The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-12
The County Judges...The Read)usters
Make Slip.

When do the terms OF the county judges
whom the General Assembly on yesterday
elected and whom they may elect. hereafter
during their present session commence
This question, which is being seriously
mooted, Is one OF far-reaching Importance,
az upon these officers, who are TO take COM
missions under the present regime, the Re-
adiusters place no small degree OF reliance
for the perpetuation OF their power.
Suppose the new judges do not go into
Office until January l, 1881, what becomes
of the proposed programme for the appoint
ment OF Readjuster assessors throughout
the Commonwealth, and the reaSsessmeDt OF
our lands during the present year under the
supervision OF Eeadiuster judges? what
becomes OF the expected influence that the
new Judges are to exert merit fall III be-
half OF a score or more OF ambitious Re
adiusters who have their eyes upon the seats
OF the nine members OF Congress who con-
sttute the Virginia delegation in The House
OF Representatives at Washington?
II the new judges have no courts to bold,
no officers to appoint, no patronage 10 De-
stow, but must wait their time in patience
till the first OF next January, 1t Is sale 10 say
that the political calculations OF many gen.
tlemen in all quarters OF the State VIII prove
to have been greatly at fault.
Manifestly the provision OF section % OF
Article vi. OF the Constitution, which al
lows the appointee to discharge the duties
Of his office before his term commenced,
was intended to apply to the judges FIRST
elected under the new Constitution, ana
only TO those FIRST elected.
Notice the words "their first appoint
ment and qualification under this Constitu-
ton words which seem to show that the
cases OF the first judges to be elected were
those in the minds OF the trainers OF the
Constitution, and not subsequent cases:
II the Constitution, by section % Of arti-
Gle 4 had not expressly directed that the
first appOintees to the judgeships should
discharge the duties Of their respective Of
fees before their terms commenced, they
could not have lawfully done so. If the
25th section OF the same article bad not i'm
pesed upon all officers the duty OF discharg-
ing the duties Of their respective offices
after the expiration OF their terms OF SER
vice, until their successors have qualified,
they could not lawfully do so. Their Of
fees, without some such provisions, would
have begun with their terms OF service, and
ended with the same As fixed by The Consti-
tuition.
AS the Constitution provides that the old
officers shall continue in office until their
successors qualify, and at the same time
fixes a time when the terms OF the new Of
ficers shall begin, the meaning and effect OF
all of the provisions, taken together, is that
the old incumbents shall hold over not only
until the terms Of the new appOntees be-
gin, but even after the terms OF the new
officers begin, and until the new officers
qualify.
The Readjusters, we think, have made a
slip in their proceedings, and must OF
course accept the consequences. In the
cold eyes OF the law they will be deemed
to have deliberately elected some OF
item 90 into Office on tie Ist DAY OF January,
1880. AS to those whom the General AS
sembly have elected since the first day OF
this month, or may hereafter elect. it will
be in like manner presumed that the body
which elected them, for their own good
reasons, saw fit to have them indicted into
office on the first OF merit January, and not
sooner Petersburg Appeal.