Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-02-06
UNITED STATES COURT AT MIN
ERAL POINT.

- IA II
ERAL POINT.
We have been furnished with copy
of letter sent by the writer TO The Hon.
BEN. c. EASTMAN. The writer kindly
furnished US with a copy. to avoid the
labor Of making separate statement for
our columns, as we requested of him.
Our readers will see clearly Depicted
therein. the dangers to which they are
exposed:
Lancaster, Jan. "a, 1854.
The Hon. BEN c. EASTMAN: | write
to you in relation TO sore evil, under
which many of your constituents have
suffered, and to which all are exposed.
| mean the locality of the United States
District Court. As M an would suf-
fer if he lived in Herschel at too great a
distance from the sun, SO he smarts, If
at too great distance from Courts !;
from the .'gladseme light of iarispru-
denoe." The oppression arising from
the distance of Judge Miller's Court has
became SO great in this County, that ii
has filed the people with something
like alarm and terror. All kinds of ca
ses, where the plaintiff affects non-resi-
dence, especially ejectments, are bro't
to this Court. It has an agent in the
mines--or its attornies have, whose bu-
siness it is, to rake up business, and few
men even with government patents in
their pockets, feel secure. Now, Ben,
you certainly can see all the workings
Of the system, and its bearing on the
western and northwestern Countless
What ayails perfect title, if man is
sued living in Grant, and, required to APP
pear in Milwaukee? He must employ
counsel either living here or there. If
here, he must pay his attornies mileage
to Milwaukee. You know what mile
age is. Then he must pay heavy ex-
penses-his lawyer must be paid for
leaving the theatre of his business must
be paid for his stay in Milwaukee-per-
haps for two or three trips there. If
he employs lawyer in Milwaukee, he
must pay bulky fee, corresponding
with the size and dignity of the city land
the necessity which the lawyer knows,
his client la bors under. The client cam
not have those personal frequent CONSUL
tations with his advocate, that the con-
tinually arising exigencies of his defense
may require. To procure witnesses,
(the attendance OF living witnesses is
sometimes indispensable, you know, and
paper profles will not do this would
be ruinously expensive. To freight tes-
timony alive, from La Crosse or Bad
Axe, or more distant points, to Milwau-
kee,-iust think of il! And what VOID
be the freight on living evidence from
this County to the apogee of the Court al
Milwaukee, or even to its perigee at
Madison? Now, Mr.. E., you see the
reason Of what has actually transpired
in this, and other western Counties
Men of small means, with good titles
have actually surrendered their sspater-
nal acres" because the theatre of war
was SO far off, they could not afford the
expense of an expedition thither. d
course, they surrendered unconditional
ly. But even surrender did not salts
fly the memorable justice of the Court
Executions for costs issue-the claws o.
the Court penetrate their pockets, to The
quick, to the marrow of their bones
default, Default, Default" is the watch
word Of the Court, the form of all it.
judgments when the Court pronounce:
this potent word, the snug and cherish
ed homestead drops from the hand Of it
possessor, and becomes the spoil of the
officers Of that Court, that in effect, VIC
lates the great principle of constitution
al and common law, that no Court or lie
gislature can take away one maE's real
ty, and Civ it to another. Under tn
operation Of this system, property il
this County is changing hands, wilhou
trial-defendants are perfectly impotent
and the Court can bestow on non-resi.
dents, the possessions Of our citizens al
easily as the Administration can eject {
New York Collector, and install a sue.
cessor in his place. know Of no OPP
preston equal to it in country of free.
men. 1t was some thing like it, wher
Old England transported State prison.
ers across the Atlantic, to try them al
Westminster, or the Old Bailey. Blu
to facts: Now | know not your per
sonal feelings in this matter. | hav'
myself no personal pique against the
Court. The general, and bitter and In
creasing hostility to Judge Miller, ari
ses perhaps from his distance from US
like tomatoes, we might relish him bet
ter, by use and proximity. We are con
sumed in the very focus of the double
convex lens of the United States Court
could we ge, nearer the fearful glass, j
would not burn us. Men do not Otter
enter the Courts of Wisconsin now, te
enforce just claims the expenses ant
hazards are too great. Plaintiffs are
generally extortioners, who know thai
defendants will buy their peace at mos
any price. When Courts are only ire
quented for such an end, they ought t.
be abolished. At least such is the ope
ration of the District Court of the Uni
tied States, in Wisconsin. But | have
promised facts. You know that poo
! Andrew Wood was indicted for PERU
nv in that Court. From the falls o
Black river he was dragged over to Mil
YANKEES to give bail there he had t
90 to be tried-there his witnesses ane
llawyer had to go-there he had to pay