New-York tribune., 1871-11-30
THE REFEREE ABUSES.
GRATzEs IN THE DISTRICT COURTS

RETINUE OF CORRUPT RETAISERs OF TIE
RING EMPLOYRD-ANOTIIER CHANCE FOh
REFORM.
Thus far TIE TRIBUNE has confined its ex-
position of tho conduct OfOur Judges and their Grat"s
to the Courts Of Record but tLore Is another cnss o
tribunals in our midst just as important Z" thc p"o'
though inferior IN themselves, which should ho' oc
ignored.
Tie District Courts OF the City Of Newyork or IA th'y
technically called tho Civil Justice Co"rH' "'
statutory cOnrs and took the place OF the former
OF Justices OF tho Peace in this city, WHEN nave '
since been abolished. OF these "I"himauy pia0'i'
there are prcscnt nine In this city-tnch pres"e o'
by Judge. called Civil Ju,'lce' ana eaen h"N"s "
clerk assistant clerks, stenofIpher several matsh"
crer court ofYicers ATTENDANTS ana rctaincrs gcncr"'1
Tho Jurisdiction OF these courts extends to nearly u"
causes OF action not involving tie tte 10 re" es'"' w
where the sum sought TO be reroV'rou uoo' ""t o
$3.50; consequently they are the 'f'ou"'S " "no '
tenths OF nil our working classes meclihcs' ana so'
.,o,,cenrs submit their differences for judicial deter
,ro,,n II IL ovid mt that tho Object Of tho Iegi'a-
tu-. e., creating these courts was to afford the pub
o ,,oo1v and economical method Of settling their
mau III ,enccs tan they cOul. havo by resort to the
courts e. E.cord where the machinery Is Intricate, the
,n,,co crn,bersomo and consequently slow and cx-
pcns:ve.
II Is the rivcrsa Judgment Of all re'pNc'lbl" lawyers
who hav anything to do wi,h hcm that tdc measure OF
: =,
than cue would expect frOn pi"-'c or highway
,ol,ncr They are, with perhaps fCw exceptions, pre-
sided owe! u, the most object tools Of Tamnany-incn
.~holv destitute Of fnowlclg" Of legal principles or
,accc though from the cssitics OF tic case oeh
con-rcuo! with intricate and important 'i'sfions Ia
both: in fact uny Of The JIstcc make 10 rc,cnS" IT,
any acG,uintance with Lw, and were only aduittcd
After the inanrcr Of iced (by purcoe when put la
trait iAs for these positions.
int, nj n m nv r
into the coirt' by the people who rsot h're for jus
tlco r Importance to the 7 mihini Ring viii at once
Lc cyilrtd. i is 10 b b0rno IN in.nd { rough rSti
mate thai onct tiui q" ~ the taken to these cpdrtS
aic brv,.r y woa;: people for N recovery OF wages,
ranging ron - 20 willie aio,r"r tr art by lalrrors
and sho;k"cpcrs, AMI range from SO 10 So tho r.
maindcr being r:scs involving "rccr anDrIta taken
hr,c fer he Tposr OF speedy result The proceedings,
q IN htinnnG 10 end. IL" IN all, with tie eS
cCition of that IN the IXth Ds'ri;. whore Gonct's
CcC't-U '.sc j. n1t ~ yti c"Mpt ed. anl 2G"Lst
V hch tiio " rOry iniunc.ou" Iius. The cars 'O;n-
Ilcnc;l in t..-se coarts woHi usr:a=c l. dri.y t.
Zach cont. or :! tp"r week. ii"h mIk"' II
a.iiy argrcsaic Of t6 nr t!ro eight cou.t,
which gc in t0n tll5 GEain iiv.sa sam tot II 10"
The year of 2o9i2 Now, have sid before, 'lc
}iity Of the e. h;ou:h: IN these courts for
Of les than ~ yea in each. Whether rr ANAL. tr
llnG, in r,nni"nrng his anit. mast l-.Y for siln-
8. The r'urH day trIl !cc ~ :. 3D. L.
shl, f' serving thc luminous, from (: ~ 80" G'c"ri-
Ing (, cIrth-t."cco lawyers 0licc-h1y. A. not
allowed e. servo hcsc sunider"8 except by ~ 'c
der II tbe Ju-.I"cl Gni II jury br drman led. the
y, ar iury 'O =. cIrs'd IN the Con-! is"i Rr"ur.
mat be paid. /, ioN estimate to put the di,ur'e
!cnj4 If rh h!oio iu1 sinrIh at :. AMI Iro,ili
AN >ccri,n puf IN the hiu1 of usil "r,p"'' IA"
me- j. ri',l Il ff roii event II al o,r Ir'.
This rau'd-c would lie dUuh'. l. 1t wiil Jc seem
then. tnat t.e fcca Im:l n'o these cOd.;'.
in eases h-'rt Judgment, UPON the b1sis Ct
c.' MAJ" ,ot MP to tho cnorinous sum Of dhort
.t0.U pc1 annn,n. aEi W are c"nid"t t,dt cNaf
I+ugc, Wa! ;::c-;.,o nearer douh. this What
OF III, Grand total. the toll OF
Va, girls an lalcrris for the petty rninpo Of New
YOYi i!src wlci Is dO'cd O.t t9 them L. il ,quan-
dcrco the rcdincr5 of t'c court docs it find It's
way ito the common pool Of tho Kinki The law Pre-
,de- Tia. all these shall he trhcd into the city Treas
ury mon .y. "nt so far have been able to learn.
hc Icu sa7c ;nv .ri far bet wccn," ard wou not In
t!ude "a OF the F'in "L:' "a, .c"""t"d Irn" the
Jude.s get .uc! saiil,a, by law Of ;c. 20 ~
and ContTti n Of tho city shall allow 4 .. h,T'
ever exceeding The sd'arica i. to I",e Ju,i!crs in
NcwYOk. IKE salaries paid 10 Police Justice, each
<iiNV j.. II is fair to suppose that these
portint iIdi,i fdnconarics get that sum-that is
say, $500 than judge Of the Supreme Court
tie tn,ri s's. Bnt even at this cxtiavaeant rate of
pay. ire fees NJ. roc ihan pay expense If properly
H. ,lr'; -" a- mater C Fact th o sal. ir are ,,.
Ia tc - l. n'J| wIt"out having recourse To- the
ju. TIE cNtr1t'on cf VIII. we have spoken is not y
ar5 mcar- t.c N"i,' ioair" oi t!I"rr c"ur's. Tcir
erru'es lie dis, .iy OF the oir official and
Il iI, - 9 ) ana lahi. cr the JUDGES. M
."cldh lT!"". - 'Iatcr now N"ai The connieic,
hos III de ncr' q aS"; ever goes TO these roHct.
he Ihel, iT,i well 'iI'tw lots with hi. Opponent ~ -
.uAnt liz cast to the idrr mcrc"s of tie court Be
tween t.!ch "!,i dcccp.i" on tlo hand, and favor
it.7m sud - "u"anc" -, IT, ether IL" result !, al!t
u"c itin ho frcat' Of h.r;ning preceding stern;
a"l Il m coipl,ei :" a,' nylhins t. do with ti"m /,
Ulo mot hth!! t,iS thing which reputable law crs
ha; ; t" =, r,"cr may h., no be be fs,mC:y mnher<ie
th~G touits hNe their own &C.. tZos," and In ti-
t;%Sr' t c t%"d nitatns 81 sir 'npsFolc E"t"ad
there snrh characters kD, wn to these cOur. but
,nsy r" ar' i one & a"n ,"ein : norr e. han one" law
can hav" tii's. HI own va. n, il commonly f;ci
the bar a, ii, t'y5cs are always IN cIund by ,ose
Who have iiic casJ 10 bng In these courts where he
holds sway, nd wF"n be j. Il cp'oycd by one Of the
attorneys who isrnp! we'd 10 engage ;,:S i;ltl "G,:h
The same % q sn,rcs. wich chartcii4o" @ his c"n
duet OF MS own ca,es And IN :his the ain,t cxprcta
WHO are Lis superors IN Learning and experience rs
easily as the "Grat2cs" of which 1HE TGIauxE h,s
Courts q Iocord The merits of the caso are matters
with which lac has 10 concern; lc does not usk
san Gnn'''s"s 0nac eli OF sorts M @ % Si %c and
IA, orabie de, sion Ia aiculiry important. lie
Iiihoui ing costs aud sc costs Wien
ever post poncmeni asked of HIM in Short he do
Just about ne III III reference 10 everything
L'ctcd win the ccuIt. And the Instances are nuncr-
where III, Court. upon s own motion, ha- ineirrcd
in the abscn o Its GrJtz 10 prevent an inquest
dismiss u III cases III which he had appeared The Judge
never lair 10 a,rco with his Craig 10 the Law in
the case; ,c the m0Ocd questions o. practice
propOund"d by "GrUtz" and adopts his view dis
pncd facts. "GratZ" wants cause preferred tho
calendar. c j. accommodated; T. lac wants restryc
!, done and IN short, lie has his way extent
that anouu.s toan absolute denial o justice all oi
Ga course. G'nZ" Will succeed in orOvrrhg tudg
In At wEeI.v,cr he attempts. and when tl outraged
party t.kcS appeal 10 The Common Pleas where judg
meDts OF the di-rct courts reviewed every acO
to u fair hearing Will be thrown In his Sometimes
The ict"i u The d .rct court Will o nsai. without
which the aipcd ,annO be heard sometimes the "cvl
Jstre VIII refuse neglect 20 make tho return AMI
thOn again Ne viii inei1oate into II matter which Was
no part o' tc IN his co:t, leave out material
portions is may ba for the Interest of those hc .rcpc ats
her OF who ~ fatal on appeal the appellate court
Is bound by the justices return. II percance tho party
gels hqtdrcly bciorU the appellate court, itlu
'rnz VIII desert The case. and tho parly viii haYu