Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-21
VIRG!.fId LEGISLATURE.
House. OF ilEIEo.rra

Sa"Fu"y Ice. i0.-br. Smith, OF Green
brftr, moved 1" suspend the rule of the House
limiting me time for the reception "f petit
t"ns. for the purpose of receiving petition
fr'm Greobrier for Il separate election in
that county. Mr.. Marshall varied the motion
sn as to suspend the rule entirely for the day.
The House rejected the motion.
Mr.. Morris, uf Ii. from the Committee of
Scl"o's and Colleges, moved tu authoiise
that Committee IT, send fur persons and pa-
peers, ia the in, rstigaton Of the memorial of
the masters and professors Of WIN. and Mary
Colcse ; and the House granted the power
asked for.
On moiisn Of Mr.. Winston the bill con.
crrnnS the powers and Jurisdictions Of the
Superior Courts Of Law, was taken up
Mr.. Stuart remarked that the bill council.
ed u judge 10 bold Special Court, whenever
he had from any caSse whatever, failed Ia
hold court at either Of the terms appointed
by law. This requisIion be said was impera-
tive on the Judges, and would Le productive
I'll much inconvenience tn the Jurors, witness
es, suitors and council, in that part Of the state
beyond the mountains. liza Judge failed To
ho'd tue fall term of any couri, he would be
comp, He'd to hold an intermediate court in the
depth of winter, when the ,nclemeDcy of the
climate would make 1t extremely inconyen-
ien'' u nor lmPraciIcablr Tor many persons to
II would not unireQueniiy happen tina, from
the engagements of counsel in other courts
and elsewhere, the business of the court cnutd
NOT progress SO that the attendance of IN.
judge, suiiOrs, witnesses, &c. would lac I'm
awaiting. The amendments h. WAS about a.,
propose, he thought would remedy these nh
.lrrtions. Ia The first place. he moved ca IN
amerd the bill, that the intermediates term IN
be authorised, should only be held in case
there was failure to hold the Spring Court.
ana Iha' IN That case the intermediate court
should be holden between the spring and fail
Term In proposing this amendment. ne ,x-
pressed his intention of following il up with
another, the object of which should he 4,
,si'e u discretionary with the judges whether
these intermediate courts were 10 be boII.,
or not.
hir Winston opposed the amendment. The
l'ili he said imposed no additional duty on the
Judges. All INST 1t required of them was. that
ih"y should hold two terms a year as con
. ten,pia'ed by law. This was moi uors,soo,Ju..
as it regarded the judges And it was ;rn""r,
ant 'o sn'ors that there should he /. .ns.d,
administration of justice. Most serious inc nm
Nenirnces, nay, great losses had occurr.d 90
individuals from the failure of Judges IN boId
'helI courts, by debtors becoming iosolvap,
s apu rom o'ner circumstance. The Eject of
.'e proposfd amendment was 90 dispense with
'ie NUS important provision in the bill, by
anihorising intermediate courts o,iy h,', -,
the vern,l and autumnsl eounoy IF !, '','
vailed, many of the districts would d.r;ys h,,,
Ellie benefit from the bill. The judges b.l,,y
the mountains were, like other msn s,h;a,,
10 the aulumnsI levers of the couotrv. and
Hop1 'his cause more frequently failed 10 hold
tner 'aii, than spring terms. Adopt IN,
amendment, and the grievance inteod,d .. L.
remedIed will still remain. Under IN. nreseo,
law the Judges could only hold iotermed;.,'.
terms when The regular terms had been beiJ
ana Tue business before the court reon;red an
,nier'neoiate term to finish IT, He could mo,
,h'ns u hsrd 90 The judges to require them 10
h"'u ,.'o terms per apnurn. Nur did he think
:no h""h'y OF ibe transmontaine country 10
W. OF, an ",snnent which should be adyanc
gu rn uia' NOR He asked if the Judges
"sn' !ot 10 encounter these difficulties 10
ip"u,' ius"ee 10 suitors IL such provision
as the bill contains had been embraced in ,bs
present law, he appealed TO the u,srabe,s
from The west to say if the Judges in Thai
quarter would not have executed the i.,y "a
pave heid two terms in the year
MT. SiusrtYepIIed, that he had NOT co,,.,,,
ed That any additional duty would b. innossd
IN p!,, ,he Judges; nor had he objected 10 the
w w. VI consequence Gifts operation on them
/. was 'ne effect II was TO have upon the iur.
vss; Witnesses, suitors, &c. 10 taking Them from
nc" o'u'nary svocaiOns in the inclensncv NJ
.ne winter, that he objected to. He srunsd
.na' discretionary power to hold intermada,.
s S: should be vested in the judges. n the
a'seases OF the climate in the lower Dart of,bs
coun'ry were the cause of the failure Of ,hs
courts IN The fall, why had not a bin hssn
Drought 10 to change the time Of holding
mem bu' any other time he thought would
-, -. hcon'en ent to the people, and this was
chaDge, NV "'"'"s we