The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1879-01-01
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OUR FEE SYSTEM.

Trenton correspondent OF the New York
Tribune has this to say about it:
As soon as fees and the abuses of the fee
system are mentioned in New Jersey, every
citizen instinctively thinks of the three lucky
officials in Trenton, each of whom Is supposed
TO II ;eive for his services at least $25, 900 a
year. These placement are the Clerk of tho
Court of Chancery, the Clerk Of the Supreme
Court and the Secretary Of State, who is dec
GRATED with dozen other titles, most of which
are lar from being empty. None of these
gentlemen are overburdened with labors i'm
posed by their productive positions. None of
the offices demand such high order of orig
inal capacity or acquired skill that their emol-
uments represent with any fairness the mark
ct value of the services rendered. Indeed,
there are subordinates in each office who know
AS much, at least, about the business as the
great men themselves, and who actually do
the bulk Of it for modest but adequate pay,
not only while their chiefs are luxuriating in
Europe, but while they are at home engaged
IN operating the Democratic party machine.
But tho3e Migrant examples of the perncous
tendencies Of the fec system after their ripen-
ing into rank and full blown abuses, are after
all, only types of other abuses which flourish
throughout the entils machinery of the courts
of justice. It is not only the county officers,
the clerks and surrogates and sherffs who
are paid in this way, and whose interest it is
to make the business transacted through
their offices as cumbrous and extensive as
possible, but the Judges themselves. contrary
TO usage III most other States, rely upon fees
for considerable fraction of their pay, and.
AS seems singu'arly improper, upon fees which
depend, to a degree, upon their DECISIONS
Therefore il is that the agitation in favor of
isaiah les only, for the judges. is one OF the
strongest and most seasonable elements in the
new movement.
At present the Justices of the Supreme
Court are paid salary of $4,000. besides fees
which swell the emolumenls in some circuits
to $4,000. The Chancellor, too, whose SAL
airy is 50, 200, is supposed to receive seye raj
times that amount In fees. Nobody knows.
however, and nobody can find out the exact
sums paid to the Judges and this is one of
the unpleasant features of the case. Litgants
are very certain that it is an expensive exper-
once to get into Court. They know that the
items of fees and costs, in single foreclosure
suit for instance, will cover a page of legal
cap. They know they arc taxed at every
turn, and it doesn't augment their reverence
for the Judiciary to reflect that the bench ia
enjoying a revenue of unknown volume wrung
from their necessities. Nor does it comfort
them to know that for some of these fees the
judge renders no service whatever, as, for in
stance. when judgment goes by default Still
more unpleasant is it to know that often the
judge has a direct pecuniary interest in decid-
ing this way or that /; getting fee for every
motion granted aud not for one denied. The
Supreme Court Judges derive the great bulk
of their fees from Chamber business. To i'll
ustrate. A man is sued and puts in a plea
defence to the action. Plaintiff applies to
Supreme Court Judge to strike out the plea
as sham" without notice to the other
side. If he grants the motion, he gets fee.
otherwise nothing. He usually grants the
motion, judgment is entered at once, and
thereupon the defendant, on affidayits setting
forth his defence, applies to the same ,Judge
To set aside the Judgment and the order. I'm
On the slightest proof Of merits he grants this
motion, undoing tho former order. and gets
another fee. Now, in such cases it suggests
itself to the worldly minded that If there had
been no fees in the case his Honor would have
said to the plaintiff, don't bother me. thus
leaving matters statu Quo, without making
expense to litigants, and getting paid for it,
Altogether this is something in the nature of
"a scandal And sometimes, when ia omen
Cont lawyer has been seen to approach the
Judge during a lull in the business. and. af.
ter low conversation and the presentation of
some papers, has felt in his pocket for n hank.
bill and handed it to his Honor. and bis Hon.
or, in.the presence of a room-fuil of spectators.
has tucked IL into his wnliat tla 10 .,ya, a,d