The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-25

Justices Of the Rense N France. N
An account Of the frsnch Justices Of the
Peace is given by Paris correspondent Of the
New York Eya-ssss which IL we'll worshyof
perasal and reflection. both in this country
and IN England. These Officers are selected on
accoun 1f their high character, good sense and
uuimpcachable integrity. The difference be-
tween the duties OF English and American
Justices ON the one aide, and OF French JUS
tces on the other, is that the former are simply
required TO hear and decide litigation, which
often beeins ut their tribunal and is carried up
TO the highest courts, whereas the French
Justice IL a Justice of the peace IA factas In
name. and his duty is TO discourage litigation
ana nrexaii upon parties to settle their con-
,n,verry. If possible, without going to law
The ONCE. with its present functions, which
makes the Justice OF the peace both an umpire
and a magistrate, was created by the Consul
,uent Assembly seventy years ago, and Its
succ ess has been triumphantly tested by the
experience Of nearly three-quarters OF q CEN
tury- The intention of the Assembly was 10
estah iish prompt and ready mode OF Obtain
ing justice, requiring no machinery OF rum
Gus procedure, and accessible to all classes
alike LET iitigants be reminded" said one
of tt most eminent members OF the ooay
which created the system, "that the justice Vi
the tribunals Is only made for those who nave
not the wit TO get along without it." Aeoor"-
incIy il is the duty of the justice in every Case
hrougt,t to his notice, instead OF issuing war
rant az sinst the defendant, to listen patieh'',
To the complaint weigh its apparent merits
and defects in his own mind, soothe the irrlta-
lion of the injured man and appoint an hour
for An audience generally not later thah the
following day He then sends the deiendahl
an informal summons, requesting MIN 70 pre-
cent him self at the same time rs me coinpiaih-
ant-a summons which is rarely disopeyeo.
rhe two meet with the justice in private
ROOM and the justice urges the trouble ahoeA
pense attending formal appeal TO the law,
advises mutual concessions, and, in nine cases
out of ten, succeeds in setting The quafrei
without suit and without expense That the
French are a rash and impulsive people is
proved by the fact that, in one year alone, toi-
lowing law passed in 1855, requiring the JUS
tice to cite snce privately before him all con-
testants. previous TO the issue OF formal writ,
the number of letters sent amounted to mp
wards of three millions and hall, an average
of one summons to every ten inhabitants. Bnt
have comes in the admirab influence of the
Eranch system. and Of the immense number of
disputes each of which, in America, would
haya been famed into q ruinous lawsuit, four
aftbs are reconciled without appealing TO the
law.
The writer in the Express, from whose letter
we CLEAN these interesting facts, adds that how
ever Justly may be reproached the present ar
bitrary political system of France, no wordsI
disapprobation can be applied to the rehch
Judiciary in 10 country in the world is JUS
lice more promptly or more impartially ad-
,ninis,ered than in France from the highest
tribunal OF the empire to the most insignih-
cant police commissarys office, every citizen
enjoys equal rights before the law.