democracy in america-1-第25节

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tion　is　attended　with　a　practical　difficulty　which　it　is　important　to　point　out。

＇Footnote　z：　If；　for　instance；　a　township　persists　in　refusing　to　name　its　assessors；　the　Court　of　Sessions　nominates　them；　and　the　magistrates　thus　appointed　are　invested　with　the　same　authority　as　elected　officers。　　See　the　Act　quoted　above；　February　20；　1787。＇　

I　have　already　observed　that　the　administrative　tribunal；　which　is　called　the　Court　of　Sessions；　has　no　right　of　inspection　over　the　town　officers。　　It　can　only　interfere　when　the　conduct　of　a　magistrate　is　specially　brought　under　its　notice；　and　this　is　the　delicate　part　of　the　system。　　The　Americans　of　New　England　are　unacquainted　with　the　office　of　public　prosecutor　in　the　Court　of　Sessions；　*a　and　it　may　readily　be　perceived　that　it　could　not　have　been　established　without　difficulty。　　If　an　accusing　magistrate　had　merely　been　appointed　in　the　chief　town　of　each　county；　and　if　he　had　been　unassisted　by　agents　in　the　townships；　he　would　not　have　been　better　acquainted　with　what　was　going　on　in　the　county　than　the　members　of　the　Court　of　Sessions。　　But　to　appoint　agents　in　each　township　would　have　been　to　centre　in　his　person　the　most　formidable　of　powers；　that　of　a　judicial　administration。　　Moreover；　laws　are　the　children　of　habit；　and　nothing　of　the　kind　exists　in　the　legislation　of　England。　　The　Americans　have　therefore　divided　the　offices　of　inspection　and　of　prosecution；　as　well　as　all　the　other　functions　of　the　administration。　Grand　jurors　are　bound　by　the　law　to　apprise　the　court　to　which　they　belong　of　all　the　misdemeanors　which　may　have　been　committed　in　their　county。　*b　There　are　certain　great　offences　which　are　officially　prosecuted　by　the　States；　*c　but　more　frequently　the　task　of　punishing　delinquents　devolves　upon　the　fiscal　officer；　whose　province　it　is　to　receive　the　fine：　thus　the　treasurer　of　the　township　is　charged　with　the　prosecution　of　such　administrative　offences　as　fall　under　his　notice。　But　a　more　special　appeal　is　made　by　American　legislation　to　the　private　interest　of　the　citizen；　*d　and　this　great　principle　is　constantly　to　be　met　with　in　studying　the　laws　of　the　United　States。　　American　legislators　are　more　apt　to　give　men　credit　for　intelligence　than　for　honesty；　and　they　rely　not　a　little　on　personal　cupidity　for　the　execution　of　the　laws。　　When　an　individual　is　really　and　sensibly　injured　by　an　administrative　abuse；　it　is　natural　that　his　personal　interest　should　induce　him　to　prosecute。　　But　if　a　legal　formality　be　required；　which；　however　advantageous　to　the　community；　is　of　small　importance　to　individuals；　plaintiffs　may　be　less　easily　found；　and　thus；　by　a　tacit　agreement；　the　laws　may　fall　into　disuse。　　Reduced　by　their　system　to　this　extremity；　the　Americans　are　obliged　to　encourage　informers　by　bestowing　on　them　a　portion　of　the　penalty　in　certain　cases；　*e　and　to　insure　the　execution　of　the　laws　by　the　dangerous　expedient　of　degrading　the　morals　of　the　people。　　The　only　administrative　authority　above　the　county　magistrates　is；　properly　speaking；　that　of　the　Government。

＇Footnote　a：　I　say　the　Court　of　Sessions；　because　in　common　courts　there　is　a　magistrate　who　exercises　some　of　the　functions　of　a　public　prosecutor。＇

＇Footnote　b：　The　grand…jurors　are；　for　instance；　bound　to　inform　the　court　of　the　bad　state　of　the　roads。　…　Laws　of　Massachusetts；　vol。　i。　p。　308。＇

＇Footnote　c：　If；　for　instance；　the　treasurer　of　the　county　holds　back　his　accounts。　…　Laws　of　Massachusetts；　vol。　i。　p。　406。＇　　＇Footnote　d：　Thus；　if　a　private　individual　breaks　down　or　is　wounded　in　consequence　of　the　badness　of　a　road；　he　can　sue　the　township　or　the　county　for　damages　at　the　sessions。　…　Laws　of　Massachusetts；　vol。　i。　p。　309。＇

＇Footnote　e：　In　cases　of　invasion　or　insurrection；　if　the　town…　officers　neglect　to　furnish　the　necessary　stores　and　ammunition　for　the　militia；　the　township　may　be　condemned　to　a　fine　of　from　200　to　500。　　It　may　readily　be　imagined　that　in　such　a　case　it　might　happen　that　no　one　cared　to　prosecute；　hence　the　law　adds　that　all　the　citizens　may　indict　offences　of　this　kind；　and　that　half　of　the　fine　shall　belong　to　the　plaintiff。　　See　Act　of　March　6；　1810；　vol。　ii。　p。　236。　　The　same　clause　is　frequently　to　be　met　with　in　the　law　of　Massachusetts。　　Not　only　are　private　individuals　thus　incited　to　prosecute　the　public　officers；　but　the　public　officers　are　encouraged　in　the　same　manner　to　bring　the　disobedience　of　private　individuals　to　justice。　　If　a　citizen　refuses　to　perform　the　work　which　has　been　assigned　to　him　upon　a　road；　the　road　surveyor　may　prosecute　him；　and　he　receives　half　the　penalty　for　himself。　　See　the　Laws　above　quoted；　vol。　i。　p。　308。＇

General　Remarks　On　The　Administration　Of　The　United　States　　Differences　of　the　States　of　the　Union　in　their　system　of　administration　…Activity　and　perfection　of　the　local　authorities　decrease　towards　the　South　…Power　of　the　magistrate　increases；　that　of　the　elector　diminishes　…Administration　passes　from　the　township　to　the　county　…　States　of　New　York；　Ohio；　Pennsylvania　…　Principles　of　administration　applicable　to　the　whole　Union　…　Election　of　public　officers；　and　inalienability　of　their　functions　…Absence　of　gradation　of　ranks　…　Introduction　of　judicial　resources　into　the　administration。


I　have　already　premised　that；　after　having　examined　the　constitution　of　the　township　and　the　county　of　New　England　in　detail；　I　should　take　a　general　view　of　the　remainder　of　the　Union。　　Townships　and　a　local　activity　exist　in　every　State；　but　in　no　part　of　the　confederation　is　a　township　to　be　met　with　precisely　similar　to　those　of　New　England。　　The　more　we　descend　towards　the　South；　the　less　active　does　the　business　of　the　township　or　parish　become；　the　number　of　magistrates；　of　functions；　and　of　rights　decreases；　the　population　exercises　a　less　immediate　influence　on　affairs；　town　meetings　are　less　frequent；　and　the　subjects　of　debate　less　numerous。　　The　power　of　the　elected　magistrate　is　augmented　and　that　of　the　elector　diminished；　whilst　the　public　spirit　of　the　local　communities　is　less　awakened　and　less　influential。　*f　These　differences　may　be　perceived　to　a　certain　extent　in　the　State　of　New　York；　they　are　very　sensible　in　Pennsylvania；　but　they　become　less　striking　as　we　advance　to　the　northwest。　　The　majority　of　the　emigrants　who　settle　in　the　northwestern　States　are　natives　of　New　England；　and　they　carry　the　habits　of　their　mother　country　with　them　into　that　which　they　adopt。　　A　township　in　Ohio　is　by　no　means　dissimilar　from　a　township　in　Massachusetts。

＇Footnote　f：　For　details　see　the　Revised　Statutes　of　the　State　of　New　York；　part　i。　chap。　xi。　vol。　i。　pp。　336…364；　entitled；　〃Of　the　Powers；　Duties；　and　Privileges　of　Towns。〃

See　in　the　Digest　of　the　Laws　of　Pennsylvania；　the　words　Assessors；　Collector；　Constables；　Overseer　of　the　Poor；　Supervisors　of　Highways；　and　in　the　Acts　of　a　general　nature　of　the　State　of　Ohio；　the　Act　of　February　25；　1834；　relating　to　townships；　p。　412；　besides　the　peculiar　dispositions　relating　to　divers　town…officers；　such　as　Township's　Clerk；　Trustees；　Overseers　of　the　Poor；　Fence　Viewers；　Appraisers　of　Property；　Township's　Treasurer；　Constables；　Supervisors　of　Highways。＇

We　have　seen　that　in　Massachusetts　the　mainspring　of　public　administration　lies　in　the　township。　　It　forms　the　common　centre　of　the　interests　and　affections　of　the　citizens。　　But　this　ceases　to　be　the　case　as　we　descend　to　States　in　which　knowledge　is　less　generally　diffused；　and　where　the　township　consequently　offers　fewer　guarantees　of　a　wise　and　active　administration。　　As　we　leave　New　England；　therefore；　we　find　that　the　importance　of　the　town　is　gradually　transferred　to　the　county；　which　becomes　the　centre　of　administration；　and　the　intermediate　power　between　the　Government　and　the　citizen。　　In　Massachusetts　the　business　of　the　county　is　conducted　by　the　Court　of　Sessions；　which　is　composed　of　a　quorum　named　by　the　Governor　and　his　council；　but　the　county　has　no　representative　assembly；　and　its　expenditure　is　voted　by　the　national　legislature。　　In　the　great　State　of　New　York；　on　the　contrary；　and　in　those　of　Ohio　and　Pennsylvania；　the　inhabitants　of　each　county　choose　a　certain　number　of　representatives；　who　constitute　the　assembly　of　the　county。　*g　The　county　assembly　has　the　right　of　taxing　the　inhabitants　to　a　certain　extent；　and　in　this　respect　it　enjoys　the　privileges　of　a　real　legislative　body：　at　the　same　time　it　exercises　an　executive　power　in　the　county；　frequently　directs　the　administration　of　the　townships；　and　restricts　their　authority　within　much　narrower　bounds　than　in　Massachusetts。

＇Footnote　g：　See　the　Revised　Statutes　of　the　State　of　New　York；　part　i。　chap。　xi。　vol。　i。　p。　340。　　Id。　chap。　xii。　p。　366；　also　in　the　Acts　of　the　State　of　Ohio；　an　act　relating　to　county　commissioners；　February　25；　1824；　p。　263。　See　the　Digest　of　the　Laws　of　Pennsylvania；　at　the　words　County…rates　and　Levies；　p。　170。　　In　the　State　of　New　York　each　township　elects　a　representative；　who　has　a　share　in　the　administration　of　the　county　as　well　as　in　that　of　the　township。＇

Such　are　the　principal　differences　which　the　systems　of　county　and　town　administration　present　in　the　Federal　States。