Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-07-19
NO vi. -
MODE OF ELECTING JUDGES OF THE COURT
or AppEtIS

now. .,.,,..
MODE OF ELECTING JUDGES OF TIE COURT
OF APPEALS
Most Of the views presented in former numbers asains
the election of Governor by dicct II the pc"p,
throughout inc S'ac, apply with increased ipice, asas
The election, y such votr OF the Jnecs OF the Suei'
Court OF Appeals.
In the Virginia Convention of 1929, slr. Oils maintain
cd that there many objections the peoples clcci
Judges.
'lIe one" he said 'yho believed the Principle %
intermediate elections must he eventually called III 10 save
this country. The people, in system oi s"refr:hci
were called to elect officers oi di'cni kinds
that they have agents for them hat whth ihr!
could not doior themselves and what r'ite agents co'1
thcy have Than their own representatives n the legislature
What was the object of apfan,ing these REPRESENT"
That ,ey might iuy down rules If conduc, ior ~ com
,munity This The great security for liberty Eut ''
people had power say, that they would not ahc NE iaSR
ot appointing thcir ministerial officers because % mao 10
sufficient personal knowledge Of the qualifications :" na
yidua bat would lay this duty upon those VII" mao tit
knowledge, and whom lley had already entrusted wl'h AS
dearest interests Mr. G. here referred 10 the rape! increase
oi country in population and Insisted on c necessity :"
kno"cdsc 10 suitable exercise ~ r Tlgh o eiccuo
This The people could get 10 the Whole extent necessary g"
proper selection vi their representatives. hni nat - " '
10 select such officers their Judges aud Go,crnoa lin
noncn; you lace hem 10 act Il mac- bcy1El IN
sphere they Of necessity depend knowledge on
somebody Else and that momcn, ltry thrown int, the
hands o ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS thorouglg"19 ccSi.o.
cercrs and ot all the baaciu spirits aEic would n:cS il
iconmuny, the spirit of occonoeriGg the very worst.
The advocates for direct election Of judges by v"io
of the people throughout the state proceed non ic Idea
That Tie representatives oi lie people have sometimes proved
v,ry bad agents That lhrv have 50 proved - believe
10 snne extent irne Yet whatever cNfcn, BE- true,
mast, o tc people admit hl i aps 10 i"w tIn
thu extent Mc layc ,Aelcisl badly Tile power III s'"c
ton which have II that power ~ n" exercised
well ~ shonld be- il selecting representatives. iori
county .own with whom we GENERALLY acquainted an
atou. whom Ne get information mona our ncIs!
bos, il may admit OF question: whether ""us he any o2t
ter exercised iii the selection ola Governor o The state ~
Judge Oh the tour Of Appeals i'll respect 10 ""i We Rave
much less Information.
incline think that the people should be more caFc.gl
in selecting representatives hereafter Ian They nave been
h,roloCic and ,hni when the representatives. Prove !
.en!s, the people ,orsi:an tie" om ..ieF rScondncl
should reduce them ion private st"i"nnd supp, II Nhca
c.es rs the election "i representatives. W' W Gisc''te
III. duties faithfully II to co.r do tiis. and :'r
representatives. whom they elect appoint so"d JUDGES The
Court Appeals there viii certainly be No occasion % t.ou
bic The people 10 max" such appointments
The idea bc thai bad Jud.rs arc appoint
al hy the representatives. whom tho pc"r' egl but that
The people themselves woaii appoint a"oi Judges II o'hcr
words i!a Tie people who arlonie! yey bad r'ic-
scntatv's wulld appoint very good Jide'-
Tie ii ,hc conclusion t'w nom such pre-
misses is not very obvious Let M III. matte. iurtlc..
Ii judges the Supreme Court o Appeals a'e - b. tec-
I'd y tie people the election suppose w b. b? ic iao-
pie OF The whole Safe. but whether he iv judge bc
elected by the .. the whole people, Zach oi the s,
b elected by liz p-oc oi large district comprising about
oir-. the State, one, suppose, ,a ~: !" ior>Set
hat upon every Of such election that piece I" ni.-
cacry g. beautiful III Tie eye. .. 'iinc pom! !lS 'i
cdacus will b. ca,t lno action 10 rr.h,n ine people -
ihc person whom they should vote Nay We ..on!d
imagine BE favored in such case with these iStii-
uu- bodies. We told hy u 'iie cit"rs II
newspapers, aGd 5y some III The snail politicians VII" are
cors, that W. not I" select t'inorS =! i'c C"i
4 lcG,ina with lttrcc IL hcr qualifications "a att upon t
-ualcc, which sW conc seiof ;hc '"ay'n hut w!i
reference IL i.cir opinions apoa matters which will net
hvio" il, namely with recrotx" = - question :"
exciting Mr. tlag ar NJ Cass Pr .itrni. Ard Ok,
,ay ii pro, isius or tie election rs i'co.l -
Judges III the Court ii Appeals hn'! stS. -
Democrats and mother e!s I'll c= each aou!aaiia
III. pcoi- pacsar b. elected judy ii TIE Count
nt Appeals. And which hlay H. ir het ua!i:il
'r II" o!irc, N al p:'nai.iy IT," Jod4, "ili - e''et
Ai.n happens the time nuG H. ri.. .",,cai AT,
which j II -, -~cea1aat iac 'l.ton II. ~ '''i ="
oy The >. III dominant patty ir-:'a ~ mad b.
:uaIo-ty u ,he whole representative u :a people, il Wi
- ni.!c bv much smaller nl!" =! n'lh.liy meroi!
OF majority; and the influence which, II III Legislature
respectable minority n:t exert - prevent yctf ~! II.
aainrni will be i,liniuscd. - In election ~ The -"
lie OF the STATE has wor.e! in Nec lorh ml"re it
tors VI thc combining crafty aaa -uh ~ -
tn people novel and aeauccd Il vcriiv hl.rci y The u
-:,in Of The devil have c'rei ~ machinery I" IN 'Sa
c% perfection o which II Is capable - promote IN" >,ss
objects OF those who pat il in motion and manage H. An
il has worked clswherc, with tho exception perhaps III Nv
sissipp oil Chief Justice Stcrkty who, have been told
plays The fiddle much better than any Of orr re;l judges
and enabled 20 through ,hc canvas III way wLic.
nadc very pleasing Impression upon lhe people.
The practical result then, o tins proposed orm i.
obtain any better Judges than ,hc representative, q III
people would select, From ,ie Gesisa,lica lc<,"us!A,
RI BODY which sits in day light aud it ct tic ccot
would bc transferred tie Caucns, irresponsible body
which sits nj night and whose deeds are clothed in dark
ness 10 register the ed,cts Of the Caucus people un
der the Of election 10 lose their time aud y
from end OF it 10 the other Heaven defend us iron
rciI:in like this
surprising One is, hat the Legislature. which ha< til,
power Of appointing judges is too apt appoint members
its body vel qualified 10 he JUDGES other persons
no. in the Legislature Ii this b. an cv 10 bc rcncci a
the measure .. rco.m be circulated reinov H. De
cIlrc rs vas proposed BY Judge Scott in the Convention
4 l32g that no member of the Legislature sail during ric II
rod or which he shall have been elected Learpnntl al.
,nicc Tie appointment I" which is mad: hy the Icgisa
iuc" Max, this pat Of the CONSTITUTIONS and YOU gc
Ill Of ;lc evil Jas mentioned I e!lecn,y ,an ~,
wili - mcrel, transferring The selection ." .Gr;Lc rn t
Legislature legislative Caucus
Anoih.r assigned IS that members of the Lcai,a
turc in the election Of judge too often act - il they
choosing cccor for the occ of President Tia; nitet
states. This indeed Is very great c'ii-onc which cal
,ud for redress. But it is not he r.ressi ~
The selection OF Judge l.o the Legislature l".s
Iatiyc Caucus That will merely bcaa asrlyaiion of III
disease; il vii. then BE- pao all cure.
NJ man think worse than do II those legislator
who when il IN .ti. power elect JGnc 81. auaic,
Discharge the dncS o the Office in;c upon liz coiii;;
nifty Of inferior jGdcal qualifications merely 5ooaus
nc may have c"ncurrod with them on III" Qnes" who
the ost suim5 person BE- clcctc! Presdcn; the ini
id States Would 10 Go9 that any way could tc devised o
preventing sGch misconduct. ii i cannot Dr prevented
furnishing il u il deserves. There has been sI misconduct
II in:s nature, in opinion better deserved 10 be- punish
I'd with hnc and Imprisonment, than many offences whicl
punishable. II there reasonable hppc of pre-
venting II by special oath adaped The cel 10 ac admin
isiccd - tile Ic liog when H.. was about I" into III
!ecron the magnitude Of the evil IL tc prevented would fur
hs good justification Tor such an oath as for that n
po.cd /, prevent d., iEa
i will not however dwell upon this subject now Il, il
enough G( .nk ha, b., show u, that L., good bu
much evil would result from provision for The election
Judges o( the Court Of Appeals hy general ii til,
! people throughout the State.
" ONE or THE PEOPLE
Pr hc Enquirer.
Messr= Editors -lg.v!na been student ni william ant
Mary College. Williamsburg, Virginia IN yc4s zone b., j
was good fortune hc there the tth instant her
the is usual, cos-i IL: ihe Collegiate year;
when those siuiens ~io prepared pra.:uaiu deliver
oraions in the Chnp! Of tie venerable r,, ,lcci hy
The presence nf hr President Professors ana Visitors o
Seminary, and large assca5: liz beauty and ,.-ii,
u. the city and adjoining ,cuay. SUc! tie animated
and deeply interesting in my hco,, maisr
tie late anniversary OF our National Inicpcnd, So
and sweet music was heard in The Chapel in The intervals
between the oraons, delivered by The graduates in
number, ana il the order below. The young gentlemen
quilted hrnsr.os honorah!y bIth rs IL lic matter