The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-11
DIR JUDICIARY.

Court having brought one of its long
be out of place to publish some extracts
from series of articles which appeared on
this subject in The Wing in May last. In
one of those articles we said:
eff we were disposed to treat the ques-
ton in partisan spirit, we might point to
the system established by the Republican
Convention of 1864. Under that system,
when the Circuit Court for Cecil county
adjourned, every case ready for trial had
attending court at cost equal to the
amount of an adverse verdict, and yet had
but one judge, and one salary to pay out
of the treasury. That one judge received
50. 200 per annum. We pay now So, 500 to
a chief judge and 50, 800 each to two asso
ciate judges. In these days justice has
become one of our most expensive luxurles.
The people were told in the canvass pre-
ceding the popular vote on the present
constitution, that the three judge system
possessed great merit in the fact that we
would have resident judge, and the
utmost facilities, consequently would be
accorded to judicial business in our county.
Under the constitution of 1851, there
were Baltimore, Hartford and Cecil coun,
ties in this circuit, with Judge Price on the
Bench, when more business, and business
of more Importance, was transacted, than
is before the courts to-day of the entire
Eastern Shore of Maryland, and yet one
Judge at a salary of $4,000 presided and
disposed of it all. Every case ready for
trial was tried, and in the main, we believe
satisfactorily; and no man was dragged to
Elkton term after term with an army of
witnesses as now, who eat up his sub
stance; and no verdict in his favor can
reimburse the losses he sustains by the
chronic delay of our court. 1t is reduced
to this, either we must remodel our pres
ent clumsy, expensive judicial system, or
the people must continue to have justice
denied them. Under the present system
the judges are compelled to adjourn court
with the business half transacted-al-
though they sit long enough to transact it
all we should think-and HE away to some
other circuit where doubtless the people
are called on to suffer the same delay,
Inconvenience and expense.
The public are justly indignant when
they see such mockery for the promised
facility to business, contained in the high
sounding phrases Of Article 10 of the Bill
of Rights of the present constitution, which
was dug up from the grave by the conven-
tion of 1867, where it had been buried by
an almost unanimous voice of the people,
in 1851. The constitution which followed
was long step in advance of its predeces-
sor, that weighed like an incubus upon the
business of the State with its three judge
system, and which the deople rose in their
might and demolished. Under the consti-
tuition which succeeded the old feudal char
ter, Hon. Albert Constable was elected
Judge of the circuit, followed by Judge
Price, and under these judges more bust
ness was done in half the time than is
transacted under the old three judge sys-
tenn, which was again inflicted upon the
people of the State in 1867 by the Demo-
cratic party,-now alas no more for the
purpose of multiplying offices and salaries
at the expense of the taxpayers, in this
Circuit, reaching $500 per annum to the
three judges, instead of $4,000 as provided
in the constitution of 1851, and So, 500 in
the constitution of 1864, an increase of
$4,000 year."
Salaries of judges cost the tax payers of
Maryland to-day about $40, 900 more than
they did under the constitution of 1864.
The following items of expense caused
by this slow tedious process of justice in
our courts, may interest the taxpayers.
For washing clothing of prisoners in one
year $172. Fer clothing for prisoners in
Jail FROM April ~ to April '73, the county
paid S244.91, and for boarding prisoners
from April '72 to April '73, the bill was
So, Some Of these prisoners were in
Jail, at an expense to the county of SO
cents day for 1856, 164, IA days, and SO
on, down to few days. And these long,
weary terms of confinement in Jail are
under our cheap and model judiciary, as
The Democrat terms it, with four sessions
of Court a year.