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Mr. Archer said the adoption of this additional section
was absolutely necessary to the proper working of the
three-judge system.
The amendment of Mr. Alvey, as amended, was then
adopted.
Section 23 was then read and passed over without
amendment.
Section 24 was read:
"The salary of each chief judge shall be $5, 000, and of
each associate judge of the Circuit Court $3, 500 per an-
num, payable quarterly, and shall not be diminished dur-
ing his continuance in office. "
Mr. Mitchell moved an amendment placing the salary of
the chief judge at $3, 000, and of the associate judges at
$2, 500.
Mr. Dobbin offered an amendment to insert, after
"each chief judge, " "and of the judge of the Court of
Appeals from the city of Baltimore. "
Mr. Dobbin said the committee, in considering the ques-
tion of salary, had been fully impressed with the total in-
adequacy of the compensation now paid to the judges, and
of the utter futility of any hope of securing men of char-
acter, talent and experience to give up their profession
to go on the bench at the extremely low salaries now paid,
which were not sufficient to enable any judge to support
himself and family with becoming dignity. The State
has a right to the services of the most talented of her
sons, but none of them could accept the positions without
they had means of their own. It was well known that
the largest amount of wealth was not always accompanied
by the largest amount of brains. Look around at the
distinguished men of the State, and then see how the
choice of judges is narrowed by the meagre compensation.
He did not think the judicial position was the place to
acquire riches, but that the judge should have sufficient
to induce a peaceful frame of mind, and no fear of the
phantom want disturbing his family after his death.
From statistics which he had gathered it appeared that
the cash value of the farms in this State in 1850 was $87, -
178, 545, and in 1860, which was a specie year, was $145, -
384
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