The Washington herald., 1910-07-31
TO TRANSFER THIS DESIGN

yet they are TO such an extent dependent
on the minister Of justice. that is TO say.
member Of the cabinet OF the day. for
their promotion. for their transfer TO
more or less agreeable posts. and for dis
tinctions in the shape Of orders Of knight
hood that ii is idle 10 talk OF their In
dependence Of character, at any rate
where the government is concerned.
II is only fair. however. TO add that in
France. as in Germany. in Austria and in
Spain. the judges OF the final and SUI
preme courts of appeal enjoy a degree OF
prestige and respect 20 which none OF
their colleagues Of the lower courts can
make any pretension-this. too. in spite
if their ridiculously inadequate pay and
their long years Of subservience 20 the
minister of justice for the time being 1t
is because they are nearing the end OF
their official career and have but little
to fear or 20 hope OF the government
that they feel they can afford 10 be indie
pendent. and that is why we occasionally
find the Court OF Cessation at Paris rem
dering a decision displeasing TO the cab
met. and the Supreme Court OF the Ger
man empire az Leipzig delivering a judg-
ment calculated TO give umbrage 20 the
Crown.
Among the early Greeks judges were
chosen from among the wisest and most
respectable OF the citizens. and in the
later times consisted principally Of such
as had enjoyed the dignity OF archons, or
chief magistrates They held their meet
ings in the open air. upon an eminence in
the center Of the city. and determined all
cases during the night. for these two
reasons-as Athenlans inform us-that
neither the number nor the faces of the
judges being known, there might be no
attempts to corrupt them; and that, as
they neither saw the plaintiff nor de-
PENDANT, their decisions might be quite
impartial.
The most scrupulous attention was paid
in the election OF these judges. The slight
est imputation of immortality, a single
act Of indecency or even Of unbecoming
levity. was sufficient TO disqualify IRON
obtaining a seat IN that tribunal. or "a
forfeit a place after il had been con-
ferred. To be found in a tavern was
such stain on the character OF a judge
that 1t was deemed a sufficient reason
OF exclusion from that office. Let no
Areopagite." says the Athenian laws.
compose a comedy. That judge was
justly thought TO have prostituted his
character who had stopped 10 employ
his talents in furnishing a frivolous
amusement for the people
OF judges in ancient Persia history
says that the sovereign. in certain cases
Of Importance, sat himself in judgment;
though in the ordinary ADMINISTRATION OF
justice there were certain number OF
judges chosen on account of their ac-
knowledged wisdom and probity, who
made regular circuits through the prov
inees and attended the sovereign in his
stated visitations of his dominions. These
held their offices for life. but were re-
movable in cases of malversation The
story is well known of the judge who
being guilty of corruption IT. his high
function, was by Cambyses condemned
to be fiayed alive and his skin hung over
the seat Of judgment.
Some Of the Athenians despised judges
and Anacharsis. having seen an assembly
Of the people at Athens, said he was sur
prised at this, that in Greece wise mer
pleaded causes. and fools determined
them.