Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-07-16
NO. 90.

be eheapiy aud quickly determined, was uni.
yersaiiy adnittedse The expenses incurred by
suitors. by the unavoidable. .delaysin the Cir>.
cult Courts, Were ruinous. A new County
Court, to supply this want and to take the
place of the Board of Supervisors, is created
by The new Constellation. 1t is so nearly like
our former County Court, thatit will be IA
miiiar. IN its important features, to all our
people, Its juri ,dic.ion. is the same as that
OF the old County Court. II can hold four
terms year for the trial of causes, at an e1S
Pense of $40 per day, and no more. 1t may
hold two other terms each year, for the pur>
pose OF laying the county levy, &c., at which
all OF the justices may sit, but at which only
a. majority of them is required to sit to trans
act business. The Jurisdiction of Justices
under the new Constitution will be the same
as'unier the present Constitution, except that
in all cases where the subject in controversy
exceeds $50 the defendant, before trial can
have the case certified TO the County Court
and tried by jury of twelve men. The Pres
ident of the County Court and tho Justices
will hold their Offices for the term of four
years, as Justices now do.
The annual cost of the County Court will
be much less than that of the Supervisors and
their clerk. Take the two following exam
pies. viz: Barbour county. with seOea super.
visors, who sat l37 days from January LIST.
1861, to January l1st, 1872. a period of eight
years, expended as follows: For pay and
mileage of Supervisors, 50, ,332 rs; for clerk
hire for same time, 81 ,593 rs; total for 1877
days, S3926 So, which was an average YEAR
y expense of $3.50 80 and daily expense of
S2S 66, and an average daily expense for
cierk hire Of Sl1 63. Upshur county having
only six supervisors, during tho same period.
expended for payment and mileage, S2,6l5,
6S, and for clerk hire 50, sos 90, making n
total of SIS, 100 t6S, or an average yearly cost
of S64O OS.s The annual cost of the County
Courts in said counties will be as follows: In
Barbour county, four terms of six DAYS each.
at $40 per day, s240; two terms, one day
each, l4 Justices aud President of said
Court, S92; being a total expense for one
year OF S332, aud an annual saving of S15S-
~. In Upshur county, four terms of six
days each. S240; two terms Of one day each.
with II Justices and President of Court, at
further cost of $50; being total of $500.
for one year, aud an annual saving of $500,
w. Taking these two counties together they
show an average annual saving in each coun,
ty OF S239 As over the expenses of the Board
of Supervisors. Assuming this sum as fair
average of all the counties in the State. the
whole annual saving from this source will be
sl2,93O 80. A similar examination and
comparison will show similar result in every
county OF the State.
The present annual cost of the existing Ju
dietary is as follows:
Salaries of thir teen Circuit Judges at s 500
-.A-..................,q1 q % f00
Salaries Of o three Judges of Court of APP
-hhe1ge teay) . ioo each'.... 1,600
iotsi.". S3l 900
Under the new Constitution the cost will
be as follows, viz:
salaries of nine Circuit Judges, $40
each. On0
Salaries Of four Judges OF cour. of Appea:, ''O''
mileage tsay/ ) loo to each-.............. 300
Totai .......................s s2s 800
Being an annual raving gof........... So 200
which will exactly pay the salary allowed to
the Governor.
The annual cost of the salaries of the fol-
lowing officers under the new Constitution
will be as follows: Governor. s27O0: Audi.
tor, $1,000: Treasurer, S1400; Secretary of
State, $1,000; Attorney General and Report.
er of Court of Appeals, $500; Superintend>
ent of Free Schools, $500, making a total of
$4,000, and no more. See section 10, Ar.
ticle II
The amounts actually paid to said officers
from 1864 to 1870, inclusive, for salaries and
house rent. were as follows: In 1864. ST 200:
in 1865; $40, $50; in 1866. ST. $50; in 1867
S12,O50; in 1868, sl2, ,O50, in 1869, $40,
45o; in 1870, 81 $50; total, s75, 400, being
an average annual cost of $40, ,S71 43, which
exceeds the annual cost under the new Con-
stitution SS71, ,43.
The annual sessions of the Legislature have
cost the State not less than S21 600, being an
average of 1853 23 to each member, during
session of forty-fve days Under the new
Constitution the Legislature will only sit once
in tro years, for forty FIVE days at an average
cost of 1914 % for each member; and for
eighty nine members. for the whole session.
the sum of s27 ,966 II for two years; or the
sum of S13 ,9S3 % for one wear. being fur.
ther annual saving of s7,O16 II. Section
33, of Article 6, also cuts off the postage here
tofore allowed members of the Legislature.
which was SO each, amounting to the sum
of $3.50; and as nothing in the future can be
allowed them for newspapers and stationery.
there will be further annual saving of at
least $3.50 more. When it is remembered
that at least three. fourths of all the laws
passed at every session of the Legislature,
have been special and local laws. all of which
will be prohibited in the future by section 80.
of Article 8 and that by section 81. Article
6. all public printing, copying, binding. dis
tributing the laws and journals, will here.
after be done by the lowest bidder, it will be
perceived that there must he Fnrtbar -
nual saving from this source, of not less than
$1,000.
One: Of the greatest continual public losses
suferedlundera the, existing Constellation ia
the ineyi,able loss sustained by suitors in the
Courts, caused by the continuances rendered.
necessary BY. the overcrowded condition of the
dnctai . il ;r r =. p 80