Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-13
The Eighth Judicial Circuit.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
Will you kindly allow me space in
your columns to point out to the Legis-
lature the gross injustice which will be
done to the people of the Eighth and
Seventeenth judicial circuits if the bill
which is now pending in the Senate,
proposing to rearrange the circuits, be-
comes a law: 1t is proposed to ami
hilate the Seventeenth circuit, COM
posed of the counties Of Accomack
and Northampton, and to throw those
two counties into the Eighth circuit,
which will then be composed Of the
counties of Charles City, New Kent,
James City. York, Warwick, Elizabeth
City, the city OF Williamsburg, and
the counties of Accomack and North
ampton.
The desire is TO create a new circuit
in the Southwest, where it seems to be
needed, and this amalgamation Of the
two circuits above referred to is for
the purpose of avoiding the expense Of
an additional judge. This is a most
unjust example Of robbing Peter to
pay Paul. The experiment of having
Accomack and Northampton counties
in the Eighth circuit has been once
tried. 1t was found to be q failure,
and those two counties were erected
into a separate circuit, and such, for
every reason, they ought to remain.
Nature has made Of them separate
circuit. They are separated from the
rest of Virginia by the Chesa-
peake bay, around which you must
go to reach them. The mere basis OF
population or extent cannot be applied
to them, as to the other circuits. To
Join them to the mainland, as is pro-
posed in this bill, is almost as unrea-
sonable and absurd as to put Norfolk
county in the Albemarle circuit. 1t
seems to me that the prime object in
arranging the circuits should be the
convenience of the people embraced in
their limits. Justice should not only
be cheap, but accessible. 1t is often
very necessary to be able to get at the
circuit judge in the shortest possible
time; for example, in dissolying in
functions, and hearing causes, and en-
tering DEGREES in vacation. Now, under
the proposed change, if the judge of the
Eighth circuit should be a resident of
the Peninsula which comprises the
great body of the circuit, the people
Of the Eastern Shore would be COM
PEELED to make tedious journey by
land and sea in order to reach him,
and even then it might frequently hap
pen that when the required relief was
obtained it would be Intellectual by
reason Of the delay in its application
and, rice rerSa, if the judge Of that cir
cult should be a resident of the Eastern
Shore the evil would be greater still,
since the great majority of the people
OF the circuit would be residents Of the
Peninsula. Now, the injustice and
hardship of this seems to be very APP
parent. If new circuit is needed in
the Southwest, by all means let it be
created, but not at the expense of the
people Of another circuit. Why pull
the blanket off the feet in order to cover
the head? The notion Of economy,
which is the only possible excuse for
the proposed change, is certainly a
mistaken one. Why should the Legisla-
ture hesitate at an additional expenditure
Of 81 600 for a new circuit Judge, when
tens Of thousands are being appropri-
ated for other purposes of far less i'm
portance to the people Of the State
Why hold in at the spiggot when the
buDg is wide open? We can better az
ford to practice economy in any other
branch of the public service. Surely
circuit judges at $1,000 each are cheap
enough to enable us to have as many
Of them as may be necessary for the ad-
ministration of justice.
Respectfully yours,
JAMES G.. LAMB.