Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-05-24

and figures. TO which he culls thepsi,icular 81.
tenticn. Of the public. he must have seen the
figures 10 which we would now ask his partic.
ular attention. viz: that during the period OF
ten years he has chosen,
Judge Wilson was in his courts l040 days.
Judge Leigh. during the same peri
oil. Was in his courts GAG days.
Now. the L~ynchburg lawyer says that the
"promptness. energy and industry" Of Judge
Leigh. in the discharge Of his duties. is univer-
sally scknow lodged. That 10 true. Leigh. in
Gag days. decided the causes in his court. to
the entire satisfaction Of the country. Did
Wilson do the same in l0l0 daysi Were not
complaints Of his want Of p~romptness. energy
and industry madel Did not Law yers and
suitors charge him with indolencel We Know
not whcther such complaints and charges ever
came TO the cars Of L~ynchburg lawyer. bu,
We can say that they were often made. and often
heard in some Of the counties Of Wilson's Circuit.
But according to the record Introduced by
the Lynchburg lawyer, Wilson. in l04O days.
decided 1900 cases, which . about l23 cases
per day; while Leigh. in 6s2 days. dccidcd
ll436 cases. which is nearly IL cases per day.
Now state the sum. lfL-igh in 642 days de-
cided 1896 cases. in 1040 days he would
have decided 1885 or 55l5 more than VIII.
son did in that time; and If Wilson in 1910
days decided 1000 cases. in 6l2 days he
would have decided only SO3l. or 34O5 less
than Leigh did in that time. Does this prove
that Wilson exhibited the 'highcst degree Of
energy and industry!"
During the specified period of ten years
Wilson was on the bench 1913 days longer than
Leigh. What was the cost to the ~suitors. the
lawyers. the witnesses and jurors attending
Wilson's Courts. produced by this long sitting
Of the Judged Taking 500 per day as the az
gregate expense of all the persons who were
obliged to attend the Court. and the estimate
We believe to be reasonable, then, during the
ten years. the parties having business in Viii
sons Courts. were unnecessarily taxed by the
slo,h Of the Judge. the nice little sum Of thirty.
nine thousand eight hundred dollars; an amount
more than sufficient to have paid the salaries
both Of Wilson and Leigh during the time
Indeed, the people of Judge Wilson's Circuil
would have saved money. if they had paid
him his salary as a pension, and, at the same
time, employed an able. energetic and indus
trious Judge to decide their causes.
We come now to the consideration of more
important questions. What il the value of
decision made by Daniel A. Wilsonl and v ha,
is the value Of a decision made Nv William
Leighl Leigh wen, upon the bench in June
1881. Wilson in March, lS40. A thorough
examination Of the records Of the Court Of Ap'
peals has been made. and we find that the
whole number Of appeals taken from Judge
Leigh's decisions:
From June 1881 to May 1859. a period of twenty
years and eleven months. il only So
Of these there have been affirmed, .........20
ne'r!seo,
dismissed
Now pending.
The whole number of appeals taken from Judge vii
sons decisions, from March 1870 to May 1852. (twclv,
years and two montLs.) lal
OF these there have been affirmed, ........-2S
heversed,.
Dismissed
Now pending,
l9l
1t IS unnecessary to comment on these facts
they speak for themselves. The appeals takel
from Wilson's decisions in 12 years. are con
siderably more than double the number tina
have been taken from Leigh's decisions in q
years. Wilson is reversed oftener than he /,
afir med, proving that the chances are that hi
decision is wrong. The merit of a Judge il
best established by the confidence of the bar
and the country in his decisions. Try Leigh
and Wilson by this criterion. The facts tina
we have just stated demonstrate (whst ever,
one who has practised in the courts ofthe t~t
judges knows to be the tru,h,) that whil
Leigh's decision of an important or difiul
case. is generally satisfactory to all parties con
cerned. and is acquiesced in from confidence i
its sccuracy; on the contrary. Wilson's deci
sion Of a similar, case, is generally unsatisfactor,
TO the party against whom he decides. ard i
carried, 1t much cost. before an appellate tri
bunal to be reviewed. The records Of III,
court Of appeals show how absolutely necessa
ry tbs. that Judge Wilson's opinion should y,
passed in review before some higher court.
You know, fellow-citizens. that tho Who'll.
tone and tenor Of public and private morals j,
our country. are affected by the administration
Of the laws. William Leigh. by his learning
his labor, his ex experience. his probity, his prac
teal and acute faculties, gives to Us assuranc,
that justice will be awarded by him to ever,
citizen in the land independent Of all favor
And that neither force nor fraud will be per
mitted to prevail against right and law. It ha.
been said. that law is a necessary evil: we can
not believe that you will elect as your Judge
one who. because Of his want Of qualification
will. by a faulty administration of the laws, in
crease that evil an hundred fold.
JUSTICE.