estion is really felt to be of vital importance, the majority
can dissolve the Union if they consider the object in view worth the
sacrifice.

The salary of the Chief Justice is about 1050l. a-year. This court is,
I believe, invariably composed of men of the highest talent and
integrity; their appointment is from the President, and endorsed by the
Senate, and their tenure of office is "during good behaviour."[CD] There
has, fortunately, been no change in the manner or term of these
appointments; but, in the different States, the democratic mania has
removed the old landmarks of prudence bequeathed to them by their
fathers. Mr. Tremenheere tells, that in 1833 only 5 States out of the 24
had adopted the principle of electing Judges, and appointing them for a
term of years; in 1844, 12 States out of the 29 had adopted the
principle; and in 1853, 22 out of the 31 States had come to the same
resolution. We surely have in these facts a most important warning of
the danger of introducing too much of the democratic element into the
constitution of any country. Reflect, if but for a moment, on the danger
to the community, where the selection of the Judges of the land may be
guided by political rancour or public clamour; the bare knowledge that
such may be the case, even if the purity of the masses be so great as
not to admit of such sinister influence, the bare possibility, I say, is
calculated to lower the respect in which it is most desirable the
judiciary should ever be held,[CE] and to deter the most pure and
high-minded citizens from offering their services. The salaries of the
Judges range from 250l. to 400l. a-year.

The next point to which I would call attention, is to be found in Art.
I., sect. 6, of the Constitution of the United States, the last clause
of which runs thus:--"No person holding any office under the United
States shall be a member of either House during his continuance in
office." This was probably one of the most extraordinary blunders such
an able body of men as the framers of the Constitution ever made; and if
their object was to guard against corruption, and the undue influence of
the leading men of the country, it has most signally failed, as the Act
before referred to, of February, 1853, fully testifies. Only conceive
the effect of excluding all the Cabinet and high functionaries from
seats in the Lords and Commons; conceive the great statesmen of this
country being obliged to hand over the introdu