The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-27

| could make with the greatest ease from
eighteen to twenty knots an hour, whilst in
heavy sea, which imperilled the safety
of one of the Channel steamers, the only
motion felt on board Of her was slight and
almost imperceptible rolling. Unfortunate
though it has been in incidental circum-
stances we therefore cannot but look upon
the results of this experiment as solving in
great part the problems which the Great
Eastern was intended to decide.
Judge Roosevelt and His Associates ON
the Bench i'm Trouble.
The very virtuous Corporation Counsel, the
legal watchdog of the cty's rights, who never
sleeps on his post, and always barks to give
| the alarm when thieves are meditating an on
slaught upon the city treasury, comes out in
letter against the constitutionality of the act of
the Board of Supervisors increasing the salary
| of Judge Roosevelt, of the Supreme Court, and
| of his associates on the bench. The Legislature
has authorized the Board of Supervisors to
make this increase but the learned Busted
| says the law is unconstitutional, which we very
much doubt The Tribune, with that narrow
minded party meanness for which it is distin-
| guished joins in the hue and cry, because Judge
Roosevelt is not Of the republican stripe and
| yesterday letter appeared in the public jour
nails of the city, from which it appears that
| Mayor Tiemann has also lent himself to the
difficulty, and in fact originated it, by first OBJ
jecting to sign the warrant for the payment of
the increased salary, and then applied to Bus
| teed to sanction case to go to a court of law
| on the question. In this letter it is further
alleged that Mr.. Busted, as appears from his
letter, '.very much misunderstood the question
submitted to him." To this Busted indig-
nantly replies in a letter which we publish in
another column. Between them ''it is pretty
| quarrel as it stands
| 1t is a miserable, picayune, small potato
affair. The salary of these Judges was only
| $4,000 per annum, and there is no decent man
will say that that is anything like competent
income for Judge of the Supreme Court in
this district 1t is neither BETTING the dignity
of the Office nor the legal requirements and
abilities necessary to fill it. The salary has
been increased for extra expenses by $1,000,
given on the part of the county by the Board
of Supervisors, making in all $4,000. Another
thousand would still be too little.
1t is urged as an argument against the claim
of Judge Roosevelt that che is not man on the
verge of beggary, or even of bankruptcy in
! other words, that he is well off as regards his
private fortune Now, that is Judge Roosevelt's
own affair, and nobody else has anything to do
| with it. If he was worth million of dollars in
| the year, that is poor reason why he should be
deprived Of a legitimate compensation for the
services he renders the public. But how does
this argument apply to other Judges who are
| not so fortunate in their pecuniary circum-
stances as Judge Roosevelt? Is a salary of
| $1,000 sufficient for them, or for any properly
| qualified Judge? Any man of legal ability, good
| character and steady business habits, can make
far more money than that in New York, without
a 1.-THE of the responsibility or obloquy to which
Judge is exposed. 1t is rarely that man of
Judge Roosevelt's ability as lawyer or cha
racter for integrity can be induced to accept
| the Office
All the Judges are paid far below what is due
| to men qualified for the positions they hold
But there is no reason why the salary of the
Judges of the Supreme Court should be the
lowest of all. The following is list of the
| salaries:--
Kecoroer goo
Siy Juugc. 5oOO
court OF common Peas Observation-Disclosures. 1000
MARINE court 1000
supreme Sourl Z,5OO
| The County Clerk has $4,000, and the Clerk
of the Court of Common Pleas $4,000. 1t will
be thus seen that the salary allowed by the
State for Judges of the Supreme Court is ano-
malous, and contrary to good sense and sound
| policy. That high Office ought to be held only
by first class lawyers, and then we would not
have so many decisions reversed But how
seldom will an eminent lawyer accept the
| Office :? The idea appears to be that the honor
| is sufficient inducement for men of means. But
it is not every man Of means that, like Judge
| Roosevelt, has the qualifications, and the pay
! ment of proper salary would not conflict
with the honor attached to the highest judge
ship in the county, but on the contrary, rather
enhance the dignity, and hold out to an honor
able ambition a prize worth contending for.
If this were done, a higher class of judicial
| functionaries would adorn the bench and there
| would be less complaint as to the bungling
manner in which justice is so often admins
| tered.
How differently are the Judges paid in Great
Britain and Ireland. They have from s25 900
to $4,000 per annum, and their appointment
is during good behavior. Here is asalary equal
to and above that Of the President of the United
States. Why cannot this great nation pay its
Judges equally well? In England judgeshp
is prize contended for by men of the highest
ability and legal learning and distinguished
for honor. The generally sound decisions,
the speedy administration of justice and the in
dependence of the judiciary, either against