Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-03-25

VI 'ols, against the conduct OF the prOprietOrs
"!u 'hn idea o! permitting appeal To the sympa
o the Legislature to prevail over Justice, and quarte
ne prOprleteTs as Pensioners upon the Public.
4 bir Marshall supported Mr. Brodnaxs ane0dment
eVIe"ng the facts and history of tho case. and
canning that the scale proposed in reference Il
the merits and costs Of the enterprise the bencfi
conferred on the comninnit. by it, the aggregate o
the toiis' and to compa isUa with the OF other
bridges, was not too high.
! MIR Booker followed in ridcule of the appeaI made
10 the sympathy cF the House, and in explanation oil
me grievances felt by the Public from the excessive
! tolls paid at SIayos bridge.
! heSsrS. BrOdnsN and l. IrGnOt ma de some further
observations, when the question being nut noon stri
hihg out the scale ttQs provided in the bill with
view oil creating blank, it carried IN the afr
naive, ayes 3d. noes 80
Tue t"use then proceeded To take the vote on the
seFtru propositions III the scale offered by Mr. Brnd
max "a the proposition to require from a man and
Morse q centa-Mr Booker moved to change, To \
cents--Mr Claiborne, 5 cents. Five cents wee ro
! lected 90 to Sand 4 adopt ed without a count
! For every four wheeled riding Carriage, including
horses aud rider, MI Burfoot moved So reduce from
! 2O to 1A-Degatived
For every wagon drawn by two horses, Mr. Bur
foot moved to reduce form 20 to iaA cents This
amendment was supported by Mr. Miller of Powha
tan and Mr. Brodnax, and carried by large majority
Tue o'her propositions were then severolly adopted.
Mr. Rutherford moved to amend, by reviving the
privilege granted to e. w Tren ESQ. of BRINGING
the basin III the direction of Tents bridge and Oh
street--lno tolls) which amendment was adopted
Suggested nail
OF the BILL the expectancy of Inserting section pro
hbltlng the rapid driving Of stages, &c. over the
bridge.
Mr. Brodnax accepted the suggestion, bat subse-
quenty declined it-attcr which, the bill was ordered
IN be engrosspd.
CLERKS FEES. IN COUNTY AND COR
PORATION COURS.
On motion OF Mr. Knox, The House tock IN the
bill regulating tie fees OF clerks.
THIS bill reduces cl9rks, fees.
MIR haIyOurtnn moved ryder, eXemp. ing those
counties from the operation of the act whose popula
toh Is less Shan 3UOO-Conteudng that effect ON
such would be to deprive them of CLERK and that II
was no more reasonable that fees should be the same
10 every county, than that the county levy should
be the
At tie suggestion of Mr. Rives OF Prince Gaorpe,
the ryder was extended to counties with population
of less than 1000 whites
Mr. Campbell of Brooke, reasoned to show, that
1t ought to embrace ether counties with still larger
population.
Mr. Knox, and Mr. Newton, opposed the rydar for
variety OF reasons, which however was ordered 10
u second reading, > to 80
Mr. Polndexter now Offered a substitute TO the
ryder, to the eftGct-thdt if by the rate Of fec
ed In the bill, the amount Of fees to tue cer. ,
county shall be less than 500, his compeusa.,oI
shall be increased to that sum, by levy on he c.ut
This amendment was warmly opposed By Mr. Dd-
visson, chiefly on the ground of the improprlety of
taxing the community to pay the costs Of iltlgants
Mr. @oode also strenuously opposedthe amendment
Fl chiefly ON The ground that the clerks themselves did
that 1t was exposing them to the temptation OF ei
wing false evidence IN their favor.
Mi PolndeXter withdrew his substitute
MI GTeen thought the fees in the large counties
too high, and was in favor of The bill. Believing
however, that its passage was endangered by its ope
ration on the small counties, be moved to amend by
giving the county courts the power of ncreas no the
lees where q clerk could not otherwise be hud proL
biting the courts however irom exccedlncr Inc fees
! at PF"sen allowed
MF Knox thou ght TINS amendment IN ore objection
ape than the former, as conierng legislative powers
! on thu county courts. He dounled The power Of the
Legislature 10 confer tins power and stl more its
eXpedency
Mr. Williams Of Harrison, supported the amend
mont, "Th'ch in his opinion struck the exact medium
lie thought it was precisely adopted to both great
and small counties.
Mr. GoJde opposed the amendment, which be con-
tended would lead perpetual intrigue in the county
courts when the clerk was popular man, ncreas-
lrg, ana when unpopular reducing his compensation
improperly
sir. Mer OF BOT. said that had been assumed which
he believed untrue namely, that the fees allowed by
tue BILL were not sufficient to clerk in every
county OF the commonwealth. The new judiciary act
carrying court of law and cbancery into each coun
ty, would still more weaken this assumption while
the present high rate of fees operated as a bar upon
the prosecution Of Just caims tie hoDed rentennen
would eglslae for the people, and for lie clerks
-patnpered sinecurists they were in MANY of the
large counties. Mr.. NJ opposed both amendments
sed his amendment. OFF
MIR. Halyburton, in reply to Mr.. Miller affirmed that
there were many counties, where the proposed rate
OF fees would not clerk, and where the pre-
sent rates were barely sufficient for that purpose
MIR Green amendment then rejected
The question recurring on eEgrossing Mr. HsIvbu-.
I toms ryder, ~"
Mr.. Leigh expressed his conviction that the RYDER
dd not go far enough-ard there were many counties
OF or 1000 population where the proposed rates Of
fees would not secure the services OF compzrEs.r
c!erk-the Importance of which he urged upon the
House. F ~
Mr. Bayly opposed the ryder, presenting variety
OF views 10 show ITS unjust operation, and the impoli-
cy OF establishing principle which varied the amount
OF costs Tor the same amount Of service in different
counties OF the commonwealth. He objected to the
ratio OF white population unfair criterion of The
amount of judicial business
Mr. Goode warmly attacked the ryder as presenting
gross aosurdity. Clerks were to be compensated
NOT oy her honor, character, capacity or fidelity but
by the amount of population in their counties Al
clerk IN county with 1900 whites, who ABLY perfor
med his services, while clerk in county with $3.50
received greater remuneration, though perhaps
g worse oh err p'
Mr.. Cohoon, now moved q substitute to the RYDER
eIemPu"g from the operation Of the act an counties
represented IN The House of Delegates by two or
Delegates. -