Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-01-24
Total
SA7q.Q4


To the above expenditures it is proper to add
part of the salary allowed the District Attorney
This officer is required to attend two sessions of
the circuit court annually. 1fthen this officer is
allowed $500 per annum, that portion Of it prop
ery chargeable TO this court, added to the above,
will swell the amount of court expenses for the
last circuit, considerably over one thousand dol
lars.
The above includes all the expenses audited
against the county, with the exception of char
ges tor wood, fuel and lights. The time spent
by litgants, witnesses, together with lawyer fees
are all expenses incident to the court, but do not
assume the shape Of county taxes. They are
burdens partly voluntary, and partly not; not
wthstanding they are a public expense, and if
brought into the estimate rs they should be, the
cost of the court would perhaps be more than
double the amount exhibited by the figures
above.
1t is now proper to look at some of the results
gained by all this tax and outlay. There were
only four jury trials tried at this court, viz Lew
is VS.. Quarles, Judgment rendered for Sl4 "a !;
Davis VS.. Nichols, jury did not agroe, new trial
granted Pierce VS.. Williams, Judgment render
ed for 1854 l3, new trial granted.
Crary vs.. Peters, $l66l 81, value of goods
found IN case of replevin damages s..
The above results of the jury trials we think
look rather meagre, as the fruits of our first cir
cult court, when compared with the amount Of
tax imposed on the people 10 sustain it.
Ii is proper 10 say that there were n large
number of causes pending on the law side of
the court, which were not brought on for trial.
There were also several chancery suits in which
DEGREES were entered by the court, but as chan
Gerry suits are not connected with jury expenses,
or other expenses generally above mentioned,
they are not properly taken into the account
The Grand Jury found thirteen bills of indict-
ment-seven OF these were quashed by the court:
the residue are yet to be tested
Thus are the results Of the first circuit court
in Kenosha county summed up, and again we
ask those who are called upon to bear the burdens
to look at the cost and then at what has been ac-
compshed. Let no one suppose that in the
statements here set forth, that any wrong attach
es to any officer connected with the court; the
Judge knows his duty and performs it well the
other o.1icers who have to do with the court are
qualified for he stations they hold, and get only
such conversation as the law allows. The fault
is not with the Offices &C. the Court but with the
system which the law p,cscrihes tor the obtain
ing of justice. BY our present S"dlcls:y ar
rangemen., the people are compelled to P9v lor
what is too often termed Justice, at very deur
rate. Were there no practicable remedy for this
"
it without complaint The constitution of our
state has made provision for the settlement of diff
ficultes and the obtainment of justice by more
simple,more equitable, and less expensive means.
Section l6 of Article Z, provides that " the legs
ature shall pass laws for the regulation oftribu-
nails of Cancellation, defining their powers, &c.
Whenever the people think proper to demand the
reform consttutionally provided for, they may
have it. il is true that scores of interested pro-
fessional men rdicule and scout the practicable
ty of relying upon these simple measures for the
settlement of conflicting claims, disputes and
astrous TO the business Of some men. But the
establishment of tribunals Of Cancellation is not
visionary theory nor Isl an untried experiment
Several states of the Union are beginning to
move in the right direction towards law reform
When will the people ofthis state take the mat
ter in hand Y.