The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-24

Rural Justice In England.
We should scarcely look for modern
countorparts Of Justice SHALLOW and
Squire WESTERN in the England of our day.
but it is none the less true that the basis Of
the whole judicial ediiico is still supplied in
that enlightened country by corps Of
officers OF whom no legal education is ex-
acted. Important administrative duties are
committed to Justice of the Peace. but it Is
rather his judicial function and the qualih-
cations held sufficient for their exercise
which invest this British institution with
peculiar interest.
Any country gentleman. the master of n
certain fortune and twcnty-One years old
may present himself to the Lord Lieutenant
Of his county and receive n commission of
Justice of the Peace without submitting to
awkward Undergraduates touching his
knowledge of the statutes or his political
continents. Not. of course that every rich
man can aspire {, the honor of having the
imposing letters J. I. written after his
name. hut those whose property is in broad
acres are eager To secure distinction which
passes a. a sort Of certificate not only of
wealth but of responsibility. These con-
sideratilns explain the inordnate number
of country Justices IN England. not less
than 2j.oO0 now appearing on the register
The Government apparently lends itself
with considerable conn laccncy to this
queer form Of -cll-inlulgoncc, probably be-
cause it costs nothing, while bringing in a
good deal in the shape Of fees. one prccau-
tion. however. Is taken. and that il t. dive-t
the J r. OF criminal jurisdiction. unless he
In D.. 4 Il a.
cate. A. it is. some 5000 Justices are al
lowed h. discharge the unmutilatcd func-
lions of their onlce, and there Is no doubt
that they perform. after their fashion an
immense amount ui work for which no, a
penny j. paid
Although. owing b. the marked progress
If ciUclu'n throughout all wcl-to-du
cla--e- ia England the brutal and ignorant
Justice oi fifty years ago has Wen nigh lr-
cYn. traditional. y,t tlr country gcutirtuen
who take lae b'urh AT quarter -o--i.u- are
200 oitrl observed 1, abuse their power.
especial in dealing with poacher-. Nu,.e
the ui4s. -tittn himself may o." "a patty iu
interest. WHAT IS worse le.ug addicted t..
tao-" iuNlric- winch rich mru may cpil-
ufuI. TIE. a'lN - always 'nr.ura!s as
irNa'' inttiil'.-. fA' Nrrs oa 'nrc ,hirA
they fI-u w.'A 40 rli.u lirlrlu th".rolic.N
capacity. lAarr wf- mach talk FIR li-
stance, ahNlt poor ie.l.w caught l,o.,el q
anl -.uteucel hy Justice 90 a nn, ami
hard labor iur having -u,rel tnr. iirt-tn's
ami caught out oi -ra~un Tine young -riui.n
which the same magistrate had orAorc.l of
him for great dinner 1t sometimes hap
pens too, that judge are men of narrow
religious views. who ransack the old stat
utc- Tor hard text to suit their turn. II
was such one who. in a wcl-kuown in
stance, condemned suple uulu9ky binds t.
line an Imprisonment for having got in
their small crop, on Sunday, when foul
weather was plainly BROWNS. Such was
the excitement produced in England by this
piece of arrogant bigotry that a public SUBJ
scsiption was at once opened To pay the fine,
while 50 much pressure wa cXerted upon
the Homo Secretary that the victims of an
obsolete law were presently parlOncd.
There j. no doubt however that public sen
timcnt would support the magistrates in
enforcing a much strctcr observance Of the
sabbath than is u-ua! on The Continent III
decd, the justices II the Peace consider it
one Of their main duties to prevent all buy
.
keeper who serves food or drink during
church'hours is liable to fine, and to imp'is-
onmcnt Tor a second offence Nor mus, 1t
d" supposed that this Law is only applied
with riyor in the country, for it is. in fact,
Carried out in the Immediate cnvirun- Of
London, aud even within the metropolitan
district
In the cities AMI largo towns a salaricd
magistrate j. substituted for a Justice Of
the Peace hut the functions are suhstan-
TALLY the same. In nj. causes which fan o.
right within his coynilancc, each has n sum
mary penal jurisdiction, but the mast
mum penalty which he is authorized t.
impose in such cases cannot exceed two or
three months impre nment. Where. how
e,cr, an offence would properly come before
a jury, but the accused person prc,cg- Il
Trial by magistrate, the latter may sentence
to twcly" or thirteen months. Hero we may
remark than while both Just icr-uf tho Peace
and rolasi,l magistrates caunut be- proceed
o against for lui-takrn rulings on points
~ iaw, they ale held to a strict accouuta-
hllltv for tlrir official conduct There rs a
ported of uitation during which an action
VIII uI inst Ju lice, aud he is entitled
ton TRIAL hy jury, but ii a verdict is secured
against hlm for corruption, pariiality, or
molico, he likely To- find him,clfcoudcmnod
to pay q hc'vy ino oHI to Il long mpri7ou.
mcut
with-tonding the signal Improvement
in administrative efficiency on the pur, of
Justice, Of the Peace during the last han
century, there il no doubt that the institute
tion i, seriously mennccd There is much
talk of replacing them throughout thocou
tics IA has been already done for the large
towns. By magistrates appointed and paid