Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-08-22
Circuit Court Expenses.


of this county, having substantially informed
the pubic thai the great increase OF Court ex-
penses in this county for the present year over
those of 1859 WIS occasoned by want of due
attention on the part of the Judges, the Bal
timore Sun takes this report as text from
which to publish gratis lecture to Judges gen.
orally and TO those OF this county especially,
and if il had been better informed of W hat it
was writing about, the lecture might have
been valuable.
claim, without fear of successful contra
diction, that the Judges Of the Sixth Judicial
Circuit have discharged their whole duty TO
The public with an ability, diligence and f.
deity not surpassed by any other Judges or
other public officers in the State.
The Judges of this Court consider themselves
bound TO give every man time enough in Court
to have full, satisfactory and patient hearing
and consideration Of his case. Any other trial
would be mockerv and a cheat in the name of
Justice. This Court is aware that all men s
minds are not equally quick and skillful in
the dispatch Of business, hence they often
seem TO many unthinking people to permit
lawyers TO waste the time of the Court The
attorneys, as agents of suitors, have as many
rights In Court as the Judges and are entitled
TO the same courteous and forbearing treatment
at the hands the Court as the Court is at their
hands II is the duty Of the Court to require
at their hands the exercise of good faith and
reasonable diligence in the discussion of the
business in hand, and this is usually done. 1t
| is quite common for persons who, when they
have no hnsiness hefoke Court "a cauaqJain that.
the Court permits lawyers to waste the time
of the Court bnt have know some of these
very persons when they themselves have bust
ness. TO occupy quite as much time in the trial
| of their cases as did those whose delays they
had previously condemned
| Mr.. Albert has selected the year 1859, as the
standard of economical expenditures of the
Court accept the standard. The law at
that time allowed the States Attorney So .331
for an appearance fec TO every prcsentment at
the Court at which the prescntment was found
and then, as now, authorized the County Com
missoners to allow him such additional COM
pensation as they might think just and rea-
sonable. The law then allowed each bailiff
81 so day. Now il allows So SO. The Crier
then received in addition to his fees in the sew
eral cases such allowance as the County Com
missionerS thought proper to give, and so far
as am informed none was allowed in 1859.
Now the law gives him So so day. Now the
person who makes the fires for the Court and
jury, cleans the ROOM brings water, books,
records and papers needed in Court, lights the
lamps and assists lis occasion demands as
bailif, is paid as a bailiff So SO a day, and
we'll he earns the money. In 1869 this ex-
pense was not included in the levy for bailffs
The jurors received So day, now they re-
ceive ~ so and mileage. The business Of the
Court was much less than it is now and con-
sequently required not so much time to trans
act it as il does now. la Novem Der, '58, and
March, $50, the criminal trials and appear
ances were l5l. Presentmenis were CO. In
every one of these preseniments the State 8
Attorney was entitled to an appearance fee of
Vbnrn H. A..
torney that year, so | am informed by the
Clerk to the Commissioners, only $3.50. No
additional compensation was asked or levied
less than two months time having been re-
quired TO discharge the duty.
For 1879 the law allows the States's Attor-
ney $40 for an appearance fee in all cases
punishable by death or confinement in the
Penitentiary, and $3331 in all of the
others. The dockets show that in No
vember 1878, and March 1879, that the num-
Der of criminal appearances and trials is So !;
the number OF presentments or new cases is
40. The amount levied for the appearance
fees in these presentment cases, called in the
levy list trial fees, is $3.50; and an additional
sum of $45l 60 is levied, called in the levy
list private fees, which presume must be for
additional services not covered BY the levy
for appearance fees. But however this may
be, the fact is that the County Commissioners
allowed the States Attorney in 1879, 81 OSl 60
for less services than they paid the States At
torney $3.50 for in 1859. The Judges of the
Court did not endorse this bill, nor were they
asked to do so either by the States Attorney,
or by the County Commissioners, nor do the
Judges know upon what evidence, if any, it
was allowed. If there was any ground Of
complaint against this levy it is no fault of
the Judges of the Circuit Court.
The amount levied for iufors and hailiffs
in 1859, is in round numbers, $500; in
1879, including crier and fremen, is $500
difference, $1,000. Deduct the levy for crier,
$3.50, also for iremen, &c, 500; deduct
500 for each of FIVE bailiffs, that being the
present number of baiiffs and which was
also the number in 1859, whilst the per
diem is different and we have in round num-
bers about $500 deduct for miage for jurors
not allowed in 1859, and we have $500 more;
deduct the difference in the pay of jurors and
we have about $500 more, amounting in all
to $780, deduct this from difference in the
amounts Of two levies and we have $500, the
cost OF the jurors for 1879, above that of
1859, and when the difference in the aggre-
gate amount of the present Court business and
that of 1859 is considered, it will be seen that
the cost in proportion to the business is not
greater than in 1859. 1t must be borne in
mind that the levy for 1879 is only an esti-
uiNtc OF Tue COSTS levied IN ADVANCE ana am
confident it will not all be expended.
The above figures are not exactly correct,
bnt are close approximation to the true re-
| suit. tits plain then that the Judges have
| not been the cause of the increased cost of the
Courts, but the difference between the compen-
sation to officers and jurors in 1850 and in
1879, and If the chairman of the committee
of the meeting of taxpayers of the county
and the editors of the Baltimore San think
the pay of these persons ought 10 be reduced
TO that OF 1859 let them say So and ask the
Legislature to do It and rot blame the Court
for what the Court has no sort Of troll over
II, however, the Legislature should not be
| composed of members more anxious to relieve
the people of this burden of taxation than
they are to commend themselves to the party
in power in order to secure offices for them
selves, their relations and personal friends,
and subsidies for favoriie editors of news
papers in aid of the profits of their business,
do not think much will be done for the
special bench, of the great body of the peo-
7le. W. VElRs BouIc.
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