Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-10-01

Special csyHespsRdeRte " Tie Journal rad Saeamsn
CAPsyILLE, NORTHAMPTON Co., VA,
Sent %. 1897

Special cAgysspsadeHte " Tie Journal rad SEAMAN
CkPEyILLE, NORTHAMPTON Co., VA, /
Sept. 20, 1867.
DEAR JOURNAL; 1wrote 10 you dcscrlp.
ton of water spout that crossed the lower
end of Accomuc County, last August, wash
ing up houses, trees and everything in its
course, from tho Bay across the county to
the Ocean, leaving a gulley about so yards
wide to mark its track AS you did not pub
llsh It, apppotf il lus gone adrilt in the
mail bags, somewhere else.
General Schotield has knocked IN the head
the celebrated plundering scheme OF old
II. A. Wise, known here as tho Virginia
Oyster Law. 1t made few poor oystermen
pay nearly all the taxes, and the T. Fs. V.
could keep their worn out lands literally
tax free. II he would kill Oft the judicial
system In the same manner it would be
great improvement, for a more intolerable
nuisance than II is, is hard to imagine
will now give you an outline of 1t. No
one but freeholder can be anything here,
not even Justice OF the Peace. The Jue-
tices are elected Tor five years, they keep no
docket To commence an action you go 10
a constable and lie makes statement Of the
matter, and writes out summons 10 the de-
fendant, commanding him to appear before
q Justice OF the Peace, this he serves on de-
iendant; the defendant names the Justice
he will appear before, the day arrives, the
parties meet, The Justice hears the subject
| matter and decides 1t, If he sees proper to do
so, If not he calls in another Justice, and il
they disagree they call In some one citizen
as umpire, that closes the matter. They
enter on tho Rummons the judgment, and
put the costs on either party, "a they mny
see proper, and order the constable 10 bike
it TO the County Clerk for recording, and if
ia Mt ~, Ia ~
give the constable a written order. And all
magistrates are kept at the county seat so
every one hns TO 60 there 10 attend TO the
| most tritiing matt0r. The courts are held
once month, and four Justices OF the Peace
constitute the bench in these courts. All
civil suits Of every kind, land titles, chancery,
| and all criminal cases, such as petty larceny,
assault and battery. burglary, &c, are tried
by Them. The juries are one hundred and
eighty In number, and as we have about four
hundred freeholdcrs, you may Judge how
/ many are each month at court; they only
get fifty cents per day, however, so ii don Il
cost heavily. Every April and October VIC
have what they call Judges Court, a kind of
Court OF Revision, with juries also. To this
Court all parties can appeal as the Judge
| must be lawyer, he tries also all State cases,
murder, &c. 50 we haze fourteen courts a
year, besides the 3iipIeme Court at Richmond.
When the people elect a Sheriff, they write
on the ticket who they want for his deputies,
and whoever gets the largest Recommended
| ton he IS In honor bound 10 commission
Tho Sheriff COLLECTS all tho taxes and costs
| in Court. If you have deed recorded, the
| Recorder won't take the money for IT, but
gives the account TO the Sheriff. His office
Is 80 crowded of court day that stranger
would think that some important election
was going on The Sheriff seldom leaves I he
Cornly-seat,as he is almost always wanted to
receive taxea, or attend to some OF the
| County matters, SO that 10 be Sheriff 10 really
! post OF honor here as well as profit. When
you lake into consideration that tho whole
number Of Yoters heretofore was about Six
hundred, you would be like the subscriber,
| in favor OF killing off about dozen OF Their
courts, and then have plenty left for all prae-
tical purposes. went up 10 Eastville, the
| county scat, last August court, TO see and
look on, EnG Yas assured by several that they
did not think fifty men in the county were
at home on that day. Negroes as well ns
whites 60 up on the Monday, or first court
| day, so that NOT lens than fifteen hundred
negTsss were In Bastyille, all well dressed and
| happy as dogs. Tho District Attorney, d
reconstructed Rebel, now very fair Union
| man, remarked 10 me that when they wore
sldpes and come into town on such days, Cor
they always come, he always noticed they
brought fiddles and banjos, and engaged in
dancing; now he always sees the men In
small groups, talking apparently like so
many whits men-he suppoSes discussing