New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-09
AMENDING TaE CONTRIBUTION.

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AMENDING TEE CONSTITUTION.
The legislature at its last sessios adopted con-
current resolutions for the purpose of amending the
judicial system Of this State by removing from the
Court Of Appeals the four Justices of the Supreme
C,urt now occupying seats on that beDcb, and ~
creating two additional judges in their place. ut
tie same time extending the teIu Of the office
from eight to twelve years; by wing to the JUS
tees of the Supreme Court, elected pclor to the
year 1857, an extra compensation Of one thousand
dollars year for the last two years; and by con-
ferring original as well as appellate jurisdiction
upon the County Courts. Agreeably to the Con-
stituion art Kill, See. y, the proposed amend
merits must be referred TO the Legislature now in
session, and if agreed TO- they are IT, be submitted
10 The people in such manner and at such time as
the Legislature shall prescribe.
We perceive that these resolutions were re-
introduced into the Senate by one Of the law
yes holdiog q seat in that body, on the third
day of the preseJt session. and We are informed
that an pfurtIs TO be made to fotce them through
both Houses without drsy. The programme is
uud, rstood TO BE- as follows: The resolutions to
be adopted as early as the forms Of legislation viii
permit; they are then 10 be submitted TO the peo-
ole Of a special elt cti0n to be held about
The middle Of next month, and if approved
ard ratified, they will become part of the
Constitution. The resolutions provide that
on The third Tuesday of May, 1860, an election
hall be beld at (which two judges of the Court Of
Appeals sball be chosen whose terms shall COM
mepce on the third Tuesday of June, 1860. Here
then is on amount Of work laid out for
The people, such as nothing but an ipper,
rus necessity can justify. Two general cleo
tions are to be held within three months of
each other, both of them involving Of course
the registration Of the voters throughout the State
and that too during the year Of o Presidential
election. If the time of the voters be counted as
worth anything, it is safe to affirm that every State
election costs on an average not less than half
million Of dollarp What then is tho exigency
which calls for this sacri6ce1
The judges aud justices who have been chief
" instrumental in licking the scheme into shape,
including Of course the worthless who are
now prosecuting this county for extra CON-
pensation tell us that the object is fret
TO insure greater degree Of uniformity and sta
blhty in the administration of justice; and second
TO relieve the Supreme Court of q great deal of
petty business which more properly belongs to the
Cuulty Courts Quite as cogent q reasonfor bring
ing forward these amendments, which no citizen Of
the State has ever petllioned for, We appIebend is
TO be found IL the proposition to give the sum of
two thousand dollars each for extra COM
peIsation TO the judges and Justices who were
in ,fiice on the eighteenth of April, l557-the
date Of the passage Of the act increasing the sala
ries of the Judges Of the Court of Appeals and the
Justices of the Supreme Court from two thousand
FIVE hundred TO three thousand Fl se hundred dollars
ayenr. We express this opinion the more con.
fdtntly becsuse these same mOney-loyiDg judges
and Justices caused the Legislature at its last SEES
sion to be- inundated with petitions to give
them thousand dollars year for clerk hire and
travelling expeDses. EVERYBODY knew that these
fficers had no use for clerk, and that two hundred
dollars ia liberal estimate for their travelling ci
ptndtures; and everybody knew just as we'll that
tie whole thing was trumpet up pretense for
evadirg Sec. z Of Art. VI. Of the Constitution,
which is in these words: "Tbe Judges of the
"Court of Appeals and Justices Of the Supreme
Court shall seyerally receive at stated times FOR
their services compensation to be established by
law, which shall not be increased or diminished
"during their continuance in Office" SO viewing
the matter, the Legislature, on the unanimous re-
port of the Committee Of Ways aud Means, Kicked
these petitions out OF the Capitol; and then il was
that these concurrent resolutions were concocted
| by men who would have been mere creditably en-
poyed in earning the liberal salaries they were al
ready receiving.
But why relieve the Justices Of the Supreme