Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-22
Origin Of ths Name and Office Of JUS
tice Of the Peace.

Our minds viii travel backward a
long; long journey, through the stO-
~ OF English history before the be-
ginning Of the Of the Office Of Jus.
ice Of the Peace will lie found. 1t
originated, not in such an England
ts We see to-day, but in land wild,
IntutOrcd. rude.
InI2S5. under the administration
ifs'Our English Justinian, Edward
T.. there was enacted the statute Of
,yintOn or Winchester, which no
less authority than Hallum declares
10 be the Foundation Of modern
avs Ii recited that ''from day
20 day, rUbberies, murders, burnings
and theft be more often used than
they have heretofore, and ielons
cannot be attained by the oath Of
jurors,v &c, and enacted that "hue
and cry shall be made upon the
comm ssion Of n robbery, and that
the hundred shall remain answer
able for the damage unless the fel-
ons be brought TO Justice" By the
same act, the highways were to be
cleared of trees and underwood for
TWO hundred feet on each side.
Thus, incidentally are presented
vivid pictures Of EDgland's physical
and social condition at that time, six
hundred years ago. Parliament had
no abiding place as now at West
minister, but sat at different points
now at Winchester, then Sails
bury, again at York, etc. The Wild
ness of the country is painted in
the brushey wilderness, penetrated
with narrow roads, which were
sought 10 be widened two hundred
teet on each side as a security for
travellers against sudden attacks
from robbers.
Green, in his Changer History
SAYS that Il was ''tO enforce the OBJ
servance Of this act that knights
were appointed in every shire, un-
der the name OF cOnservatOrs Of the
peace, a name which, ass the ben
eft Of these local magistrates was
more sensibly felt and their powers
we're more largely extended, was
changed into that which they still
retain, justices Of the peace" Hal
lam says that the title, conservatOr,
Was changed TO that ofjustice Of the
peace in the reign of Edward III.
If We go beyond these dates and
seek ~ discover the forms Of the
lowest courts among different peo-
piles, il is certain that We will not
find any Of them either exactly OF
substantially similar 10 that which
we now denOmiDste justice of the
peace. Among the eIriler Anglo
Saxons, even before their migration
into Britain, this court was the vii
lage-mOot-thec common meeting II
lis villagers for justice as well a.
government. Above the village
moot, were the hundred moot, the
folk moot, each a court OF appeal
from the decisions Of the lower.
The village moot was the assembly.
of all the villagers; in the big her
moots the principle Of representation
was preserved. In the higher, The
priests proclaimed silence, groups #
ineemen stood around, shaking their
spears in assent, clsshing shields in
applause, settling matters in the end
by loud shouts OF AYE" or May
The lowest court among the an
Gent AtlIenians was a body called
oi tessarakODta, or the .JoJty, consist
ing Of as many persons, chosen by
lot, who held their courts success
Iyely in the several districts o. AT.
tica, having cOguiZance Of tine CASES
where the um Or value at stake did
not exceed ten drachms or about
two dollars. Among the old Ro-
mans, all the courts, with excep-
tons not necessary here to refer 10,
were under the jurisdiction Of the
Praetor, high elective OH cial by
whom isiautjudges were appoint
ed annually, first only from the SEN
ate, but latierly from all conditions.
1t may be noted that these judges
were at the same time jurors. Thus
was constituted their very lowest
judicial body. In the time Of the
Christian empeIors, the municipal
and local officials had jurisdiction
in minor cases and there was q class
Of petty officials appointed by the
Emp eFor, called =. JUDGES pe0aaei,
whose functions afe not clear.
The utility Of this Office has not
been confined to English speaking
people. For example, in the decree
f5r the reorganization OF the Judicial
system Of France august "a, 1890
iu0es dc pair were created in imita-
Jon Of the English officers Of the
same name. They decide personal !
involving no more than twep-
~ dollarS.
The title, Justice Of the Peace, has !