The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-15
Judicial Salaries in Virginia.

'hTom Virginia Law Register Dec, 1869
se As me date approaches for the as
gina. by which all of the judges OF her
supreme Court of Appeals and one-fourth
~ ~ 1 tel circuit judges are. to be elected,
we tlme seems opportune for q discussion
Of the question Of the compensation paid
shese expounders and administrators OF
tune-it Is practically exclusive, thai Is to
say. II the present salaries are inadequate
or tFo not 9! cominensurate with the work done.
only one by which any logical and com.
piete treatment Of the subject may be had,
and even In that event. the effects of Its
actlon Will, as to the large majority OF
tho circuit Judges, be postponed until the
expiration Of their present terms.
mis- would seem, to be rather bold
Section 22 Of Article VI. OF tho Constitu-
tlon OF Virginia of 1862 read as follows:
~, Al r. the b Judges shall be !, commissioned
salaries and allowances as may be deter
mined by law, the amount of which shall
not no, !, be {, diminished during their term OF
But the corresponding section Qge) OF
the present Constitution Is, in its material
p"AH's Che AZ tu lE.tow Shall be commissioner
by, the Governor. They shall receive s' sueS
salaries and allowances as may be de-
qd Sy R aM M.h The The amoaa q
which shall not BIO Increased or diminished
dpdA1ls their terms of office" 80 : =
ganic law is not apparent. We all appre-
ciate the wisdom OF forbidding tho Legis-
ia a,sma, to diminish the compensation OF
rect prohibited from increasin ga judicial
salary, except as to appellate oiiices, once
~ .WeTe Years. and as to those OF tho n
from manifest. When we construe pro.
visions Of this sort we are bold TO look
nIs5 to the Old law and then To- the mis-
any OF our Judges. superior or inferior,
had manifested a tendency TO construe
osn at ce pny Hng tnsa mean arger
amount the change might have had 9
predicate upon which to rest. So also y
,"strike" for a legislative .increase-,in plain
Language, a suggestion OF g acknowledgements rom
to justify even u reasonable apprehension
or remote history OF the State, certainly
TO- the writer's knowledge.
the part of the judges Of Virginia 70 hold
up the Legislature In the premises con-
tains so many elements of the humorous
to Its rejection Wthos eye
| or The dihculty Is that tne cnange was
made through inadyertence.
But what is the situation To-Day. SIM
4 ply, as stated above that, unless the
salaries of our judges are Increased by
the next presenp Legislature, 40 action
Of the sort win probably be taken hy any
be amended in this particular. Why!
BECAUSE by sections o. and 90 OF that IN
| made to expire at different times, and
the Legislature is not apt 70 pay differ
ent salaries to Two Judges doing the same
character and amount OF work. mus tive
viii be elected in,January,. 1906. for terms
OF -four, six. eight. ten and twelve years
\ respectively.
4 II their salaries be not increased Mt this
1 session. In IS rot probable that such nc
tion will be taken by the Legislature of
1910 1912 and so on, which WIN, be called
upon 10 elect their successors, because
Judge could draw throughout his tern,
4 only the salary allowed by law at the
time of his qualification, while the fout
9rnr other. weary illd gein dolnGl city the