The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-09

stead 0f an fli1af salary fb saVe asasiy
thousands of dollars TO the Commonwealth.
AS it has been wellssaid. g tfis plan VIII ex-
pedite court business, be "a convenience TO
the people, and saving to the Ssatc OF 5aDo y,
a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ann mt
ly.n This Is no injustice to the county y
judge-he can practice INV in the cafeaie
Court can act as commissioner LII chancefy,
&c. Can the Commonwealth pay the County
Court judges $780, the minimum now al
lowed by law for the services they are render
ing, majority, it is confidently believed,
not being officially engaged one-tenth part OF
their time; indeed in some counties, ain IN
formed, not more than one or two days In
each month Of the year. H..
Let the county court still be retained give
it jurisdiction rs probate court IN appears
from justices of the peace, in the establish
ment and change Of reads, &C., and pay the
judges fair wages for fair days work. IL
has been said that all litigation being con-
fined to the circuit court, it will require as
much to pay jurors In the one as it now does
In both courts. As the law now is, every
case may be determined by the court without
the Intervention of jury, unless one of the
parties demand it and all jury cases, by con-
sent of parties, may be determined by 4 jury
composed Of seven in lieu Of twelve men.
It would be an easy matter for the
Judge to have docket Of the cases to
be tried by a jury, and If that were
done, it Is confidently believed the sum
annually expended for the pay of jurors
would be reduced one-half ut least, to say
nothing Of the vast amounts paid to Wit
nesses. If, then, by contracting the Jurisdic-
ton of the county court and enlnrglng that
of the circuit any considerable amount can
be saved in this way Of judges salaries, the
pay of jurors, and the expenses OF Gtigants-
which we think those who are best acquaint-
ed with the routine Of courts will admit
and at the same time give speedy trial to
all cases brought upon the docket, we say by
all means let us have the change. The tax
payer, who earns his bread by the sweat OF
his brow works every day, and after sup
porting his ftmily in the plainest manner
has barely sufic lent to pay his taxes ut the
end of the year, thinks 1t unjust that the
Judge who works one or two days in the
week should have an income so much great
er than himself. The law of equivalents
should have universal application, regardless
of position or particular calling, and the
party doing service paid according to the
work performed. It may be remarked that
inc JlU1SCuCtlOu vi 1tilc SilSuFl SOuiI o hs'fS
for many years remained unchanged. They
have always been regarded by the people as
bulwarks of justice, on which the peo-
pie have relied. Such has not been
the case with the County Courts. They
have had mere local habitation and
name. and have in their day dispensed JUS
tice in its ruder forms; but the Circuit Courts
have been regarded as impregnable barriers
against oppression and injustice. The whole
County Court system is torn up by the roots
by the present Constitution, and j"dges
learned in The lar now take the places of
our old county courts. This is new to US
and if the jurisdiction of any COURT is changed
surely it ought to be that Of the county, and
not of the circuit. This is now the only
State in the Union where the Legislature
(the last) has undertaken to make succession
to the old County Court, and to give it the
same jurisdiction as the Circuit Court-in all
other States they being now merely courts OF
probate, &c. ECONOMY"