Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-10-28
For the Waterman & state Journal.
Salaries of orr Judges.

The proposition Of inquiry which has been in
troduccd into the House looking towards an in
crease of the salaries Of the Judges Of the Su-
prcmc Court should be fully understood before
passed upon by the representatives of the peo-
pie The present salary Of the Judges is Sc 800,
per annum, as fixed BY the act Of 1866, aud when
this sum was asscnted 10 by the legislature, at
.he request Of some Of the Judges, II was not
supposed there would I've anattempt so soon again
IN increase IT, II is desirable that the Judges
should he well paid for their services, and it is
regarded by the people of this state generally,
and by most of the members Of the bar, that the
sum now paid them is amply sufficient. IL is
well known that the business in our courts has
very much diminished within n few Years, and
that the return of peace does not increase 10 any
considerable extent the amount Of lowl husiness,
and the opinion j. very general among the profess
sion that the volume Of litigation will nevgr again
return as formerly Every thing tcndFto show
that IL will not Che decay of the credit system
the settlement OF oar land titles, and the general
diffusion of wealth among the community, all
tend TO show that there can hc nothing in the iu-
turc to create litigation in the past. This be-
ing SD, the cmoluments Of lawyers have been very
much lessened, and vt the present time large
proportion ci the local pucticug lawyers in the
State realize from their profession but about one
half or two-thirds the amount paid to Judge of
the Supreme Court. If any OF the Judges feel
dissatisfied with their present salaries, let them
rofuru ia thp nrolp-4iOn. and LEFT their plucns Le
6licd from The lar. as there are many LAWYER. In
Mo state equally ms well qualified 10 occupv The
bonch ms Inc presont incumbents.
n may NOT he nni.. to consider who hive ocel-
MED the bench I'm thi. state. and what .,laric-
hnve beru mid Them I'm Is9G. tle snlnr, or tbe
Srprpme CONT Judrcs was fixed nd ,sIO5O and
remained 4, until tie Revised Statutes or Is9g
when IL was raised To SI3.75 i'm 1851. il was
rniscd To $500; in 1868 to $500: in 1861 to
SoIOO. mud in 1866 Ia S25O0 During tbc mo-
riod when the salary was SIOjO and $3.50 Inc
most eminent inri-ts saturon thebenoh who have
ever occnpied that position duriut, the wlslc his
tory of Mis- STATE. In ls26. when Inc .alfry WINS
fycd mt sIO5O. Richard skinner was Chief Jus
flee. and Samuel prentis- one Of the Associates.
both men of rare powers and profound judicial
knowlcdpe. I'm 1890. Charles X Williams was
elected Associate judge, (hnvinn previously been
nm Associate for two wears. i'm 1899 and 1893 !
and held the Office of Associate and Chief jus
tice until lsi6-he was elected Chief Justice in
1879. and his associntes were stephen Roycc.
Samuel ;. Phelps, Jacob Colnmerand John Mat
tocks. isaac +. Redfeld succeeded Judge Mat
toeks in 1875. and rrnniued upon the bench nm
ill 1860 a period of % years Judge Colmnor
left the Bench i'm 1912. and JUDGE Roycc i'm 1852
after service in all of 25 wears What other
state can snow such galaxy of judicial names ?
They occupied the bench Mt time when the