlemen, wbe is TO make up this record from a
court OF Law? None but a qualified officer, and perhaps
1t will take him a day TO do il. He will then hand il TO
one OF the boys to copy which will take him another
day, then ii is 10 examine and correct, and after it is
all done, the fee is less than 81. Can you live at rates
like this? Again, the whole fee on judgment, SC. SC.
or a forthcoming bond, Is only SO cents. What has the
clerk to do! lie has all the work to do which will
take several hours, including every thing, whilst the
lawyer gets his 81 80 for merely asking the court to
order the clerk TO enter Judgment, &C., &c. / would
only here ask why the forthcoming bond law was not
entii ely repealed? The answer is plain, and will give
ii, let it fit those whom it may: 1t would have depriv-
ed the bar OF may los, and an inducement is now held
out TO the unfortunate defendant, upon the grounds that
the clerks and sheriffs' fees are lessened, TO execute in
all cases forthcoming hoods. Now let the Legislature
go with me. have always been for repeating the
forthcoming bond law. II is only a trap 10 the defen-
dant and a grace of 40 or 60 days at a most enormous
expence. Therefore, repeal IT, and save the unfortu-
nate defendant all, even the l5s.
May. 1881. A CLERK OF A COURT.
HPUBLIC SALE OF MANCHESTER PROPER
q TY Pursuant TO a Decree Of the Superior Court
OF Chancefy, Tor ne Richmond District, pronounced
on tn IL b day Of February, 1891. 10 The case OF Bur.
f'o,. T. Nj w. Burfoo' i. and others -snd Of an a.
amendment thereto Of The Isl Of June following, I shall,
on tn .'dsy, he ~ h day OF July, 1881, on the prtm nil
SEE, off for sale, At public auction, TO The highest bid
der, on a credI' Of J, Q and yssrs, the following real
properly belonging 70 The estate OF Matthew Burfoot,
dsce ased, to viii: The lot containing four acres, with
The Improvement tbere on, ahj'ining the property OF
Miles Bott aud Others. near Manchester, in The county
OF Chesterfield. The houses and 10, IN he Town OF
Manchester row occupied by Mrs Sarah Baogh, and
adjoining the property Of Pster y. Smith and others;
and said Burfoo''s in'eres', in The Factory in Manchess
held by Walden and Burioot. Bonds and security
aud the tile retained until The bonds are
Sale 10 commence al 4 clock, p. NJ. al he Faoto.
SAMUEL f. PULLIAM.
Commissioner.