Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-30
FIRM PARIS.
THE Laws OF FRANCE AND THEIR
ADMINISTRATION.
The Cruelty of French Judges to Female
Prisoners on Trial Severe ssh
fences for Trivial offenses.
PARIS. October 4. 1880.

PARIS, October 4, 1880.
The laws of France are so severe, and
have been SO little influenced by time, that
were it not for the system of juries estab-
lished even for light offenses, humanity
would be both shocked and disguised with
the bold face of barbraous ages. Although
the hand of justice falls heavily in this
country on both rich and poor, great and
small, | am not SO sure but that we may
congratulate ourselves with regard to the
laws of our own country, for although
they be distributed with partially, their
leniency and their better adaptability to
present civilization make up the balance
Peoples money in France does not prevent
the law with all its seventies being applied
whenever the law has been violated But
this country does not accept gold as it's
idol, as with US, nor is its aristocracy
built upon bank notes, whether fraud
ulently or honestly gained, as is unfor
tunately too often the case in America. Ex-
cept in very marked and isolated cases did
Napoleon III. even permit his authority to
interfere with the course OF the law, and
all persons are bound to walk straight
within its limits or otherwise come to woe.
Mime. Ratazzi's name, influence and wealth
have never prevented her cooks, seam
stresses, maids and dealers from suing her,
or calling her before the bar of justice to be
put on a level with her claimants. Since
the Republic has been established the re-
form of the magistracy has been demanded
by all reformers and thoughtful citizens.
Indeed, such would be
GREAT STEP
Toward improving and humanizing the
laws in the Courts of justice. The Judges
being elected for life are much too indif
ferent to the result of their decisions, and
their great security of positions renders
them often insolent and unconcerned as to
the opinion of the public or their super1ors.
Their role in this country is far more i'm.
portant and very different from that of the
Judges of America. During the entire
trial of prisoner, the lawyers have moth
ing to say, for it is the Judge, and the
Judge alone, who interrogates the one
charged with crime, and that which is the
worst feature of all is that the prisoner Is
considered guilty until his innocence Is
declared. All ! how the poor women suffer
at the hands of these implacable Judges
Women in France, owing to the cor
ruption bequeathed to their country
by dissolute monarchs, and owing
to other circumstances, are little esteemed
by the men, and to appear as an accused
before these creatures is sufficient tor these
last to indulge in all the Nervousness OF
their licentiously cultivated natures. No
woman, however innocent, when once
charged with crime and brought before the
Judges but walks away hardened to all
insults The jury cannot pronounce
punishment of less than two years impris-
onment, and yet with that risk persons
charged with slight crimes prefer to deliver
themselves to the mercy OF twelve men
with hearts which beat in their breasts, OF
and sympathy for their fellow creatures,
than to submit themselves to the judgment
OF men called Judges, who seem never so
happy as when they are able to condemn
some trembling culprit and to thus hastily
fill the prisons. The other day l strolled
into
THE PALAiS DE JUSTICE,
Where l found on every floor numerous
chambers, quite small in size, but all occu-
pied by Judges, prisoners, witnesses and
lawyers ] stopped at a room where a
woman was being tried. All visitors. IN
less specially acquainted with the Judges,
VINO favor them with seats reserved for
witnesses, are obliged to stand at the
extreme end of the hall, outside OF a solid
wooden railing. The only Inconvenience
is the fatigue from standing, for the rooms
being small it is easy to hear and compre-
bend everything that is said. The wit
nesses, for the most part women, were
already in their places the lawyers too,
were there, busy turning over their papers,
when all at once crier, advancing to the
front of the raised platform where were
placed four easy chairs, cried in stem
torian voice, q" lie Cour!" Immediately
every one rose from his seat those
who were seated), and there appeared at
the same time, through one of the doors
back of the stage, four Judges in scarlet
robes and peculiar four-coruered hats.
They took their seats all in a row at one
end was very old man, middhpg size,
with very bald head; next to him came
a thin man, with rather long light hair,
and face peaked and sharp like that of an
eagle next was seated great fat Judge,
with a great fat belly, who on taking his
place settled himself well in his chair,
crossed his fat hands over his fat belly,
and benignly closing his eyes, boldly pro-
claimed the presence of Morpheus. By his
side was a lean, blink-eyed, sallow- looking
creature, with long hair which clung to his
neck in half ringlets, and by their proyok-
ing appearance seemed to have absorbed
all the substance of their owners brains.
When the Judges were well established
the twelve jurymen were admitted through
another door at the back of the stage, and
took their places opposite the prisoners
bench. The eagle-faced Judge then said,
"LEr THE PRISONER ENTER"
And Immediately two gensdarmes who
were stationed near the door, just back of
the prisoners chair, went out, and re-
turned with fair. haired girl of 30 years
of age between them. The witnesses were
then ordered into another room and called
one by one, and after having testified to all
they knew they were allowed to remain.
After the entrance of the accused, large
box placed on table before the Judges
platform was opened by an employee Of the
Court, and there were drawn therefrom two
pairs of corsets, cotton lace and some
red tape. 1t seems this young girl was en-
ployed in a store, aud at the end of three
years had succeeded in abstracting the OBJ
jects above mentioned. 1t seems her crime
was serious one, as she had violated con-
fidence. and had she been tried in lower
Court would have been surely sent TO
prison for six months at least, but she pre-
ferred to run the risk of two years impris-
onment or an acquittal. Behind the judges,
against the wall, was a large picture of
Christ being crncitied, a picture which
is found in all the rooms and is used
to swear scarcely serious oath, for
the Jews. Many Unitarians and free
thinkers have demanded that the picture
should be replaced by bust OF the Re
public as more appropriate ornament.
In fact there is as much reluctance dis