Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-02-18


we are sorry to see that il meets with less favor
than the object Of il would seem TO Demand
The nature Of the bill is we believe, to extend
the Jurisdiction Of justices, so as % dispose Of
the thousand-and.one petty offences, which nOw
cucumber the Common Pleas Docket and by
putting into service the pOuderous machinery
Of that court enhancing the Judicial expenses
Of the County. The Editor Of the Sentinel,
who is on the spot, and familiar with the course
taken with this BILL thus alludes to II (;
Our Representative found his Bill for the
trial of minor criminal offences reported back,
very unexpectedly from that committee, with
a recommendation that It be indefinitely post
poned What governed them in making up
their opinion, do not know. They give no
reasons for their conclusion and confess to
the suspicion that they have but few to give
for after examining this measure as carefully as
l well can, and getting the views of others, l
have yet to learn the 6rst argument against it
that was even an approach to conclusive. The
most cogent objections / have heard, came
! from Mr.. Hall, our former Prosecutor, who
urged that it contraveDcd the principle of prac-
tce that required man to be tried upon an in
dictment by Grand Jury, aud that it would
lead to the frequent appeals on error. The
| former objection will not be one long, for the
idea of Grand Jury is rapidly assuming, to
intelligent minds, the ybsFscter Of useless, il
not pernieious appendage to our judicial sys-
tenn and the letter. would soon regulate ITSELF
But If every case was carried up, it would not
be any worse than it is now and then there
would not be such host Of witnesses to come
along. ! have found this, also, that almost
every practical man 10 the county favors the
proposition of final disposition of the greater
part Of these minor offences 10 the townships
where they occur. 1t seems to be a common
sense conclusion that this class of offences can
be as well disposed of in our townships as in our
cities, where the police courts try all such, and
inhct far heavier penalties than belong to these
cases, not without grand jury merely, but
without jury of any kind. cannot see why
one township justice, or two if you please, can
not try man for stealing pair Of horse shoes,
as we'll as the mayor Of a city of the second
class. have found too, that lawyers who had
retired from practice we're in favor of it, while
it received the cold shoulder from those who
were in regular practice. And they have gen
orally done by it as this judiciary committee did
yesterday-recOmmend that il be indefinitely
postponed tcithOut a renSOn ichy.- The readers
of the SeHtinel will recollect that have FIRE.
qucntly invited discussion upon this subject
but have had to conduct it all on one side.--
SO it seems to be here A member of the
House, TO whom spoke on the subject, said
to me the other day, you may get such bill
through the House but it will never pass the
Senate-there are too many lawyers there
Now have always felt averSe to put the SUBJ
ject in this light, and have abstained carefully
from charging this opposition upon the profes.
sion but many people do think there is an in
terest involved here. And it seems to me that
the profession owe it to themselves to disabuse
the public mind, by presenting valid reasons if
they have them, or withdrawing their opposition.
If the scheme is really impracticable, it ought
to be shown to be so. Tf not, it is time that
the community had the relief from the expense
that it promises There is Bill now before
the House, providing for sn additional Common
Pleas Judge in our District because, we are
told, that our courts are crowded beyond their
capacity to dispose of business. Now do not
know, nor have l been told by those who
ought to know, why such measure as this
would not relieve the courts of a vast mass of
their superintendent business / certainly
know of much delay in Court from causes that
such system would have relieved. do not
say the additional judge is not needed
Well, this Bill was very coolY reported back,
when Mr.. krum got the floor in its defense,
and after short argument, aud very prompt
expression'of dissent from the Report by one
one of the Committee, it was referred to Mr..
Krum as select committee to amend it further
and present it again to the House. when hope
it will fair better. know that our people de-
sire something of the kind.
The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada has
sprung iuto position to strike terror to rival
railroads in the western carrying trade but
while the New Workers fear its mooted pur-
chase of the Harlem road, for a connection
from the ST. Lawrence river to that city, the
Boston people, through their corn-exchange,
have invited its managers to buy up the East
ern railroad to Portland aud bring the line down
to them. The Canadian railroad managers, hav-
ing worked in the back ground for several'years,
and without any flourish of trumpets, are now
entering upon the full glory of an acknowledged
supremacy over all. The advantages Of a COL
tnuOus line under one management having thus
been proved, wouldn't it be well for our Yankee
railroad men to plan up a similar consolidation
of roads through our own territory
TIE HARPER's Ferry IsvEsrIGArIoS- Mr..
Plumb of Ohio has completed his testimony
before the HarperS Ferry COMMITTEES. The
letter written by him to J. Il. Kagi was in
answer to an appeal for money to redeem the
farm Of Kagi's father, who lived 10 Nebrasks,
which was under mortgage to a Cincinnati
banker.
Mr.. Plumb testified that be gave money to
Leary Tor the purpose Of enabling him to en-.
gage in assisting slaves to escape, but that be
had no knowledge Of the invasion of Virginia.