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Englishman;" but he insisted that he had not had a fair and impartial trial, and then added: "When I was before them (the judges), I could not have the liberty and privilege of an Englishman, the grounds, reasons and causes of the actings I was charged with duly considered. I therefore desired the judges that they would set their seals to my bill of exceptions; I pressed hard for it again and again, as the right of myself and every free born Englishman by the law of the land, but was finally denied it"-Here Sir John Robinson, the lieutenant of the tower, interrupted him, told him it was a lie and commanded him to stop. Vane reiterated his statement, but Robinson commanded the trumpets to sound and a tumult was raised, so that he could not be heard. When silence was at length partially restored, he said: "God will judge between me and you in this matter." He then undertook to go on, and after referring with some pathos to the rectitude of his life, lifted up his eyes to Heaven and spread out his hands and said: "I do here appeal to the Great God of Heaven and all this assembly, or any other persons to show wherein I have defiled my hands with any man's blood or estate, or that I have sought myself in any public capacity or place I have been in." The effect upon the multitude was electric. His attitude was so dramatic that the sheriff and lieutenant of the tower became somewhat alarmed, and snatched a paper which he held in his hands, away from him. They commanded all those who were taking notes of his speech to deliver the same up, and when they remonstrated with the wretches, Vane said; "My usage from man is no harder than was my Lord and Master's;" but the noise and trumpets broke in again, and he was not permitted to finish what he had to say. Having anticipated this, he had carefully made a memoranda of his address and given it to a friend before he reached the place of execution, and it has come down to us in that shape. Having thus been roughly and brutally interfered with, he was then compelled to lay his head upon the block, and it was severed at a blow. The cry of anguish which went up was never forgotten, and resounded throughout the world.

He died a martyr for the cause of representative government

-a "government of the people, by the people and for the people."

We visited the spot but a few weeks ago, where this forerunner of American liberty laid down his life. There rise, as they have risen for almost a thousand years, the cold gray walls of the tower, with the clouds lowering dark and threatning above them—and there, shrouded in gloom are the grated windows that look forth on the narrow space which so many have trod never more to return-and there is the spot where the forlorn mother stood whom Shakspeare has immortalized in that touching apostrophe to her babes that were about to be smothered:

"Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes,

Whom envy hath immured within your walls;
Rude cradle for such little pretty ones.
Rough rugged nurse, old sullen playfellow
For tender princes, use my babes well."

No one with the least sensibility can visit Tower Hill and study its surroundings, without being overwhelmed with sadness as he thinks of the bloody deeds that have here taken place. Harry Vane had in his youth, as we have shown, spent several years in America, and had become thoroughly imbued with the spirit of freedom. We look upon him as almost one of us. His name is the most appropriate link to bind us to the land of our fathers. It presents, more, perhaps, than any that could be mentioned in one character, those features and traits by which it is our pride to prove our lineage and descent from the British Isles."

Elliott Anthony.

DISTRICT COURTS IN ILLINOIS.

During the last few years, through the public press, and in other ways, the attention of the public has been often called to the admitted evils prevalent in justice of the peace courts in Chicago. Frequent, and often well founded complaints are made both of the justices and of the constables.

The causes of the evils complained of, may be perhaps briefly summarized as follows:

1st:-The fee system under which both justices and constables are paid fees, and not salaries, for their services.

2nd:-The low grade of many justices and constables, both as regards ability and character.

3rd:-The system under which justices are appointed, and constables elected.

4th:-The extension of the jurisdiction of country justices over the City of Chicago, which leads to suits being brought against citizens of Chicago in remote and inaccessible portions of Cook County.

How best to remedy these evils is an open question, and one beset with many difficulties.

It has been proposed by some, to enact a law under the present constitution, by which justices in municipal corporations of a stated population, can be paid by salaries instead of by fees.

This plan is beset by constitutional difficulties, and at best is but a partial remedy.

Sections 21 and 29, Article 6, of the Constitution of 1870, of

the State of Illinois, require the organization, jurisdiction, powers, proceedings and practice, of all courts of the same class or grade to be uniform.

The 22d Section of Article 4 of the Constitution provides that the general assembly shall not pass local or special laws in reference to a large number of subjects, amongst which are these: "Regulating the practice in courts of justice," and "Regulating the jurisdiction and duties of justices of the peace, police magistrates, and constables;" the closing clause of the section reading as follows:

"In all other cases where a general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted."

These provisions make it difficult to frame laws under the existing Constitution which will remedy the evils complained of. Hon. H. B. Hurd, when engaged some years since upon the revision of the statutes of the State, drew a proposed act, by which it was in substance provided, that all justices of the peace in Chicago should be paid by fixed salaries, leaving the present fee system in full force, so far as regards other portions of the State.

Able constitutional lawyers, among them, the Hon. Milton Hay of Springfield, and the Hon. Clark Upton of Waukegan, now Circuit Court Judge of Lake County, feared that any such measure would violate the provisions of the Constitution above cited, and Mr. Hurd was reluctantly compelled to abandon his proposed change in the law.

It requires no argument to show that changes deemed necessary in Chicago would neither be desirable no practicable outside of large municipal corporations. Justices of the peace in county districts, where the litigation brought before them is but slight, and of little importance, should be paid by fees and not by salaries. It is far otherwise in cities of such a population as Chicago.

It is a foregone conclusion. that no system of paying justices throughout the State by salaries would meet with favorable consideration in the Legislature.

All admit that the fee system is pernicious in the extreme. As long as a justice is paid by fees, he is constantly tempted

to decide in favor of a plaintiff, who brings suits before him, in order to gain continued patronage, thereby increasing his business and compensation.

Much useless and needless litigation is fomented by both justices and constables, the constables often acting as purveyors to the justices. This will continue to be more or less the case while the the fee system continues, for justices and constables: are but human.

It is truthfully said that a justice court is the "poor man's court." Many suitors therein are too poor to retain counsel, and when this is otherwise, the small amounts involved in the majority of cases, prevent generally the employment of counsel of a high grade of ability and character, and render it impossible for lawyers as a rule to spend much time in preparing cases or trial.

Yet the limited jurisdiction of a justice of the peace, is no bar to questions being raised before him as difficult as any coming before courts of record.

The absence of the aid afforded by counsel to both judge and litigants, renders it all the more important that the State should furnish judicial ability and character in police and justice courts of as high an order as is practicable. The rich can care for themselves; the poor and friendless must be protected as far as possible from ignorance, wrong, and oppression.

It is a well recognized fact that the judges of Cook County find it difficult under the present method of appointment, to find suitable candidates to recommend to the governor for appointment as justices in the North and West Divisions of Chicago, owing to the unwillingness of good lawyers to accept such positions.

A large proportion of the population of a crowded city gains its only idea of the administration of justice, from impressions gathered at trials in police and justice of the peace courts. It is scarcely therefore to be wondered at, that anarchy and socialism flourish in Chicago.

That the present method of appointing justices of the peace in Cook County is a vast improvement over the old method of election, cannot with truth be denied, but the present method

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