The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-25
THE JUDICIARY OF NEW YORK CITY.

the JUDICIARY Of new YORK CITY.
~~~~-~~~-~~~~~~~~-->>-> err~
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD. q u
An article appeared in the, NORTH American RssisS .
few weeks ego the subject Of the judges OF the
courts held in the city Of New York. which no doubt
caused The readers Of that respectable periodical sas
deprsssion Of spirita moro dismal picture OF cor
ruption and dagracs ID believed never attempted
70 oe drawn BY any writer eontemporansous abuses
The people whose lives and property not subject
70 the jursdston Of the judges alluded TO in that
article, no doubt Congratulated themselves and ptisd
the miserable wrstchss who were compelled 70 live
within our city lmita II Ws take the writer ~ hs
doubtless means 10 b understood We should imagine
that the million Of Inhabitants Of New York and their
SIX hundred millions Of dollars worth Of property,
were In the desposc clutch OF two or three robbers
who held high judicial positions and exercised
unlimited sovereignty. We should also imagine that
suits s law and In equity adudicated New York
city with the extraordinary informa,y that charac-
tsrzes Turkish legal proceedings where the
Is mob gashsnns. the, suItOFs rscrinnasing black
guardH the judge bribabls old runap and the ocsn
irsdssmable thieves OF al the wild nursery tales Of
robbery and plumber which provinoias delight TO listen
10 concerning this modern Babylon none ID better cal
ouated 70 chill the rustic heart and the rustic hair
than that In the Revieg shout cur jadicisry viii DO
nosicsd too the suthor Of tl his legends With
the true smack Of sasisiaction that characterzss the
spinner Of ssnsaalsnal yama He sioas over each hor
rid incident and maintains his own composure, while
be seems 70 behold hi listeners trembling With fear
is. NO doubt New Yorker whspennsd tho dismal &C.
count. and no doubt this New Yorker LAWYER This
ie evident from the personal vindictiveness that
charactensss his narrative and which marks the disap
the purpose Of relieving the irritation which the a.
corum OF courts VIII not permit him 10 vent In their
fact lawyers are very sensitive creatures that even
10 doubtful casea they usually manage to convince
themselves that their cause . just and fully per-
suaded OF the cogency Of their own arguments When
therefore, judge may happen to decide against them
requires al their fort,sude 70 restrain the expression
misfortune Of legal proceedings that one side must be
successful and the other not, and perfectly natural
70:
look upon legal Issue o duel in which they have
personal interest but regard Il .: their duty simply 70
doubts before him. These counselors yet erum-
bled u decision nor illuminated . Judge; but the
their ONCE and who voluntarily place themselves in the
shoes Of their clients TO feel elaton at victory and
misery at defeat, are by far in the majority At every
In the city Of New York. owing to its great sizs popu-
iaon and business lsIg: number Of judges are main
are i've Supreme Court Judges six Superior Court
Judges, three Common Pleas three Marine, eight Civil
trates two Judges for the General Sessions and two
United States Court Judges In this city alone there are
held % ss ssDs
r0r eighecn IN the Common Pleas and twenty In the
Marine Court In the ordinary torn time there
ally about nineteen courts sitting 10 hear trials by Jury
the number for trials by the court without Jury
and four higher courts always In session 10 attend
parts Of the State only two courts held the whole
year through, which last bu! one month each Notwith
standing the above vast Judicial force which performs
press Of legal business that double the number judges
and courts would not be able 10 dispose Of all the nga
ton with the celebrity Witnessed in the country dis
trictas Cases remain for months waiting their turns
to be tried; but this IL not the fault Of
the
Of the GAUSS Of unjust reflections ndulasd by
lawyers and sutora The client and his counsel apt
most Important by the judge without regard to the
clamors OF those sl waiting 70 be heard The client
on his paints 70 SPIN out bis argument and oserwS.m
tho court with endless BRIEFS When therefore, he
the practced judge interrupt the long wnded Grafton
and pierce through the TO its chief points, Ques-
ton the advocate 70 hem and short all useless
discussion, he Il amazed He has mot mad .
Disgrace 70 ne bsnch Unforansssiy, there are 100
because pretty speech has been spoiled and becaSse
the Judge would let them unf0d the In their
own way but preferred TO have u shortened for the
remembered that there nearly four thousand lawyers
in the city Of New York. practising or trying to practice
a. 10 usr ss ha U s ~ " 10 ,s s.w Wy nsse
small Case, desire to mako dshow.n Much Is the |
Judges desire and they DO desire ~ 10 help al young
lawyers their duty compe them 70 sacrifice every thing
else to the despatch Of business and the doing Of
speedy Justice. some tne priencss ones"
'enre, muue!ing aeePy aeHns. wnas tney oeem
lid to vfy the wearcrs Of the ermne must also be
remembered tnat mere are numbers o. persons ASSUMING
. pracuce law IN New 10TH Guy VINO are grossly igno-
nant some wno AeI nary ssuoy sIe yes irfeclamably
,1upia any many aas vPo use .ner rank q expoenq-
ers Oh the law 70 evaoe ano !lo'sse ior nsSally |
,lentA With all these the Judges have 70 b short,
harp and severe, and they swell the list Of macontents
But the judges are hight: no justice 10 suitors for
ne bench 70 encourage vicious lawyers and no justice
tho respectable members OF the bar 70 encourage
COMPETENT ones. 80 81
Il ahould be borne In mind too that the greatest part