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with him in the view that $5, 000 was not too much for
the position. The people did not want a boy to go into this
office; they wanted a man of mature age; enlarged ex-
perience and exalted talents to go into this position. The
gentleman from Baltimore county, (Mr. Barry, ) and
others can go into the Criminal Court and make more
than $5, 000 for defending a few cases, and why should
not the man who is to meet them be paid as much ? The
man who accepts this position has got to give up his prac-
tice and shut his office, and he should be paid a reasonable
rate. Twenty or twenty-five thousand dollars passed
through the hands of this officer annually, and he should
be beyond temptation. In regard to all this talk about
high salaries, it was all for buncombe.
Mr. Carter said, in reply to his colleague, (Mr. Garey, )
that a man who would steal at $3, 000 would steal at
$5, 000; and in regard to speaking for buncombe, he did
not sit here for any such purpose. He should offer any
amendment to reduce salaries, or for any other purpose,
when he was satisfied that it was just and proper.
Mr. Maulsby would make a suggestion to the commit-
tee to pass this over at this time, without fixing the sal-
ary. He thought it would be best to provide that the
officer shall have the same salary as that of the judge of
the court, as he was not willing to give the State's At-
torney a higher salary than the judge.
Mr. Barry thought it was better to dispose of the mat-
ter now. He did not think it would be just to restrict the
salary of the State's Attorney to the same amount as that
of the judge. The duties of the judge of the Criminal
Court were very light in comparison with those of the
State's Attorney. Attorney General Richardson, one of
the ablest men of the state, had the power to retain all
the fees, and they amounted to $8, 000 or $10, 000 at that
time, and although he had assistants, it was complained
then that the compensation was too light.
Mr. Gill called for a division of the motion of Mr. Car-
ter, and the question was taken on the striking out of
$5, 000, which was agreed to.
The question was then announced as on the motion of
Mr. Gill to insert $4, 000.
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