The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-08
The County Courts.

The County Courts.
We publish communication from, ''Zc&f
IN favor of transferring most OF the nuslheS'
Of the county courts to the circuit e'o,',
Wa have but little to say in reply 10 tn'S
,co,nn.,nication. If every county III 'ne
state or even a majority OF them were III
,,,a .ond;,,on which we infer from ZUAf
ls,,.r that Brunswick is in, then there
,,o,,d be some reason for destroying the
dignity and responsibility of the county
courts, if this could be done without vlo'
,o,;on of the Constitution. But the fact is
that the county courts do more business than
the circuit courts, il we are not mt>ln'ormed'
Certainly, the fact is that the Constitution"
gives to the General Assembly the power 4"
redis.rict the State for circuit Judges
sna reduce their number, whilst 1t confers
no such power as to the county courts. 5"
that IL either tribunal is to be abolished, IL
sbou,d be the former. What think the cir
cuir iudces Of this? They would regard it
as q very undesirable change. Yet we give
!, as our opinion-for what it is worth-that
II the question were submitted to vote OF
the peop!e they would decide to retain the
county courts rather than the circuit courts.
We do not wish to be understood as adro-
eating the abolition of the circuit courts.
Some OF them have as much business as they
can do. We published day or two ago n
statement that Judge MCLAuGHIlN would
have to hold an extra term of his court in Au.
gusta county in order TO 60 through with the
docket. There are other circuit judges, VIC
doubt not, whose hands are so full OF busl-
ness that they are not anxious to relieve the
county judges Of their fair share OF such
wcrk. Judge WEXFORD, of this city, is one
of these, though he is only circuit Judge in
name, his "ci,cuit" being, like the Irish
mans round triangle, no circuit at all, and
there being no county court here from which
he could take any business.
We hold that even Brunswick county CAP
we'll afford to pay 5000 per annum for the
services of county judge, if he does no
more than act as q scire-crow, for it is not
the number of cases tried or Of persons pun
ished for crimes which measures the value OF
a police officer, but OF the crimes suppressed.
AS he is q better officer whose name holds
criminals in fear OF him than he is in whose
district the most criminals are arrested and
punished, so it is 10 evidence that county
Judge is not needed, that he does not have
many cases to decide or many criminals to
try. A Judge who decides unjustly promotes
liticatiop. One who is too leuient increases
the number of criminals. Make the county
courts such as our correspondent would
have them, and then put such men upon the
bench as his scheme would result in placing
there, (uot that he wants it so, but because
ouy such can be had for the money and the
honor,) and the. county courts would soon
have business enough to employ them two
hundred days per annum at 81 per day
and. whilst The counties would be incalcula-
bly, damaged in morals and in property. they
would not save hundred dollars each an
nually.
We trust that the Legislature will adhere
to its wise decision in respect to the county
courts. They are Of more real, substantial
service to the people than any other body or
class Of officials in the State, not even except
Ing the circuit judges.