The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-27
Reform, Of the judicial System.


Gentlemen.-An article in the Richmond
Vhtq entitled "The State Judiciary IS
worthy of some comment. It states that
nthe cost of the county courts is about Us
follows: Judges, 10000; juries, &C., S'O,--
600. Total, S1G0, 1000 Under the proposed
change penn and FuIkerson's bills) the
county courts will only cost about Sl0,ooo,
and five additional circuit judges, Slo,ooo;
which, deducted from the SlGO,0oo, Will leave
S140,0 900 clear GAIN"
Now was there ever more fallacy in so
many lines? The idea is to transfer the pusl.
ness of one court to another That does MOI
lessen the expense. Jurors cost rs much In
one court as another, and instead OF saYlhS
81 40 600 YOU simply transfer it to the clrcui!
court. And the bill further PROVIDES tl.l'
ono of the four terms Of the circuit couil =
NAV be limited TO cha1ace'y business, so as w
save the EXPENSE of juries and WITNESSES
Now. won't this excite the rlsiplltlcs y.
eyerV real lawyer in the land! ChanGeiy
business has nothing to do with common Law .n
suits, and if the latter are not trlcd ~ w
chanccry term they will be at the neXI telni
on1 the eyrensc will be exactly Tue salle
whether tried at one term or another
,Tlen there is another proposition WhGF
will rjoln,e the Constitution and virtually
hr..ak up the county courts, and that is to
INV the Judges four dollars per diem. How
wpiir i Violate the Constitution? Why, by
virtually breaking up the county courts, an0
in this way: You cannot get any man tit fol
the position to serve for 81 per diem for about
thirtv-tivc days in the year. With the pro-
posed change Of jurisdiction that would be
about the average. Thirty-fve days at 81
SlA0. The Judge could not practice law to
such an extent as to pay him. He would
have to be present every month, which would
prevent him from engaging in any regular
business, and the result would be, in pEice OIL
the Judge, some country squire VINO might
quit his farm and come in to hold the courts
IT'S true he would not be "learned in the
law.n rs the Constitution requires but what
of that? The Constitution is not obligatory
,1pon the Legislature, whose members have
simply s,Uorn to support it; and we all KNOW
that an oath under durcss is not binding, ana
the public press affords abundant evidence
that the present members We're forced Into
Office!
And then there is another consideration
also-crininal expenses. You arrest man
and put him in Jail; he can't be tried for
three months. and in the mean time we, the
people, have to pay his board; and If he
prove 70 lie innocent, instead of having a
specdy trial and his liberty. he is deprived OF
both Under these proposed changes; whereas
under the present county court system he
would get both, and the extra expenses
would be saved,
The county court is one of the most popu'
lar and time-honored institutions in Virginia.
The Yankees have uprootcd it in some places,
and their ideas since the war ought to COM
mend themselves to the supporters of these
radical measures!
What we want most is to be let alone:
This eternal change deranges everything, and
renders unstable just what should be, OF al
things, the most permanent. JUSTICE.