Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-29
lEAsaNaros VIEWS AND GOSSIP.

ciary Reform Bill reported by the. Senate
Judiciary committee, affect in a serious way, II
they do not destroy, the entire plan Il this
most salutary bill. The Judiciary compittee
have recommended that the bill be suended:
| by striking out the first section, which sbol-
ishes the present courts, and have so altered
| other provisions of the bill as to accommodate
them to the present infrm system. By these
amendments, all FIVE of the present judges
are retained BY the House bill, only three
judges are provided for the whole system
Accord ng to the amendments, two Judges
are retained to perform duties that are OBJ
viously superhuous. One Of these has no
duty whatever to perform, and the other, tho
judge Of the Orphans Court, is to retain his
present jurisdiction and duties, which by the
plan OK the House bill, we're to be performed
hy the judge of the Equity Court, to which
such jurisdiction and duties properly apper-
| tain. So that the retaining OF this court is
| wholly unnecessary and as 1T is to continue
| according to its present plan, unchanged in
any respect, this will be felt by all our citi.
sens as great evil, to say nothing of the fact
that here are two judges kept up without any
necessity or occasion for their duties, at an
expense to the Treasury; and by these amend :
msnts the Equity Courts, will have little or
nothing to do. This ONCE will be almost
sinecure. " fi" ~
Agein, the misfortune Of these amendments
will shortly appear, whom it is recolleoted that
L hv he Hill ha r.fo -
the rules Of court, and the reduction of fees
and costs of litigation, that now press so
heavily on the government and the people,
were to be made by the new judges created BY
| that BILL ~ .......-t., ...., F-.t-.-l ..
If these amendments prevail, the present
judges, who are the implacabls foes of all
innovation, and who arc inimical to every
provision of the bill, are charged with this
duty, which they are likely to slight, from the
experience of the past, it being easies. to dis
charge il by wholly neglecting It,
All the lessons of legal reform everywhere
teach this. Men must be got to carry out
With proper spirit, new reforms. The officers
whose fees are to be retrenchsd, are of course
the near friends and dependents of the present
judges, by whom some OF them have been ap-
appointed, and all Of whom, fighting in COM
| mon cause, have opposed, with unfagging
zeal and interest, the progress of this bill
| through all its stages, and as it would seem
from present indications with q success that
their relations to the subject could never for
moment have reasonably promised . ....
l III ia wall knnUp m h.. IL.
years ago the Supreme Court of the United
States provided an admirable system of rules
| for the government of the inferior courts in
equity cases; and yet, our Circuit Court has
ever refused to adopt them, and held on to its
own old and obsolete practice. Although the
supreme Court has, in more than one case,
considering that those rules did apply to this
court, reversed their decisions for not conform
ing, in the conduct Of the case, to the practice
az provided by it,
We confess that We shall despair of seeing
| the benefits of this so much resded reform
carried out under the auspices Of the present
judges. .... ..... =
| Duties Of Government 0ficers 1t is we'll
known that the number of claims upon Gov.
eminent for all kinds of services have rapidly
| multiplied within few years past; and it is
equally well known that all who oppose their
allowance are held up to the people as sun.
reasonable as 'hard and unfeeling, u if not
positively UNJUST, men. The Hon. John Letch.
or. having officially to pass upon many such
| claims, has been peculiarly subjected to such
/ imputaticns. Now, he is a man a. fond of
doing obliging things to his fellow man as any
one else, ,chen he THINKS that he can rsghtfui.
| " do so; but he has honesty enough to soy no
when duty 50 counsels him. To show the
reasons which govern his action, and let peo-
pie see that he does not reject claims from a
mere caprice, or whim, and also to show his
ideas Of the duty Of the officers of the United
States, We publish his report upon a claim of
Joseph D. Ward-an old, faithful and capable
clerk As this claim was the first of many that
we're rejected, the principles which governed
in all were fully set forth for the consid Grafton
Of the House in the report upon this one, and
accounts tor our selection Of this particular
report; We may add the further res son tina.
A
Of tho GLASS, and believe the claimant il q
gentleman who would not assert claim which
he did not think just. By the by, all claim.
ants think their claims just, and most Of them
feel wounded If their claims are rejected. The
following is the report of Mr.. Letchsr to
which We refer: .' Tx o.. 70,
Mr. Le'cher from the Committee of Claims "a
whom we're referred tho petition and uapsrs
OF Joseph D. Ward, made the following re-
4 port: ..- .. ~
tn It they have carefully examined the
claim asserted by the petitioner, and are of
opinion that it does not rest on pr;ncin,s.
which they can sanction. The petition. an.
nexed hereto, explains the claim. =
| 1t Is the opinion Of this committee that the
ofhcers OF the Government ought, ON ell occa.
sions, to render the beet services, both of bodv
and mind, Of which they are capable. No
man GU ut to be intrusted with Office by fra
government who will not honestly and without
sus,ance. perform the duties pertaining
tnereto Win zeal, industry, and skill. to tbs
| extent OF his ability In cr.at,n. " .uo