Buttoappointagentsineachtownshipwouldhavebeentocentreinhispersonthemostformidableofpowers，thatofajudicialadministration。Moreover，lawsarethechildrenofhabit，andnothingofthekindexistsinthelegislationofEngland。TheAmericanshavethereforedividedtheofficesofinspectionandofprosecution，aswellasalltheotherfunctionsoftheadministration。Grandjurorsareboundbythelawtoapprisethecourttowhichtheybelongofallthemisdemeanorswhichmayhavebeencommittedintheircounty。*bTherearecertaingreatoffenceswhichareofficiallyprosecutedbytheStates;*cbutmorefrequentlythetaskofpunishingdelinquentsdevolvesuponthefiscalofficer，whoseprovinceitistoreceivethefine:
thusthetreasurerofthetownshipischargedwiththeprosecutionofsuchadministrativeoffencesasfallunderhisnotice。ButamorespecialappealismadebyAmericanlegislationtotheprivateinterestofthecitizen;*dandthisgreatprincipleisconstantlytobemetwithinstudyingthelawsoftheUnitedStates。Americanlegislatorsaremoreapttogivemencreditforintelligencethanforhonesty，andtheyrelynotalittleonpersonalcupidityfortheexecutionofthelaws。Whenanindividualisreallyandsensiblyinjuredbyanadministrativeabuse，itisnaturalthathispersonalinterestshouldinducehimtoprosecute。Butifalegalformalityberequired，which，howeveradvantageoustothecommunity，isofsmallimportancetoindividuals，plaintiffsmaybelesseasilyfound;andthus，byatacitagreement，thelawsmayfallintodisuse。Reducedbytheirsystemtothisextremity，theAmericansareobligedtoencourageinformersbybestowingonthemaportionofthepenaltyincertaincases，*eandtoinsuretheexecutionofthelawsbythedangerousexpedientofdegradingthemoralsofthepeople。Theonlyadministrativeauthorityabovethecountymagistratesis，properlyspeaking，thatoftheGovernment。
[Footnotea:IsaytheCourtofSessions，becauseincommoncourtsthereisamagistratewhoexercisessomeofthefunctionsofapublicprosecutor。]
[Footnoteb:Thegrand—jurorsare，forinstance，boundtoinformthecourtofthebadstateoftheroads。—LawsofMassachusetts，vol。i。p。308。]
[Footnotec:If，forinstance，thetreasurerofthecountyholdsbackhisaccounts。—LawsofMassachusetts，vol。i。p。406。]