The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-06

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which the sale, ETC., Is to be maize. 1
seems a mere mockery, under pretens
of fairness, to advertise the property
the citizen for sale under execution or TO
taxes in distant part of the judlcla
district, and at point remote from tn
county in which the sale is to be made
The same is true of many other notices
required to be published. In very many
cases of publication required to be made
under the Law, the seeming notice can b
of no possible use, and yet the poor cit
zen is taxed with the costs of such use
less publication.
The number of circuit judges and
chancellors is far greater than the needs
of the public service require.
Before the present constitution went
into effect, there were but ten circuit
Judges in the State, who not only dis
charged all the duties imposed on the
thirteen circuit judges now provided for
but also performed nearly all the duties
now imposed on twenty chancellors and
there was no complaint that their number
was insufficient. By the present system,
land we believe in that respect it is q
good one), most of the business formerly
done by the probate judges is now trans
acted by the chancery clerks. The
chancellors are almost exclusively oecu.
pied in what is strictly chancery or equity
business, which, as before stated, was
formerly within the Jurisdiction of the
circuit judges. The litigation in the
circuit and chancery courts is now far
less in amount and value than it was
when we had only ten circuit judges
The constitutional amendment by which
the jurisdiction of justices of the peace
has been made to include all civil cases
not exceeding in amount $50 90, and
the poverty of our people by which busi-
ness transactions are very much limited
in value, have taken away at least one
third of the civil business of the circuit
chancery courts.
The expenses of the Legislative De-
partment have grown recently into enor-
nous proportions. The sessions are now
annual, and have been greatly prolonged,
and there has been a great, and, as we
respectfully insist, an unnecessary in
crease in the number of its employees,
clerks, door-keepers, sergeant-at-arms,
porters and pages. Formerly all the
clerical force needed was furnished to the
House of Representatives at 81 800, and
to the Senate at 81 200, for a session.
We do not wish to be understood as
stating that the services of the members
of your honorable body are not worth all
that is now charged, viz i: $500 per an
mum. There is no price within our means
to pay, which could possibly be too high
for the inestimable blessing of an intelli.
gent, working and earnest body of men,
who consecrate their lives and devote
their talents to the study Of political
economy, and those arts which make q
people great, prosperous and happy, and
who bring to the great work of enaetine
laws for the State, the rich results of a
ripe and varied experience in court affairs
But, in our present impoverished condi
ton, we respectfully, but earnestly re
present. that retrenchment in all parts
of the administration is absolutely ne
cessary; and we cannot doubt that the
members of your body will initiate this
reform, by fixing their salaries at the sun
paid before the war;, which amounted
generally, to about $3.50 for two years
there being but one session in that time
This sum would be greater than isreai
lied on the average by citizens in privat'
lite, and greater also than the average
paid members of the Legislature by thu
other States in the Union.
The Governors salary might be with
out detriment to the public service, fxeC
at 81 900 per annum, which is far large
than is paid by other States in til,
Union having no more wealth than Mis-
sissippi.
The Lieutenant Governors salar,
might also be fixed at the price usual,
paid to the presiding officer of the Senate
viz: double the salary of Senator.
The salaries of the Treasurer, Seereta
ry of State, Auditor and Attorney
General, we ask, may be fixed as the
were under the Code of 1857 and tn
clerks and assistants allowed these off
GERS, reduced to the number and comper
sation with the salaries fixed by tha
Code. And the salary and expenditure
of the State Superintendent of Educatio
should be reduced to a very moderat
sum. His Office should be room in tn
capitol.
And we respectfully ask, that the sal;
ries of all other State and District officer
should be fixed at the rate paid before til
war. The salaries then allowed were sufi
cient to procure the services of able an
competent men, and we feel sure the
will be sufficient now. The truth j
that all private pursuits are so depressed
and all official positions SO highl
remuneratiye, that the difference bege
a wide spread greed for office, and e.
eOurages that bane of all free govern
ments-the growth of large class who
sole interests in the State consist in the
reception of the emoluments of offici
position.
The cost of assessing and collectiI
the Revenue of the State is out of {
/ proportion to the necessary labor al
responsibility required in the dischari
of those duties. The gain to these OF
GERS are enormous. Under the code
1857 the maximum which an Assess
could receive IN any one year was $5O
and the commissions of the Collector we
graduated according to the amount c.
lected, so that it rarely happened that
collector received as much as 81 600 P
annum, and he seldom, if ever, receiv
as much as 81 500 in one year. Y
respectfully ask, that the compensate
paid to these officers should be SO regu
ted as in no case to exceed the sums abe
mentioned.
: The compensation of the County Ire
urer should be fixed so as not to exec
in any instance the sum of $500 per 1
:: mum. His duties are light, and his
4 sponsibility will be small, if the couI
: levies are restrained as are hereinaf
! | asked for.
The fees of the Chancery and Giro
: Clerk and Sheriff are too high, and
are sorry to add, in many instances,
4 very much increased by exorbitant 8
. illegal charges. We ask that this subj
s be carefully looked into by the Legs
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