12 May 1807

Scotch Reform

Letter VI

Letter VI

IV. Sheriffs Courts

One more instance /more/, in which the [...?] Reason finds in the [...?] of Authority an Atlas for her support.

In England, in the Saxon times, and for some ages after /later/, in the Sheriffs the County Court, not to speak of subordinate /other Courts of still narrower /less extended/ local jurisdiction, every man sees justice, judicature at least all the year round within the reach of his own home. In Scotland so it was and to a certain degree is still: so it was, and (Ireland excepted in which the vices of English judicature have been copied with a degree of fidelity that might be expected) so it not only was but it is every where else.

In England for several centuries /ages past/ , the metropolitan Courts have by the devices already noted [...?] out the jurisdiction of these provincial Courts /judicatures/.

To make up for the loss, it was settled on them /among the Metropolitan Judges/ "2 d time in the ││ country, that some of them should go the rounds of the kingdom once in every 7 years, as if the justice whatever it was, that [...?] had done without for 6 years, they could not have continued to do without the [...?]. As the country increased in wealth /in population and wealth/ the matter of fees accumulated to such a degree /became at last so copious/ /[...?] [...?] large enough to be worth stooping for/that two days or thereabouts in a year in very county were found not too many for the collection of it. The first Circuit which gave to each County [...?] justice for a whole day in /every/ 7 years for a whole day or more, threw the historiographer (Glenville[?]) into an extacy at the thought /idea of such /so splendid/ a union of wisdom and beneficence /benevolence/: the idea of Councils which give /extend the chance of justice to/ two days out of the 365, kept Blackstone, and his whole school in a state of continued /uninterrupted/ extacy, ever since.

The 363 days during which justice is denied, on this occasion are struck out of their calendar. The 2 days during which justice is sold are red-letter days: and thus it is that in their calendar all the days are red-letter days.