Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-11-22
IONS c coLT-NEETlHG OF THE BAR

a ~'t'f
was held Yesterday, in the Superior Court Room =
Samuel G. Eavm"nd called h" ti- chnr. ond me
objects ufti,e meeting were slated. James / braoy
rose and stated that he had resolutions to ";e'
with respect the 81 john eoi', 10" lying III
tie Torbs under ssEtence al death
He vas satisfied that the chancellor had e''fd ~ ms
decision relsirg NJ, 81! error in i.e case OF John y
Colt MIR. Colt was under sentence at death The
community had no. gwen iln lie, they ought 10 De
careful hos. The; take It a%cy
fle would lot presume 10 say that IN" court hfc
erred hu, they had, lie refusal al hs wr, was an
awful preccdrn, The very douh that IS c"E'rfsed 20
any abou, the case, maAts such refusal hi1" asa''
The moral principles upon which TIE cches'oh oi Es
cnmnunt. depends.
MIR Rad Een rdver;ed 10 the position Of Governor
Seward IN his late paper upon Coli that the CON
iession Of Colt far as It went 10 ncuPa,e hih',
was evidence oil hs gu: bu; that ali qualification was
"a br rejected. he pronounced his u" aeonnaoe
doc.ine although the Governor had iaaoce niy iaiiea
INTO i, ana cuth IS mere TWO N !s':yes Office WHO
had barely looked iut" book O: ev.d'nc", ~onld
.c,rcelr be- guilty. Of Mr. Eracy concluded by CO. ring
,he following fesai0.iGas;
Gesoired That TIE 1hi 10 renew The decision "i
inferior ,rhgnas IN the al taSt resort rs rsh'
90 essential Ia the administration q the a"s, ina,
10 refuse wrl ol error '1ctp III csses tree from I'll
doubt, amounts 10 denial Of jnsi''"
EeSoired That The qIaS'i"n whether, ehde' ihe Yen
s.j,ut,op Of this Stat. Cour, oi over and 1ermGer
can be held otherwise than by judges appointed By tie
Gnserno, sad Senate, although discussed, remains
undecided in .ne Coar q! Errors and deserves serious
plhcrn,ion the words n the t"ns'ttu''on beng, The
Governor stall nominate, and with the consent ot The
Senate shall ap?oct oil Judicial officers except justices
c! the peace
Ees,iefd. The, he Question concerning tie orGeAza
of cnucs reqnfs, above all ";her' the DECISION o.
,h. hgt,s tua1l nr>i'uch ~, 1t !i"ga.iy corsu
ted Their judgments aff,,d 70 protection 10 cAIcefs
directed 10 execute theta.
R.so!rtd Tina. the neral forge Of every legal Jrdg
ment, especially wien - invois"s human lii nin' u
y; ad upon unquesuoHed correctness aud thrt iae
execution Of eny judgment WHOSE legality is Sravti J
denied by Deliberate and dsnteiesied mnds. without
niiordna Tie opportunity provided for by TIE aws, 10
have view the cou, of ultimate appeal, mus
depriye that rinent Of the universal respect 10 WHICH
after such review il would be clearly entitled.
Resartd That the execution al any convict what
eye, his crime Of cr%a.e. importance 10 the com
nunty than suc!, administration oi the laws as WIZ
produce i,npci; public confidence IN the DECISIONS AMI
DEGREES Of oGr courts % justice
Matthew G Patterson then addressed the CHAR -
1nc wri. of Lr.ot sacred "r and should be 81.
,ovcd m all casas ii doubt. The present :as one oil
those cases Tacrc strong doubt whether TIE
Court liza, tired Colt legally constituted. Inc
ou.s;.om had been before the Coz OF Errors IN "1e
case and because tia, Court eqraiiy gdct, len
,ner.bars thereof beiag favor OF irming tn" juct-
men, or tie Coart below, and ten M bers IN iafor o
reversing y the decision OF The Court below was al
f:lied but tina; decision only binding upon the
usr,,eS 10 that .ui, and tos I'll practical purposes the
question - vet undecided
Mr. 2 here read from printed opinions OF the Chan
celior 10 show that he concu.red IN The posions as
sumed by Mir. T.
Under the c,rcuns;ances the Conr: OF Errors shou
have had he privilege of passug on TIE question "he
Their the Alderman had III, rst; 20 So So ong as there
was any doubt about the matter, the Court OF over and
1ermine7 rht he presumed 10 he Illegally constitute
IL would be equally JUS: 70! three members 81 'it "o' u
at upon the beach y.! the Circuit Judge, who pre-
sides 10 tina; Court and pass upon the life oil any 'nov
sual brought 10 the bar.
MIR. P. did not mean 10 imrusn the motives OF the
Chancellor, but, in his opinion, an error oi Judgment
had been committed.
Mr. j. w Edmcads next addressed the meeting. =
He said that country like this, the community
we're mos, deeply aud vitality interested IN the due
administration of irs;icc-it was OF The utmost I'M.
nortancs II taSy desired 10 preserve ttsir 1--we. from
violence i, vca necessary that the door 10 impartial
Justice should be open Tor all let as lie law has bse
Determined tie door was closed IN one respect lie
was not there find fnU with lie mode IN whcG the
JUDGES had mustered the law, butte complain oil the
,,ised If it had been represented correctly
If such power Of refusing TN Application to court
of las, resor, was vested IN individual, II was high
line the community should know II, ond the law
should be altered IL he had controversy with fellow
,enher OF the ba, relation to tie table which stood
in The midst he would have right to carry that case
>, no highest court, and it could not be in the power
ofanv one TO stay ln If he desired for the sake Of
th,t opinion 10 have stay OF execution, nc could OBJ
tain il How much more important was II that the
right should be kept clear in cases SO as 10
affect the life Of fellow creature IL one member OF
IN. Court of Errors one out of the thiry-iuar, has
RICH, TO say to the thtythfes, u gu snaii nut pass
roon this question, ard | am clothed with sufficient
aaborilr IN !nw-,hat yon have nothing to do whit;
his principc strikes me fraugh. @;'h Inc inoai
nnasrnus Injustice aud if the law IS TO De so inter.
or ted Il is lime The community should sno" u 1aey