The times., 1899-01-25
REFORMS ARE NECESSARY.
commissioners Report on the Dill
AbOlfshing Justices of the Peace.

AbOlfshing Justices of the Peace.
While the pending House bill. which
provides for the abolition of the offices of
justices of the peace and constables in the
District of Columbia, meets with general
approval. considerable opposition to GER
| tain provisions of the act has developed.
Since the bill was introduced numerous
communications have been received by the
District Commissioners, Offering sugges-
tiOns for amendments, and in view of the
interest that has been manifested. and also
the Importance of the proposed legislation,
the Commissioners have decided to give
the bill mature consideration before max
| ing formal report to Congress
partial report was, however, trans
mitted by the Commissioners yesterday to
| Representative Curtis acting Chairman of
| the District Committee of the House. In
this report the Commissioners make the
| positive assertion that they cannot. at the
| present time, consent to give their full ap-
| proval to the bill. They believe that, with
| proper consideration, some legislation of
| the kind proposed might be formulated,
| but they do not think the bill in its pres
| ent form will correct existing abuses and
! evils:
| In their letter to Representative Curtis
| the Commissioners state that they have
not been able to give the matter the at
tention which. owing to the Importance of
| the question, II deserves They have been
impressed by the fact" the letter CON
tinues, that the proposed legislation has
| been approved by the Bar Association.
They have referred the bill to the at
torney for the District of Columbia who
has rendered an opinion, stating that the
bill is in good form.
The Commissioners, even from the
cursory examination which they have been
"a lp m oil tn ic
defects in the proposed legislation APP
| parently the bill carries with it no ap-
preparation for the expenses of the propos-
ed municipal court or the salaries of the
judges, and the proposed repeal of the
jurisdiction of justices of the peace before
an appropriation is made for the new
court would leave no remedy whatever for
the collection of small debts or demands
in the District.
There are in the existing laws, pro-
visions for the supersedeas of judgments
rendered by justices of the peace upon the
entry into proper security by the judg-
ment debtor. 1t would seem as though
this provision should not be repealed but
be made a feature of the legislation apply
ing to the new court.
There is another important section OF
the Revised Statutes. Sec, 1925, which pro-
vides that there shall be no stay of execu-
ton on any judgment of a justice of the
peace for the wages of a servant or com
mon laborer. nor upon any judgment for
a less sum than So. This does not seem
TO be provided for in the bill.
The power of issuing warrants Of search
for stolen property also vests wholly in a
justice of the peace in this jurisdiction,
and it is not apparent from the proposed
legislation where or how this necessary
power is to be executed after all justices
of the peace have been legislated out of
Office. t-4
1T has been suggested to the Commits
sioners by some citizens. 10 whose judg
ment Difference should be paid that, even
if the municipal court be established, a
small number of Justices of the peace
should be retained in order to carry out
the provisions of existing law not provided
for in the bill herewith reported on, and
in order to provide a convenient tribunal
for persons of small means wholly unable
to employ an attorney, and whose claim or
demand for wages. or other causes of ac-
tion, would be so insignificant an amount
as not to justify the employment of an at
torney and liability for the costs of a jury
trial.
While, therefore, the Commissioners be
leve that, with proper consideration some
such legislation might be formulated which
would correct existing abuses and evils,
they are not at this time prepared TO give
their full approval TO the legislation en-
bodied in the bill