New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-08-13
The Couyenfi0n-IiefOrm.

friends IN different parts Of the State az 10 the pro "a
nj. cf,ec, of n Constitutional Convention on the
power and prospects of the Wing party. To these
we have answered far az we have found nme 10
answer AT ALL that this mus, depend on the conrsc
and essential character Of the Wing party II our
Marty shall prove sclf-what it, enemies habituahy
represent 1.-THE blind champion OF every csab
lishcd abuse and unjust privilege-ihc invcicriic
foe Of Progress aud Rciorm-anmated by timId
shrinking dread OF Popular Rights and Power.
will doubtless be damaged BY the Convention II
!, prove itself on the other hand. what wc believe
and represent, ii. the friend of Improvement aud
81 Reform. neither supporting nor abusing any
thing because it is new or Old but only rs il sial
seem. on candid consideration, 10 be- right or
wrons.-no, Jealous nor fearful OF that People Of
which it constitutes 50 large Portion-wc oouio'
doubt tina, the Convention will rebound To It's adv M
,sgc aud increase its strength
Yet we regard this party question with lcs'
interest because We feel sure that all attempts 20
make party capital gu, Of the Convention, from What
ever quarter. will necessarily result IN failure j
the Whies 90 into the Convention resolved 10 equal
ire Suffrage because II ogghi to be cquazcd, and Co.
equalzc Representation for the same reason ~
doubt not they will find the result very satisfactory
II they sdvoca,, these needed Reforms, any olcr
merely in the hope Of making party capital tn,
will miss their aim. 80 Of Legal Reform of AL
kinds There must be- q reformed system Of Judica
,urc as well as of Legal Practice. the People ic
n,snd the latter and cannot obtain II without ihe
former The expenses Of Litigation must be cur
tailed it, tanraliZng. ruinous delays must com" 10
m end Here We havca Supreme Court, holding
four terms year and disposins a, each Of some
thing like one fourth of the cases on its Calandar
leaving hundreds untouched though they often in
volvc the very bread Of the widow and orphan. The.
Court 81 Chanccry Is fairly chokcd with cases that
cannot b. reached for wears 4 plausible schcnine
msn thoroughly vcr-cd in the game OF Law, he
only 10 get large property into his hands, ana IT,
can make fortune out Of IL before the Law viii
restore il to the rghiiul owner
Take case Of our own for illustration Mr
J. Fennimorc Cooper sued ua for an alleged Litci
contained in letter eivinga report Of his conduct ri
Fonda IN libel sui, against another person. Under
the ruling Of Judge Willard be obtained verdict
Of s10O against Us. though majority Of the Jurors
were in favor of giving him but 500 W paid the
Of the trial some ways OF getting money easier
than others This second suit was brought early in
1913. il is now past the middle Of 1855 and are
~, within sight Of a trial There are;iew no
witnesses Ia call-no dispute about iacis-wc admit
the publication in foil. and only wish chance h
show a Jury that have not at all lbclcl MT
Cooper bat only ccn~urcd him IN such terms A. bis
own conduct deserved ON occasion WHORE ho
coarled aud challenged public scrutiny We admit
all thu facts relied on by Nc Cooper We only want
to show what reasons he gave us for our ccnsurc.
aud have the Jury decide whether it was not Gail,
deserved and honestly bestowed. II they say no,
We .hsll pay whaicvcr damage they may say we
have done him. But how To- plead that We may show
these facts We know not. for the Supreme Court
rule that We mus, admit our article To Toe a hb, hc
fore We can be allowed Ia show iha; il j. no libc
Whether We shall ultimately be allowed % MAX.
our defence a. Il really s. j. doubtful when We
shall &c, To trial with H. j. not less 50 but there i.
no doubt at all tina, the costs made upon il " M
amount 10 decent farm. while there is noihine in
the case which dozen sensible men would not set.
lie very quickly f,hcy only allowed to sc, hold
of IA We have most decided and hopeful pre-.
sentiment fhaf suCh cases VIII Nt >ttiicd lar 4ufNti
and cheaper bcicrc five years are over.
The following essay from an earnest and veteran
champion Ut LEGAL Reform is richly worthy OF gen
cral attention
JUDICIAL REFORM-No. H.
NJ, frs, number published in The Tribune OF iAc
ash June contained plan for Judiciary System.
II has been received with more favor than We.
furcd 10 hope ior. II has been rcpuhishcd ia man,
of the papers Of the country without comment anil
in some with warm approval \ large proportion
81 the Legal Profession. - far a. can learn. ap
prove the general features Of the plan. some oh
icctions have been started. 10 which have rcpr !
through the channels IN which they Appeared.
The plan proposes the aboli~hmcui OF all our
Courts. except the Justices and Surrogaics, and th
substitution OF a single Court with st OF judges o'
equal grade and authority, who are sngy to bold
th. necessary in each county. three or morc
Of whom are 10 associate IN each Of the twelve ia
dcia Districts OF the state 10 decide such questions
a. now 10 10 the Supreme Court and o. Chanccfy.
and one Judge from each district to he annually DC
tailed tn form Iish Court OF Appeals
To accomplish this one judge IN each Of the com
tive. Will b. required. Local convenience also
qaircs this distribution Of the Judicial forces. We
have now IN all about % Judges ont Of the CHS az
New Nofk. by the plan proposed We shall have
bat about so bat they VIII 81 necessity b. workn
judges and wal THINK. he able tn prevent the dc
II may be objected that some Counties will fur
Dish rather more chamber business ior the sinel.
Judge than others. aud that sonl., districts viii r
qarc much more Judicial labor Tor thctrAl of causes
than others This will be ~ vet the Judges can
a. arrange their crcan duties To cqaalizc their
labor. in the district and the Governor or Lieut.,
Governor, who nigh, preside in the Court ~ Az
pcsls) should be authorized 10 detail Judges from
the di-,r,sts having a small amount Of business To
hold Circuits where greater amount Of labor shall
be required The plan - more simple than any
have scn. and Tor this reason finds favor Tor b.
gins 10 be generally ieh that we need simpler Judi
cial arrangements and simpler modes Of legal pro
cecsiings tor thu due administration o. Justice
II has been complained that | propose the entin.
abandonment, Of the present system without having
pointed oct It, defects. | had Supposed that the
deisys expenses and bad workings Of the system
that had been 80 generally ic and complained Of
had rendered thi-s unnecessary, and shall not iaS
the columns Of Tn. Tribune 10 a great cxton, for
THE purpoee. word more about our present Court
q Ultimate appeal. and then may lay irrevcssni