Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-02-09

! ,
ru'Hhcr Of now ID ami expensive prisoner.
STATE GUARD.
il ): pruncr in This connection 10 :,e.l: o. Tho
| Si4!c Guard. The necessity for some uiganl@a-
| t."n ike tie former State Guard or q State TO.
| ica. Is too arpsrcnt to require cGInmc2t q! NJ
guEcnt from me. Men must be employed to
| qua d the Pcntcntiary, and 70 care for and
| project tho public property. In my opinion. n
| military organization is preferable to any other.
| 1t is quite probable that the State Guard might
BE rcorganized under the present laws.
tu. have preferred to defer all acti"a IN that
behalf until the opinion of tho GGnnrSl Assem-
llv ccnld be had.
respectfully recommend that this subject be
| considered ana acted upon At tho earliest rrAc-
ticsbIa mdment.
CITY, TOWN AND 4 UNITY OFFICERS.
Among tie important subjects demanding yonr
immediate attention, one OF the :st will hc that
OF providing lorllling the various city, town and
,cnnty otIicera, until regular elections can be
he'd The Constitution provides for holding
regular elections in cities and towns on the 4th
Th. lay in May, and in counties on the Ijrst
IT, day after the first Monday III November.
- property hell il will BIZ necessary Tor YOU
- r"sct q gencr&l Registration law, and provide
IN !at do Gad i.!Hncr in which elections shall
j. LID. bs:: present statutes are inconsistent
win ;:r ;;:or!:"rs e.! -" l"":.!ution up IL |
.fiz :li. ia. subject. H.: -! sec::''a Of i'r
CLOTHES ;iy ti..I"!::! ..*.rt! y lii %inn,o pow
r:S {" IL: a.. thee o...aS l.. .:,H !nHi.:cr to
! All I'm 49,, ilAt'i in!u:: G.crliC"S rnr
- 'c,,.. d",:'t ina prop":"!T T.! ordering Spc
ca. u.r .D,.s IT,, It Gas ~ xiii !iIDr A>l L
iir, .h. ...l. ali II will ircessa!ii; L.. =. -
:;.:.i.. -. i:. cling he requisite sisHtiuA f.:
t!.rt i':t!"'s'', tii' great "Arc!:c which such
"!c"t..':~ %yu.'; Ga. ii "n"n the Commonwealth,
GU !lt /: i":S!i''". u b. :"''da!. =: L.r meat
time j: is 81 paramount: imnortatca That many
at gg .ii,ril t,r 4 Ind
api,""r* /, nr. tnc:"t,r", advisable ::,a. lie
Leg stature, ~ v"1y Early Jay, enact iNw
III, :i.tn& "l these 1ii:cs hy ap.
LHtil riiirIr. IAN h1 rrgumrIy eject
I IL! qualified, ~ provided for ~ the T':si
tHi!
THE JUDICIARY.
Five Judges of the Supreme Court Of Appeals. six
teen judges Of The Circuit Court. and over one hun
rcd county and city Judges are to be elected By you,
who will hold their Offices respectively in the order
named for twelve, eight and three years from the
lit of January next. This is Il grave, responsible
!uty, and surrounded 10y serious difficulties and en-
paraSsmcnts learned and incolrupblc judiciary
las ever been the boast and pride Of our people,
other changes our necessities may com | !
oc trust that the high standard of qualification
or judicial position, which has heretofore obtained
II our State, may never be ''changed, altered. or
amended. Honesty and capahiity have been, and ;
hOuld continue be- the sovereign tests Of fitness.
Tie iudcial crmnc should ever be far removed from
he arena Of politics II there is anything more 10 | 7
Stunned than political preacher it Is political
uIgc. II may be that you will be nnablc to fill all
hc,r judicial positions by men who not dis'lua.
led from holding office by the Constitution Of the
United States Without intending any disrcspcct J.
the fundamental law of lhc land, "r 10 the con-
ttUtcl authorities, il appears 10 that you not r.
My ought to have the right 10 the widest range Of
election for these exalted POSITIONS, but that you [
ugEL To exercise that right. IT is = solemn duty
'hi2h you owe 10 yourselves and 10 your constitu-
nts 10 the country and poscry TO elect onr ablcst,
urcst and best men; and if, in the lulllmcnL OF [
hat duty, Your choice should fall upon any who are
by the ;;rd clause OF The l4th Article Of
lr Constitution of The United States, would re-
0!nmrnd the passage, BY Your honorable bodies, OF =
resolution respectfully requesting Congress TO re-
!ovc such dsIUaIiicaios. am satisfied that a v
solution would receive the prompt and favorable r
dis Iteration and action of Congress.
The salaries Of all the Judges are 10 be fixed by
on and while am an earnest advocate Of ccoiu- /
~ in all departments Of the government, am not
favor of mcagrc and insufficient salaries for public
,irial- especially for the Judges Of the Circuit 4
ours and Court Of Appeals. They should he sui {
ccnt TO command the most eminent ability. The
,wvcr who accepts one of these judicial positions,
= that act banishrs himself from the practice and r
monuments Of his profession. MES, man Of for
lnc he is dependent solely upon his salary for his
upnort, ana that salary ought 10 be sufficient to i
nrnish him a comfortable living, in Keeping with
he high position he holds. am aware that the
IiciaI system provided for hy the Constitution |
il, of necessity, he an expensive one, nut Win
he many reforms which may, and ought TO be nsli-
3D. it NAV be rendered less bUrthLnaomc than our
Ormcr system
The expenses incident to the administration of the
rinlinal laws have within the past few years, m
rcascd enormously, mainly dnr to The larger IN |
reasc in the number OF petty offences, such rs lar
cny and assault and battery. thorough reform,
%, ONLY in the laws themselves. but in their mod
+ administration, is ilnpcrativrly demanded. q
II appears 20 me that all cases of petit larceny,
ycrpI for i second offence, ana all cases oi assault
nd battery, except with deadly weapon. in fact d
Il crimes Of lesser grade than felony, should De
tried by n justice Of tue peace, wllh or
rilhout Jury, al the option OF the accused rcS"iN-
ne, of course. the right Of appeal To the county !
ourt upon questions of law; and IN cases oil conVIr
ion the punishment inflicted 10 be- fine or im?rI'
onmcnt in the county jail, or hard labor upon the
uhlic roads or elsewhere.
rs the adoption Of this system, and by requiring
hat the value Of the property stolen shall be al
east thirty dollars TO constitute the crime OF grand Il
arccpy YOU will free the of record OF 4 very
argc proportion Of their criminal business, and the {
commonwealth from fourth 10 i third OF us E
criminal charges.
Cases of trial and conviction Of larceny, with I
mere suspicion Of burglary, have lately come to my
,uOwlclnc where the whole value OF the property
rolcn did not exceed dollar. and yet these cases
vent through all the fOrmatcs of arrest. cyanlna-
ion by magistrate, commitment. III dcauit oil ,
,al, TO the county ilil, formal investigation 10y the
rand Jury. resulting Ill i lorna! indictment ana
rial hy the county court and petit Jury, cOnsnm-
ne days of time and costing the Commonwealth
rom srvcnly-livc TO one hundred dollars. Now,
uch cases ought to be summary tried By Justice
If the peace in two hours, at an expense not c%-
ccdin5 five dollars. Every county and city should
&c compelled by law 10 establish at rs carry L DAY
Is practicable. :; poorlousc, for the and sus-
cnancc Of the iniirm and helpless within lis cor
porac limits, and in connection herewith; or WIN
he Jail, workhousc, where offenders Oh 'ic IIr
,ndrr consideration may be compelled 10 labor
mon the public roads, or in filling the SOIL or IL
.uch other employment rs may be most profitable.
thereby contributing to tighten rather than increase
The bUrlhcns Of the people In all courts: the com
pcnsat!on Of all officers except the Judges. should
lie the only fees appertainng 10 their respective
Offices, TO be paid in all cases by sutors, except
in criminal cases where either the prosecution fails
or the defendant has no property from which IN"
fees can he collected. While our courts should be
freely open to ali. and the costs incident 10 tiga
ton ought not to hs so high As to amount, IN