Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-02-11
COMMUNICATED.
COMMUNICATED
CODE OF LAWS FOR THE DISTRICT

Mr.. Snowden:-Having submitted to the con-
sideration of the public an abstract from the
Code of Laws for the District in relation to the
Courts of Justice, with some remarks and state
ments to shew what will be their operation, |
will now proceed to lay before them, for their
further consideration, such objections to the
system itself as have occurred to me, with a
proposition to amend it,
The first objection to the Inferior Court as or
ganized by the Code is to the number Of JUS
tices-being Is for each county, divided into
three classes of five each, and each class to
hold Court for four months in the year. Now
1t seems very clear to me, that if these Justices
hold Court for only four months, or twelve
days, the greatest number of days they can sit
in the time, in twelve months,-they cannot for
many years acquire a sufficient legal knowledge
to enable them to decide correctly the various
questions Of Law that will be brought before
this Court, unless they devote much more Of
their time to the reading of Law, than it is pro-
bable they will, being, with but few exceptions,
engaged in some other business. The conse-
quence will be, that as we are compelled by the
Code to have an entire new Court every four
months, the same questions of Law will be diff
ferently decided by the different Courts; and,
therefore, the Law Of this Court will never be
settled-the inconvenience of which may be rea-
Oily imagined. 1t is also to be feared that,
feeling the want of legal knowledge, some OF
these Justices will sometimes yield their judg-
ments, in difficult cases, to the opinions of the
Lawyer, in whom they have the greatest conf
dence; and as such Lawyer will not always be
on the side of law and justice, great injustice
may be sometimes done. These are conse-
quences that naturally flow from such an orga-
nzation, and, therefore, it is radically wrong.
Another objection to this system is, that the
Clerk of the Court, their confidential officer,
and on whose good conduct the due admins
taton of justice so much depends, is appoint
ed by another and Superior Court Gan anoma-
y in the annals of Courts of Justice) He is
therefore entirely independent of this Court:
they have no sufficient security for his good be-
haviour, and this will be found great inconve-
nence in practice. 1.-The negects his duty, they
have no remedy; for while he continues to do
his duty in the Court that appoints him, COM
f'"iiitS III Oul tillS SOul may DC maui III
Taking from the Justices of the Peace the is
suing of executions upon their own judgments
Is another objection.
This will be attended with great inconve-
nlence to the people: debts will be frequently
lost by the escape of the debtor after judgment,
as ne is not held to bail here upon warrants, in
consequence Of the creditor not being able to
GET an execution upon the spot, as soon as the
judgment is rendered, as was often the case for
merry when the Clerk issued the execution: and
u was for this reason the Law was altered and
TIE execution directed to be issued by the Jus
Hee' The people in the country will also be put
" he additional Inconvenience of riding from
"o 10 nine miles to get an execution upon
Judgment, when they could as well obtain it at
VIC place where the judgment is rendered.
nut al any rate, if the Justice must render the
augment without fee, can see no good reason
WY ne should not also issue the execution with
out Zee; In that case, the people would have the
'eneht Of the change
Inc allowance to witnesses for their attend-
''sS before Justice of Peace out Of Court :.