The Virginia Gazette

To the PUBLIC.

Perlege, et quid novisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperii; si non, his utere mecum.

As the slow Administration of Justice in the Courts of this Colony has been so long and greatly complained of, I think it is the Duty of every Member of the Community to lend his Aid towards remedying the Evil. Many Schemes have been proposed; I have weighed them all very maturely, as well as every other Method that could be thought of, and I find none, in my humble Opinion, so little liable to Objection as what I shall here propose: That the Assembly shall pass an Act to have only thirteen Justices in each County, seven of them to be a special Court, to sit every March, May, August, and November, till they go through the Docket, to be paid by a Levy upon each County in Tobacco, and paid in Tobacco, or Money, at the Option of the Payer. All the thirteen to sit every Month, as they now do, to record Wills, Deeds, and bring Causes to Issue, &c. and to do Out-Court Business. As a Reward for the six that are not paid, the Sheriff's Place to be given only to those six. By this Means Causes would be so soon determined in the County Courts that few would sue in the General Court, which would have only Appeals, &c. to try, and then both our Supreme and County Courts would be as speedy as any in the World. This Plan is rather an Amendment than an Alteration of our present Constitution, and agreeable to the wise Maxims of the great ancient Lawgivers; which were,- that if any Body entered the Senate to propose the Alteration of an old Law he came with a Halter about his Neck, that if it did not better the Law he might be hanged, such was their Reverence for established Laws. If these few Hints of mine should be taken Notice of by the Legislature when they meet next, I shall be very happy; if not, I shall rest satisfied that I had done my best for the Good of the Society I live in.

PHILO VIRGINIÆ.