The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-04
GREEN MOUNTAIN FRIEDMAN, DEC. 4, 1861.

be divided into circuits Of convenient size, til
Supreme Judges to serve in & number OF the1
corresponding to their own number. and lndC
pendent Circuit Judges to be provided for all til
rest Or secondly, let the Supreme Judges b
relieved from circuit duties, aud Circuit Judge
provided for all the circuits: or thirdly, dis
pIcnse with circuit courts altogether. leaving tn
judicial functions wholly to the district court
and ali independent Supreme Court.
| respectfully recommend to the considcra
ton Of Congress the present condition of tn
statute laws, with the hope that Congress viii
be able to find an easy remedy for many OF thu
| incCnvcnienccs and evils which constantly en-
barrasS those engaged in the practical admin
istraton of them.
Since the organization of the Govcrnm cnt
Congress has enacted some five thousand act'
and Joint resolutions which fill more than 81,
thousand closely printed pages, and are scat
tered through many volumes. Many Of these
acts have been drawn in haste and without suf
ficient caution, so that their provisions are Of
| ten obscure in themselves, or in conflict with
each other, or at least so doubtful as to render
it very difficult for even the best informed
persons to ascertain precisely what the statute
J law really is
1t seems to me very important that the stat
ute laws should be made as plain and intelligent
as possible, and be reduced to as small com
pass as may consist with the fullness and pre-
cision Of the will of the Legislature and
the perspicuity Of it's language.
These, well done, would, think, greatly IA
cllitatc the labors Of those whose duty it is to
assist in the adm instration Of the laws, and
would be lasting benefit t. the people by pIa-
cling before them, IN a more accessible and in
tcligib!c form, the laws which 50 deeply cor
cern their interests aud their duties.
am informed by some whose opinions re-
Spcct that all the acts Of Congress now in force
and Of Il permanent and general nature, might
be revised and rewritten. 80 as to he embraced
in one volume, or at least two volumes Of or
binary and convenient size, and | respectfully
recommend to Congress to consider this subject,
and if my suggestion be approved, to devise
such plan as to their wisdom shall seem most
proper for the attainment Of the end proposed.
One OF the unavoidable consequences OF the
present instruction is the entire Suppression in
many places o; nj! ordinary means of admin
istcrlng civil justite by the officers and in the
forms Of existing law. This is the case in the
whole or in part Of all the insur&ent States,
ana as our armies advance upon aud take pos
session Of parts Of those States, the practical
evil becomes more apparent,
I"ercarc no courts nor officers to whom the !
citizens OF other States may apply for the Gu
|Vrccmcnt Of their lawful claims against citi- !
1e1's OF the lpsargcnt States and there is a vast
lmonHt OF debt, constituting such claims. -
some llsyc estimated it as high as two hundved
Millions Oh dollars, due in large part from IN
'urgcnts in open rebellion to loyal citizens, who
IRE even now making great sacrifices in dis
'harge OF tbeir patriotic duty to support the
government
Cuder these circumstances | have been ur-
gently solicited to establish by military power
ourts to administer Summary Justice in such
asses. l have thus far declined to do it, net
because had any doubt that the end proposed,
ne collection of the debta, was just and right
n itself. but because have bern unwilling to
. beyond the pressure of necessity in the UNI
ual exercise OF power.
But the powers of Congress, suppose. are
quail t. the anomalous occasion. and therefore
refer the whole matter to Congress, with the {
opc that a plan may be devised for the admins
ration OF justice in all such parts of the insur- c
ent States and Territories rs may be under the [
'ntra' OF the Government, whether by q VOL
ntary return ~ allcgiancc and order, or by the s
over oi arms.
Inns, however ,s not to be Il permanent in i
ltutlon- but Il temporary substitute, and to i
'ise as soon as the Courts can be re-rstabished '
peace. Il
1t is Important thai some nsorc convenient {
cans shculd be provided, if possible, for the c
Justmcnt OF claims against the Government. 0
peclaily in view Of their increased number. by
ason of the var v
l. Ia
Ii is as much the duty of the Government to o
nder prompt justice against itself in favor of u
Citizens, us it is to administer the same be- II
1een private individuals. The INVESTIGATION Il
" adjudication OF claims in their nature be- @
h5 to tie judicial department beside it is u
parent that the attention of Congress will be u
ore than usually engaged ior some time to It
nle with the great National questions. II
1t Tas intended by the organization Of the 81
'urt OF Claims mainly to remove this branch a.
business from the nails of Congress, but =,
hiie the Court has proved to be an effective -
d valuable means Of Investigation. it. in - .
eat degree, Fails to effect the object of its ere :.
ION Ior want OF power to make its judgments ~
al. . N'''' It
FULLY aware Of The dclicacy not to saw donoor II
The subject, ! commend to your careful con ,
icritlon whether this power Of making iudo- " "
INT final may not properly he given to tie II,
'urt' rcscrvlng the right of appeal in cues W v,
ms OF law to the Supreme Court with such ~
her provisions as experience may have shown 3
be necessary. u
ask attention to the report of the postmas- ~
+ General. The following being u summary az
'temcnt OF the condition Of the department ~
&c revenue from all sources during the fscol ~,
ar, ending June so, 1861, including the an VI VI
al permanent appropriation Of 500, 900 for =.
transportation of free mail matter. was "
),o49 ,296 40 being about two per cent Ios loss &c