National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-12


term--not Cancellation with States, classes
and communities assuming exclusive and
presumptuous privileges, but Cancellation on
the basis OF restored, reinyigoratsd aud con-
,olidated Union, In which no one man shall
De preferred before another.
-
DISTRICT JUSTICES AND CONsrABLEs
The inquiry now progressing Into tho con-
duct of the petty ministers OF the law and OF
the peace In this District seems likely to be
productive Of great good. Nothing is palmer
Than that evils must be known to exist before
they can be eradicated. This knowledge 1,
being pretty thoroughly disseminated BY the
efforts Of the investigating committee. The
At the revelations made by the testimony 80
folly published in these columns. At the
irst the most Intelligent Of our readers were
inclined to discredit the evidence. They did
not believe that such crueltics could be prac-
,,ced in the name Of the law, and such fla
l rrant abuses of law INDUCED In by its minis
| ters without Immediate exposure. Tbey did
| not reflect that the few who were victims Of
these crueltles and abuses shrunk from a
oublic exposure of tho facts. that their re.
Iined and sensitive natures could brook starya.
ton sooner than the publicity which would
| be involved in the exposure of their wrongs,
other through the press or the courts.
| A few Inquiries of The legal gentlemen who
| live in our courts, however, soon convinced
| the most skcptical that these revelations were
/ not only yeritablo facts, but, furthermore
| that tho presen. condition Of the code Of
District laws and the lepallxsd ruIes under
which thew are administered make IL nos.
,ible, II not probable, that these wrongs NAV
be continued until public opinion command.
a thorough reformation.
II appears that by the act of Congress- Gro.
atiug the supreme Court of the Dl,trict q,
Columbia IL Is made one Of the duties of that
court to prescribe rules of practice and plead.
| lngs and schedules of costs and fees to b,
| charged by Justices of the poaco and CON.
stables of the said District. Tho section Of
| the act referred to IL mandatory. the word
| 'shall" being tho one used to describe thi,
| duty Of the Supreme Court-''shall make and
l prescribe" &c. Il Il asserted that this dut,
| has never TO this day been fully performed
| A short schedule Of costs and fees was pre-
scribed, but has never been amended TO con.
1 form to new acts passed by Congress. and Tho
| Legislative Assembly.
Under A provision of law. that when no,
c;ho, wise provided BY rules of the Supreme
Court or by law, the costs and fees legal,
| chargeable BY Justices and coustables shal
| DO the same az those charged in the Supreme
Court of the District, and by the m .rsba
| thereof. in similar cases. the iustices anf
constables ATTEMPT to shelter themselves ant
plead Justification for their extortions, Fo
| Instance. the list made by the court speciae,
1 a fee of seyeuty-fye cents for Issuing a wri
of attachment. The iustlees arc charging A
for tho writ. and tho constable. "a Tor IN,
service of tho same. The pretended iustif
cation for these charges IA found in tho IA ,
that At the time when the rrle was prescribe
the only writ of attachment which the ius
ices could Issue was one for contempt.
Tho Legislature has, since that time. place
writs of attachment of money in the hand
of a earpIsbeo and of replevy in their turis
dIction. and tbev iump 10 the conclusIon tina
thew are at libcrty 10 cxact supreme Copr
| and its mar.hal's fecs upo, IN, samoa con
clusion totally unwarranted Inv tho ,vordln,
| of the several acts and rules. But even mn
ldsr these pretenccs there ia such n lack a
uniformity in the fee, Of the different of,,cer
for like services "A brands them all as mer
subterfuges.
| A review of all the testimopy vet taken h
Mr.. Longs committee indicates that tber
| ,rc too many ,pstices and co,s,ahIes 4, IN
DIstrict for the business Ieyitimatelv nertaIr
ing tn such offices. This eycess Of sunn,v n
nae n mercantile pbrase) tends IN ouick an IN
inventions of both iustice and constant,
Naturally, all ofiee-bolders look TO the emo
uments Of uheIr positions for A maintenance
and iustices and constables arc no e,cen,io
/ In this rule. Constablcs adyertise tbemseIv,
"A collectors. and in this capaclty and h
direct solicitation OF claims accumulate con
adorable amounts AGAINST dellnouept debtor,
upop which n. COLLECTOR, thew are IN reallz
contingent percentape. They becom
Iaters.ted parties to an extent beyon
what the laws authorize. Legally thew ar
entitled to exact Ave per centum commissIo
upon the amount collected from the debto,
Add to this the ten, twenty or thirty ne
centum received from the creditor as ncr co,
tract, and there Ia n handsome sum to temr
the cupIdity of the constable and urge him ,
overstrain his legal authority In his endeayt
to realize It.. Collecting constablcs, and tho.
Of them who are house or real estate agent
are able to throw considerable sums into III
Golfers of the Justices who transact their bus
ness, and hence the latter have natural IL
clinatlon to sec cases from the same stant
point as the constable; to see them throug
his eyes. These interests tend seriously
bias The Judgment of the iustices as well ma
oyerstimulate the zeal of the constablcs.
thew are not now illegal, as we believe tbcl
To he thew should he made 40 in the reyi,Io