The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-27
TlRDOy THE MAGISTRATES
The City Court Grand Jury DiSSat-
iSfipd With the Present Law.

n-ord Jury Wants the Special
AH' coverning Them in Chatham
49, Repealed, and the Number
MAGISTRATES Reduced one-half.
ar in Favor of Salary Sys-
Than the Present One Where
Are Collected - Judge Mac
I'll Thinks There Is Room for
Reform.
pofore adiourning for the term the
ID turv of the city court returned its
go sentiments yesterday afternoon, in
Pr there was some rather spicy mat
VII may not make altogether delec-
~ reading for the magistrates of
chatham county
Tbe Grand Jury wants reform in the
EN-, under which the magistrate
sourts carry on their work, and have
- an appeal to the county's represen-
L 10 IN endeavor to have special law
~aasod repealing a special law with re-
- 20 N magistrates, now in effect, and
citing those in this county under the
80 laws as in other counties, or under
law by which they will be paid sala-
riss instead of being allowed to collect
fees.
11tT officers had been well kept and in
.ood condition, and that they had ex-
soira3 the county convict camps and
Sonnd them in good condition, with the
tVTfI of the hospital and the women's
quarters at Camp No l, the jurors go on
to state:
A SPECIAL LAW WANTED.
ga snecial law for Chatham county
orlv giyes the justices of the peace of
Chatham county, in criminal cases, the
Tieht TO charge 50 for drawing up bond
for appearance in court, and for keeping
the peace.
This charge serves as a great slim
uIant and incentive to the magistrate to
induce the ignorant to prefer charges in
HE court against others, for the most
triainq cause. and upon the most friy-
oiovs pretext, in order that he may get SO
for the bond Oftentimes the magistrate
mulcts the offenders to the extent of Sc
each.
For instance, some negro woman pre-
fers A charge against two other negro
women for assault and battery: each one
of the defendants pay 80, which is So ;
then the two defendants are bound over
10 keep the peace for that they paw So
eacn, IS more; $l2 for the magistrate,
and for what? For something frequently
too trivial to be recognized by the grand
Jurors,
THEY SAY IT'S GREAT TEMPTATION.
"No one can help seeing the great temp
tation held out to the magistrate to foster
quarrels, and keep the poor negroes con-
tlnually in his court No such laws hold
in other counties and they should not OBJ
tain here The law is abused and should
be abolished.
"The laws controlling the fees of mag
istrates should be the same in this city as
in all other cities Of the state, and we
call upon our representatives to have this
special law repealed and abolished, and
recommend that the number of magis-
trates be reduced One-half."
The grand jurors rendered their thanks
to Judge MacDOnell and the other officers
OF the court and recommended that their
presentments be published.
JUDGE MAcDONELL ON THE PREsENTMENTs.
In dismissng the grand jury for the
term, Judge MacDonell thanked them for
their efforts and spoke few words in APP
probation Of their recommendations. He
thought the recommendation with regard
to magistrates a wise one, and said that
some reform in the system under which
these courts were conducted was needed
IN the county. He approved the idea of
having fewer magistrates and paying
tnem a salary instead of allowing them to
collect fees In conclusion he said:
over hundred years ago this same
question came up in England, where a
system similar to that which we now
nave existed which system was then
abolished, and the reform was found so
satisfactory that it has ever since re-
NAMED the law of England. 1t was due
70 the wisdom Of William Pitt that this
reform was made l do trust, most
sincerely, that some reform of that kind
my De 0roughtrabout.
"Noprinciplein the,whole law of Georgia
4eeus SO much to be reformed as that, and
tlnope that this movement on the part of
~: Tue grand jury may have some effect,
log IN bringing about such a reform
ssbpeelily; at least, in turning the minds of
ter - - " W. - A-40
a. me grand jury returned only two in
ulcCIents George Jackson, charged with
sam9nnng, and Harriet Henderson. who
al Z