The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-20


necessary to give decisions, unless IN mat
tiers of very minor Importance. The county
is divided into a number of these Petty
Sessions districts. each having its own bench
Of magistrates. those resident within 1t
though some occasionally do duty in more
than one district voluntarily and by way
of relieving one another. The places of
meeting are in the towns and villages, but
not unfrequently in thinly inhabited agri-
cultural neighborhoods Petty Sessions
bench will hold It's sittings in a country or
roadside inn centrally situated. As there
is often a long journey TO the place of sit
ting. with several hours spent there, 1t will
be seen that the Office of an English justice
of the peace is no sinecure.
As regards their dispensing of justice, 1t
is generally fair and honorable. Most of
them are above petty spites and when any
case comes before them in which one of
themselves has personal concern, he retires
from the bench while it is under consider
alton. Sill instances of justices justice
do occur. and where there Is flagrant vlo-
lation or miscarriage of justice the magls-
trate guilty Of it runs the risk Of gov
erment inquiry into his conduct and re
moval from the commission of the peace.
On the part of the people at such times,
there is an outcry against the great un-
paid, a. the county justices are sarcasti-
cally called. and claaor for 'stipeudia-
ries -Salaried magistrates who hold office
IL. ..,,,..-.,1 ,-,,,r.r,-y,,uart bsa tanpin
having an idea that these administer the
law in a fairer and better manner. This Is
an erroneous assumption. however. since
stipcndiary magistrates are a. liable to CIV
4 inc unfair or mistaken judgments as the
Others Besides, were one such appointed
to every Petty Sessions district, with the
usual salary of Il 900 to Il 500 per an
mum. the rates would be so raised as to
soon put an end to the unreasoning outcry.
with repentance to follow. The people of
England are too poor and too heavily taxed
for the theory of justice TO par 81 high for
its practice in the dispensation. Parties
in dispute pay enough As it i, but with
stipendiaries they would have surfeii Of
il. So the great unpaid have their uses,
and as things are hardly know how they
could be dispensed with,
From this rough outline sketch Of county
organization, | pass 70 the parish In Eng
land there i, nothing called a township,
a term. If | mistake not. originating or
your side Of the Atlantic--no ~townland,
as II Is in Ireland Here the territorial
subdivisions of the shire, both for ecclesias-
teal purposes and matters Of local admins
tration. are parishes, each a unit in itself.
They are of different sizes and irregular
boundary. even 70 eoceutricity; son.e Of
compac, rounded form, Others oblong with
points running peninsula Ike, and dovetail
ing into cne another while Of not few
there are isolated portions, a islands, alto
gether outside the parish bounds and with
in those Of another The same occurs ais
in certain counties. There Is no very oleal
account of how these tracts came originally
to be detached, a. they have been 80 sine,
before the period Of parOchial history. In,
usual explanation Is. that this division had
its origin in property rights Of the manoria
lords. in connection with fittings for the
support Of the church Fer the psSisi
boundaries are themselves supposed to b
coterminous with those Of the ancient
manors. and feudal lord owning piece
of outlTing land would give it the sam'
name and place it under like contribution
a. the rest Of his property As II i now
the average parish may be roughly estims
ted a. having an area Of say 500 acres
its population dependent on circumstances
But whether thickly or sparsely inhabited
il has its church-thc church Of the state
!. Other ecclesiastical edi6ces may be in it, o
the Noneonformist kind-Baptisi, MethO
dist. Presbyterian. Congregational or Romal
: Cathoic-and more Of these in some dis
, tricts than in others but all such are style
"chapels, and BY Episcopalians Oft, | an
sorry to add eontemptuously All secula
) parochial affairs, as the roads and hxini
/ the rates for them. care Of the poor, sani
{ tary matters. and the ike, were formerl
! in the hands Of the parish church authori
e ties-chureh wardens and vestry. Blu
! some Of these are now relegated 30 distric
! Boards, comprising several parishes, t
:
/ As life in rural parish, with It's variou
: classes. characters and callings. Is an epii
: ONE Of that Of the country al large,
: viii now proceed TO give an account Of i
. beginning with him who stands on the toI
2 most round Of the social ladder the Squir,
!. And first ! would ask your readers to di
5 associate this title from that Of Justice I
+ the Peace which, if mistake not, Is it
I ordinary meaning on your si6e of the A
. lantic. The English Squire may be, an
e almost invariable is, Peace Justice br
e that has nothing to do with his being cal
f ed Squire. The title has no official 81,
2 nifcation. and Is solely one of eourtes,
) For all. il is neither born nor bestowed il
t discriminately; and Sqnires are far frol
e being plenty a. blaekberries. Again, di
e tinction mus; be made between those wi
BY right of birth may legally afix the tit
! Esquire to their names. as the sons ,
It certain classes of noblemen, with Othe
/ whose profession gives them such right,
n officers in the Army and Navy, barriste
o and physicians-and the real ''Countl
It Squire or as he Is socially known, Il
II Squire of the parish theoretically, the
n is one in every parish, though there a
1t Squireless parishes in remote districts unde:
e rable for the residence of gentry; not man
/ however. But parish with two Squir
; were as a ship with two captains, or a reg
r ment with two colonels, and where su,
K nominally exist, as is sometimes the cas-
4 one or other Of them must be usurpt
Ie The Squire Of the parish Is usually
l. largest landowner, and of an ancient lineae
d He may be in reduced circumstances, al
s; other gentry resident in it may own mo
Is acres and be much weaithier than he, st
1t the title is hereditary, and among the
rs there a is tacit understanding with fraI
If concession as to who has the right to be
n it. Generally the Squire is "lord of Il
h manor which gives him certain righ
r termed smanorial those relating to ''coI
' mons, if there be any in the parish, col
D hold tenures, owner ship Of the game, et
re But neither have these ancient privileg
e. aught to do with his being called Squil
le and are merely attachments to the proper
: he may possess, supposing it invested wi
Df manorial rights.
le 1t scarce needs telling, that the har
ST drinking. fox-hunting Squire of the nov,