The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-15
The County Courts.

Tie last Legislature violated Inc sp'ta ..
,hc Constitution in degrading the dignity ana
;,,0airing the efficiency Of The county courts.
The county court is-7as much n creation OF
,hc Cows tuition as is The Legislature itself.
and that body caono, take away the vitality
epd usefulness Of the county courts With
out moral violation Of the Constitution.
Tic law passed by the last Legislature
:.lu>. wo,k srra: hardship upon the people
The county court is peculiarly the peoples
cos,.t, and their Interests and convenience
are promoted in proportion 10 the fitness
and capa3ii;y Of The county court judges.
How IS it possible TO havc capable judges Nhcn
the compensation is ~ Very small IL many
counties that 10 nun "lcarncd III me law p,
can be induced 10 accept the Office? The Con.
situation requires that those judges shall be
learned IN The law and thc Legislature III
uuftin- down the salary Of the Office Greatly
beneath the dignity of the services oi man
.Nc.fned in The lazy" meanly cvAded IL con-
>,itut:ouH! provision, tAc existence Of Waicil
they couid 10: deny.
,om,laiuts are heard IN various countess
amt these complaints will, we liust, i"acA
tic coming Legislature.
Infinitely better would Il bc i! we cou!a
hayc-wbat we cannot consiltutIonaly
i,ayc-the Old county count OF magistrates
restored than that we should have the pres
n. systcm, crippled as it is By the Lcglsia-
lGrc. The county court is The trcSef'tf u
ueacc und orjcr--the prompt settler oi Tue
,linor questions of right between men-lne
E.jo.litltor OF justice, the re!icVer OF suffer-
INK, The ccouola:zcr Of the. public treasure
u curtnlins expresses OF ja!ls and Of cTimi-
IA proceedings. Therefore, il should be n
cuu.t Of dignity nul caraoItty and ell.
ciaa.y. TIE hc>t interests cG the State and
the cornfor, and ccouumy OF the people de-
. m4ad this.
II. gyn,lc want cascS promptly settled.
Even ROW there are IuiDc.cus complaints
thu! persons deprived OIL technical grounds
0 Offices 10 which they were elected in No.
y,ml.- last Cannot have thcir cases tried
un:ii next year because the Legislature las
t.krn this sort OF business out OF The hands
Of The county courts, and yet has lett TIE !AW
10 .gad that if such persons fail 10 qualify
before January 1st their offices sIaI! be de-
cia.4d vacant. The people dread delay
they dread long Journeys and the expenses
Of witnesses, mileage, aud ':bia lawyers"
fec. Give them gcou judges Of county
coats. aod lei those y?Go want - 50 fur
the. aid tlre worse ID So; but III least lei
thu honest, lpaGtl-wo:!iug citizen who breads
litigation end bis legal troubles promptly
ana economically in the county court.
We are not iu!micai to the brotherhood Of
lawyers. They arc Indispensable aud i'll
valuable; lu. we do nc. like to See lawyers
TOO earnestly arranging laws to promote
;arir own comtnrt anu profit. The fish come
rapidly enough Into Their net withou, dlu-
la.Ds them out from Il way Of escape. Let
them have hbcgai!ty aAG iuitness cuUuSE to
give tie people their coualy court as !! was
Intended by the francis CT the Constitution
- &c. Let them 10 tl!t, aud honor theu-
selves and promote the public welfare By L
manly AID lust act.