Byunsystematicandspasmodiclegislationthecriminallawbecamesosavageastoshockeverymanofcommonhumanity。Itwastemperedbythegrowthoftechnicalrules，whichgavemanychancesofescapetothecriminal；andbypracticalrevoltagainstitsexcesses，whichledtotheremissionofthegreatmajorityofcapitalsentences。9*Thelegislatorswereclumsy，notintentionallycruel；andthelaws，thoughsanguinaryinreality，weremoresanguinaryintheorythaninpractice。Nothing，Ontheotherhand，ismoreconspicuousthanthespiritoffairplaytothecriminal，whichstruckforeignobservers。10*Itwasdeeplyrootedinthewholesystem。TheEnglishjudgewasnotanofficialagentofaninquisitorialsystem，butanimpartialarbitratorbetweentheprisonerandtheprosecutor。Inpoliticalcasesespeciallyamarkedchangewasbroughtaboutbytherevolutionof1688。IfourancestorstalkedsomenOnsenseabouttrialbyjury，thesystemcertainlyinsuredthatthepersonsaccusedoflibelorseditionshouldhaveafairtrial，andveryoftensomethingmore。JudgesoftheJeffreystypehadbecomeinconceivable，thoughimpartialitymightdisappearincaseswheretheprejudicesofjurieswereactivelyaroused。Englishmenmightfairlyboastoftheirimmunityfromthearbitrarymethodsofcontinentalrulers；andtheirunhesitatingconfidenceinthefairnessofthesystembecamesoingrainedastobetakenasamatterofcourse，andscarcelyreceivedduecreditfromlatercriticsofthesystem。
Thecountry-gentleman，again，wasnotonlythelegislatorbutamostimportantfigureinthejudicialandadministrativesystem。Asjusticeofthepeace，hewastherepresentativeoflawandordertohiscountryneighbours。Theprefaceof1785tothefifteentheditionofBurn’sJusticeofthePeace，publishedoriginallyin1755，mentionsthatintheintervalbetweenthesedates，somethreehundredstatuteshadbeenpassedaffectingthedutiesofjustices，whilehalfasmanyhadbeenrepealedormodified。Thejusticewasofcourse，asarule，asuperficiallawyer，andhadtobepromptedbyhisclerk，thetworepresentingonasmallscalethegeneralrelationbetweenthelawyersandtherulingclass。Burntellsthejusticeforhiscomfortthatthejudgeswilltakealenientviewofanyerrorsintowhichhisignorancemayhaveledhim。Thedischargeofsuchdutiesbyanindependentgentlemanwasthoughttobesodesirableandsocreditabletohimthathiswantofefficiencymustberegardedwithconsideration。Nor，thoughthejusticeshavebeenafavouritebuttforsatirists，doesitappearthatthesystemworkedbadly。WhenitbecamenecessarytoappointpaidmagistratesinLondon，andthepay，accordingtotheprevalentsystem，wasprovidedbyfees，thenewofficialsbecameknownas’tradingjustices，’andtheirsalaries，asFieldingtellsus，weresomeofthe’dirtiestmoneyuponearth。’Thejusticesmightperhapsbeharduponapoacheras，indeed，thegamelawsbecameoneofthegreatscandalsofthesystem，orliabletobemisledbyashrewdattorney；buttheywereonthewholeregardedasthenaturalandcreditablerepresentativesoflegalauthorityinthecountry。
Thejustices，again，dischargedfunctionswhichwouldelsewherebelongtoanadministrativehierarchy。Gneistobservesthatthepowerofthejusticesofthepeacerepresentsthecentreofgravityofthewholeadministrativesystem。11*TheirdutieshadbecomesomultifariousandperplexedthatBurncouldonlyarrangethemunderalphabeticalheads。Gneistworksoutasystematicaccount，fillingmanypagesofelaboratedetail，andshowinghowlargeaparttheyplayedinthewholesocialstructure。Anintensejealousyofcentralpowerwasonecorrelativecharacteristic。Blackstoneremarksinhismoreliberalhumourthatthenumberofnewofficesheldatpleasurehadgreatlyextendedtheinfluenceofthecrown。Thisreferstothecustom-houseofficers，exciseofficers，stampdistributorsandpostmasters。Butifthetax-gathererrepresentedthestate，herepresentedalsopartofthepatronageatthedisposalofpoliticians。Avoterwasofteninsearchoftheplaceofa’tidewaiter’；
and，asweknow，thegreatestpoetofthedaycouldonlyberewardedbymakinghimanexciseman。Anyextensionofasystemwhichmultipliedpublicofficeswasregardedwithsuspicion。Walpole，thestrongestministerofthecentury，hadbeenforcedtoanignominiousretreatwhenheproposedtoextendtheexcise。ThecryarosethathemeanttoenslavethecountryandextendtheinfluenceofthecrownoverallthecorporationsinEngland。Thecountry-gentlemanhadlittlereasontofearthatgovernmentwoulddiminishhisimportancebytamperingwithhisfunctions。Thejusticesofthepeacewerecalledupontotakeagreatandincreasingshareintheadministrationofthepoor-law。
Theywereconcernedinallmanneroffinancialdetails；theyregulatedsuchpoliceasexisted；theylookedaftertheoldlawsbywhichthetradeswerestillrestricted；and，intheoryatleast，couldfixtherateofwages。Parliamentdidnotoverride，butonlygavethenecessarysanctiontotheiractivity。