Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-11

the Judges Of the Supreme Court, for the
reason that, considering their iabors anu u.
ties, they are the poorest paid OF our puoiie
servants.
So IL was when compared with small things.
Rnt the sum . public officer receives
must be measured by the labef and services
he renders, Gentlemen should bear IN nina
that there is no fee or perqutsite coming WIN
the salary of our judges and ought not to De.
They oct so much and no more, and out OF II
thew must paw their travelling and hotel oiiis
amounting in the average to from four 10 h'e
or six hundred dollars each which brings
tbair salary down to about $500. There Is
no State where there are so few Judges win
40 much work to do, and the pay so low as IN
the State Of Maine. On the basis OF nias'
wear we are below the other States, DOM III
numbers and salary. The little States Oh
Vermont and New Hampshire, with their uh-
important and undiversified interests when
comnared with Maine have a larger force OF
Judges with better paw than this State, while
in the case of Massachusetts, the proportions
immensely against us. One of the results
of the present law is that soon we shall have
Judges serving for $1,000 as their terms ex-
pire and they are reappointed, while those
whose terms are still unfinished, dong the
same work, will be receiving salary
of "a. 900, which would not commend itself
to the good sense of the House. lie reIerreu
TO the fact that Judge Libbey was recently
obliged 70 close a term in Aroostook while
narties with witnesses were ready and wait
ing for trial. in order to open term IN hnoN
county, This was not a matter that much
affected lawyers, because they got their term
fees but ii does affect the snitor in court ana
the people. for il is for their interest that
there should be en- end to litigation
He hoped the bill would receive passage
as reported.
Mr.. SrRour of Portland-spoke at length
upon the question before the House. He
commenced by calling the attention OF the
House to the importance of the subject under
discussion, and proceeded to trace the history
of the Supreme Court from the time OF the
abolition of the District Courts to the present,
and showed that the system adopted where
eight Judges have been found necessary
to do the business of the State. is as necessa-
nv to-day as it has been for the last thirty
wears. He showed that the legislation of last
wear was sprung upon the house from the
floor by way of amendment, and was not
asked for by any petition, or any large num-
Der of persons. That it was heard by no
committee, and that this radical change was
made without either the people, bar. or court
being consulted, and without anybody's ask
ing for it. He proceed to show by statistics,
which he laid before the House, that the
eighth Judge was absolutely necessary to do
the business He showed the amount of bust
ness done in each county, the number of
terms held, cases decided, and heard at cham
bers, the opinions written and cases exam
ined, and argued that the statistics conclu-
sivelv proved that the general alarm
felt all over the State at the
prospect that we were to be left without a
competent number of judges to dispatch the
law business without delay. so that a man
could get through with his case in a lifetime,
was well founded. He said that the court
was too important to be belittled or disorgan-
lied, that too many great interests, private
and public were involved, for the people for
one moment to submit to have it crippled.
He said that the judges wrote out more than
a volume of opinions every year in addition
to their other labors, opinions which were
scrutinized by the whole world. He alluded to
the Pennell case and to other celebrated cases
decided by the court and eulogized their zeal
and learning which he said compared favOra-
bly, with any other court in the United States.
He spoke of the discharge of their official
duties as involving untireing personal labor,
and said that they could not be expected to do
more. He produced table of other courts
in the several States. and showed that in pro-
portion to population, amount of labor done
and salary paid, no State in the Union had
more law business done by their judges for
less pay than the State of Maine even when
there were eight judges and the salary was
$1,000. He then showed that if the law was
not restored, some of the terms now held
must be omitted, and asked what county was
ready to make the sacrifice.
Mr.. Strout then discussed the question of
salary He said the salary of the judges of
Massachusetts had been $4,000 when ours
was $1,000. He compared the salaries of
our judges with those of other States and
proved that we pay less, all things considered
than other States. He said no man could do
more than live on the salary paid, and that
when the judge retired he had neither bust
ness or money on which to support himself
He argued that it was beneath the dignity of
great State to cheaper the service of their
judges and to rob them of just recompense
for their labor. He said no man need fear
that the people would fail to sustain the az
ton Of to-day, that it would be an act of
cowardice if we failed to do out duty squarely
and act honestly according to our convictions
of right. He closed by urging members to
act according to their convictions of duty,
regardless of party. In the course of his re-
marks, Mr.. Strout called attention to the
large number of petitioners, of all parties,
who favored this measure of justice to the
court, and the fact that no man outside this
legislature had lifted a voice against it,
Mr.. HATCH withdrew his motion to divide
the question and moved to amend by striking
out the provision for an increase of the
Judges to eight.
Mr.. PLAIsTED of Lincoln deemed it a duty
to his constituents to protest against the bill.
Mr.. PERRY Of Camden said the bill passed
last winter had received careful consideration
and full discussion, and was not rushed
through hurriedly. He was opposed to the
entire bill under consideration.
Mr.. Swan of Minot said there should be a
sufficient number of judges to transact the
business and the salary should be adequate
to secure the services of the best men. |
Whether or not seven can do the work has
not yet been determined. The last iegislA- |
ture had looked into the matter and reduced
the number and he was opposed to a repeal
until there had been fair trial. In regard
to the salary, he said we desire for our Judges |
the very best legal talent There are many |
good lawyers before jury, who are not fit |
TO go on the bench, but who obtain large in |
comes. fhe question of whether good Judges |
can be obtained for G1OOO can soor l..