General Research

[Page 2] good practical sense as their representatives in this view. Many things seem defective as our constitution now stands and a rush will be made upon them, but it will depend greatly upon the character of the substitutes adopted in their place whether we shall [?] benefited [?] by a change or not.  These substitutes must not only be correct in theory and principle, but they must be well perfected in form and detail. We will have an extension of the right of suffrage, -- that will be easily carried out.  But when we come to the County Court System there is difficulty.  It is very clear that it is based upon a wrong principle now, so far as the appoi[tear in paper]tmen[? writing off edge of paper ?] of the justices is concerned.  A self perpetuating body neither appointed by, nor amenable to the people is an anomaly in a popular representative government.  But when we make the magistrates elective and disconnect them with the Sheriffalty, how shall they be paid for their services.  This and many other questions of detail arise, which will require great practical talent.  As to the Judges, the evils which we labor under, grow more out of the [? tenure ?] by which they hold office than the mode of their appointment.  We find it almost impofsible to get rid of a judge who has become incompetent since the time of his appointment.  We should therefore limit their terms to seven or eight years, and leave the important matters of detail, to the good sense of the convention. The character of the elections made for some years past by the Legislature has gone

Submitted and transcribed by: Susan Shields Sasek.  I don't know who the letter was sent to, but my great aunt Virginia Butler Priddy gave it to my father many years ago (if I remember correctly, sometime in the 1970s).

[SSS Note -- characters or words in brackets [ ] are either my comments or items that I either could not read or wasn't sure about]

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