The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-10

'it'tCNCl iCCIlhB vi pelSoHaI SyiIiP'Ihy IOA
Judge STUMP may have been blended in the minds
of members of the Legislature with the considera-
tons of public justice and official obligation which
led two-thirds of both Houses to concur in an Ad
dress TO the GOVERNOR demanding his removal
that feeling must have been greatly weakened il
not destroyed, by the course which some of his
friends have seen proper to pursue. Anything
more purely vexatious and frivolous than the con-
duct of Mr.. YELLoTT it would be difficult to i'm
agne, and--although so far the Judge is
cerned the case is at an end, and we content
to leave tit is not proper that his advocate
should be let slip so easily. Mr.. YELLoTT will
have no right TO complain, if judging him by his
acts, people generally conclude that it was not so
much trial as delay that he wanted-less an op-
portunity for preparation than the chance of STAY
ing off a vote, and time to work upon the sympa-
thies of Senators.
We must equally, and for the same reason, con-
denim the course of the counsel who first solicited
the privilege of being heard before the Senate in
defence of the Judge, and then when the privilege
accorded them, declined to avail themselves of
it in a manner that was scarcely consistent with
the respect due to that hndv. IF Judge Asov had
not read the testimony in the Judges case, and
did not feel himself equal to its discusson--he had
no business to ask to be heard as his counsel.
There are many persons, and we confess ourselves
to be of the number, who would have failed to re-
cognise under any circumstances the propriety Of
his appearance in the case. Nor had the question
of Judge STUNTS removal been so suddenly sprung
upon the Legislature and the public as to have
precluded the possibility of all the preparation
that tba rpirbt For aiubf
years the testimony against the Judge
has been accommodating upon the docket of his
Court and in the columns of the newspapers
That effort would he made at The present ses-
sion of the legislature to have him removed, was
perfectly well known long before the time appoint
ed for the assembling of that body. A memorial
for the purpose had been published, circulated and
extensively signed in this community, and an al
most unanimous public opinion demanded its pre-
sentation. 1t was presented, and was referred to
Special Committee, with power TO send for persons
and papers, at early period of the session.
The proceedings before that Committee were sufi-
GENTLY notorious. As there had been no conceal
ment about the charges preferred, there was none
observed in regard to the evidence taken That evil
dence-as well that heard in the Judges favor,
as that offered in support of the memorial, or at
least, the more material portions of it-had been
published the newspapers The whole of it had
been printed, and laG upon the desks of the men,
bers of both Houses. In the House. a unanimous
Committee reported in favor of the Judges re-
moval, and the Address to the GOVERNOR was
adopted by a vote of IS yeas 10 nays. At
ter an interval of two days and when but two
days more remained before the close of the ses
sion, and an immense mass Of unfinished business
demanded the attention of both Houses, the Ad-
dress was taken up in the Senate and Judge
STUMp's friends complained of want of time for
preparation and asked for postponement of his
case If this not done, with the view of pre-
venting the Senate from acting at ALL it is hard to
tell what the motive could have been 1t is subject
of congratulation to this whole community that
the attempt failed; it would have been better if it
had been rebuked with even more spirit. The as.
sumption of the gentlemen who declined to ap-
pear as Judge STUMPs counsel, and yet took ad-
vantage of their admission TO the floor of the SEN
ate to lecture that body upon its duties was to say
the least, highly indecorous. Judge STUMP has
had every privilege exte nded to him 10 which he
was entitled. or which the EXTREMIST consideration
and forbeardnce could have suggested in his be-
half There is as little reason to reproach the
Legislature, with hasty or partial action in his
case as there is to find fault with its decision.
As we have said we have no disposition to i'm
prove the occasion of the Judges fall, by any
moral reflections upon the which have
brought him to it, or by INDUCING in any sentiment
of personal or party triumph at the expense of a
much BUNDLED and disgraced old man. From
the establishment of this journal, we have labored
to procure his removal from the Bench. With
that view we began the system, since become
general with the press of this city, of reporting
literally, so far space would admit and decency
allow, the proceedings of the Criminal Court. 1t
was not, because we thought it either the most
entertaining or the most improving reading, that
we could offer 10 the public, that we burdened our
columns day after day, with the painful record Of
judicial buffoonery imbecility, and indecencv.
1t was because we thought it absolutely neces-
sary that the people of Baltimore, and of the
whole State, should know how the business of the
Court was conducted-how the judgment-seat was
dishonored, and the administration of justice
brought into conempt-thatw we took so much pains
to give publicity to the facts. In the same spirit
we never failed to demand at the hands of each
successive Grand Jury, the indictment of the Judge
never doubling that evidence, in abundance,
would be produced, TO ensure his conviction.
Since the commencement of the present session of
the Legislature, we have omitted no suitable OPP
portunity of urging upon that body, the necessity
and the obligation of exercising its consti-
tutonaI powers, for the publication of
justice at its fountain-head. We have suffered
neither our zeal for the Reform Bills nor oppo-
sition to the Brock Bill or any other Bill 10
divert our attention from this subject, and we
endeavored to keep it equally before the atten-
ton OF others To undertake any laboured
justification of the action of the Legislature
wou d not only be unnecessary. therefore, in
this community where it is universally approved,
Int would be like undertaking the justification of