The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-11

| The bailiffs receive $3.50 day for their
services, and grumble, not without cause,
that the pay is SO inadequate to the ardu-
Gus duties expected of them. The jurymen
all receive $3.50 day, and the witnesses
| 81. The latter have the hartiihood to COM
plain at this sum and call it poor pay, not
withstanding they receive the cash as soon
as discharged They used to have to wait
year for it.
The following are the details of the
March term:
Grand jury days; Petit jury 10 days.
Court sat II days Work done in that
time, seven indictments found, Zone of
| which was ignored) and six true bills. Six
and one before the court. Twelve civil
cases were disposed of, four of them before
jury. Costs of the term for juries, crier
and bailiffs, mot including clerk S and sher-
| ifs bills nor States witnesses S1.069.30.
June Term.-This being an intermediate
| term, not requiring the attendance of any
jury, very little business is transacted at
it, and it might most appropriately be abol-
ished by placing the spring term little
later. The labor upon the clerk of the
court preparing for it is fully as great as at
any other term, although as it is well
known it seldom lasts longer than one day.
Expenses of this term, not including clerk
or sheriff"s bills against the county are, as
follows: Crer $12 Bailffs So; their pres
ence being indispensable to the dignity of
the court.
September Term.-Grand jury days;
petit jury Is days; court sat 16 days. Six
teen indictment were found, two of which
were ignored and fourteen true bills.
Eight criminal cases were tried, four of
them before ,iuries, and six civil cases, all
before juries.
Cost of term for jurors, crier and bailiffs
mot including clerks and sheriff7s or
States witnesses bills against county, was
81, 440.30.
December Term.-The December term
which extended into the new year cost,
for jury crier, bailiffs and States witness
es-there were 10 of the latter in attend
ance, $1.340. 80, and with this force during
a session of II days the following business
was transacted: indictments found; three
of them ignored and four true bills re-
turned; four criminals tried-three of them
before iuries, two of them being removed
cases from Hartford Co.; 8 civil cases tried
before the jury, one of which was an APP
peal case, and one other appeal case before
the court. The verdicts in the civil cases
tried before juries amounted in the asgre-
gate to the magnificent sum of $93.0 In
addition to this heavy armed legion in the
cause of order and justice to keep the evil
spirits at bay, we have the State and coun-
constables and a coroner who are constantly
watching but pursuing the outlaws to the
peace of society, and Notwithstanding, the
wild spirits are constantly making raids
upon the quiet denizens of the land, NAL
treating, beating despoiling and numbering
them. When Il quiet citizen has been
found killed and perhaps robbed and scalp
ed, the coroner summons twelve men and
the crowd arrange themselves around the
corpse and look at it as solumn as owls
for the space of five minutes, and then the
silence is broken by the coroner asking his
men if they think the corpse before them
is dead. Some are generally satisfied of
the fact. but others express doubts, and
then physician is summond who feels the
patients pulse, and probes him with sharp
instruments, and receiving no response,
the doctor pronounces the corpse really
dead, and the jury sign paper setting
forth the fact and go home.
A great deal of the ceremony we have
described in the course of this narrative is
popularity termed "red tape" and though
very costly and tedious it is considered ne
cessary for the order and peace of society.
| The annual levy made for States wit
nesses is $1,000, the whole of this sum be-
ing generally used up, it having been found
| by estimates that this sum is about the
amount required for the purpose. The
| fees of the clerk of the circuit court against
| the county for the year. for services rem
dered, average from $1,000 to $1,000 adj
ditional. The sheriff7s bill for services,
boarding prisoners, &c, is in the neghbor-
hood of S25OO to $4,000 yearly. generally
| the larger sum. These sums are not i'll
cluded in the foregoing details but are here
put down in lump.
| By this narrative of the campaign in the
cause of law and order, for the year of
1872 in this county, some idea may be
formed of the expense required to keep
this machinery in working order. and the
very small amount Of business it really
performs.