Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-24
A DEBATED JUDICIARY.
VO,ney E. Howird's Denunciation Of the Ju-
dc.ary System as Proposed by tho New
Constitution dispensing Jast,cs ss Yeu
Would Bser In q Saloon.u

Remarks of General Vuiney T.. Howard
in the Constitution Convention We'd
nesday, February l.. 1879, In reference
to the payment OF superior Judges
partly by the State and partly by the
counties ,as now Incorporated In the pro-
posed new Constitution.
(phonoeraphc1lly repor ed by Wills l.
stockton.
Mr.. Howard--I am astonished
that the gentleman from Yuba
should go for paying the Judges by
the counties. can conceive of no
system better calculated to make a
Judge both knave aud n slave. If
you give him $1,000 out of The State
Treasury let that be the whole
salary, but do not induce him to
humble himself by begging salary
before the Supervisors OF the coun-
ty. Nothing could be worse, moth
ing could be more humiliatipg,
nothing could be more corrupting
or debasipg. The Superior Judges
are State officers as much as Judges
of the Supreme Court, and should
be paid from the State Treasury,
and paid exclusively from the State
Treasury. oanno. conceive of
anything possibly worse than to
see Judge with his hat In his
hand begging Supervisors for an
additional or increased salary. If
you want to destroy the judiciary
system altogether, do that. Now,
sir, there is but one method to dis.
pose Of this matter practically, In
my opinion, and that Is to adhere
to the report of the Committee on
Judiciary, which is nearly $1,000
less In expense than the report
adopted-if we should adopt it-by
the Com mittee OF the Whole. Gen
tlemen, talk of expense The
people of this country want an in
dependent, honest judiciary, and
are willing to pay what 1t costs.
Before the assembling Of this Con-
vention I never heard single
voter complain of what the judici.
ory costs, or complaint of the pres
ent salaries, which Is all that the
report of the committee provides
for. They were anxious for more
expeditions administration of JUS
.ice; they were anxious to avoid
the laws delays; they want capac-
iiy and indepe ndence, but they
never, to my knowledge, proposed
any such picayune idea as that JUS
tice was to be measured out as you
sell beer at a saloon. 1t is mis-
take, sir, and those who address
themselves to this miserable econ.
Omy with the expectation of its be-
ing a matter of popularity,will find
themselves mistaken. | know
som ething of the people, and l know
that they have sense enough to
know that they want to have
sensible and honest administration
OF Justice, and that they are willing
to pay for 1t. 1t Is a niggardly mis-
take for any gentleman to suppose
that he can recommend himself to
popular favor by destroying the
judiciary Of his country. They will
find themselves mistaken. The
people want independence, they
want honesty, they want capacity,
and they are willing to pay what IL
costs. They are willing to give a
fair days wagessfor fair days
work. That Is the popular senti.
ment Of this country, and those are
mistaken who suppose that any.
thing else will go down with the
people. If you debase the judiciary,
take my word for 1t, this Constitu-
tion goes under. II yod desire the
Constitution to be adopted it is the
worst policy you could adopt.