Litchfield enquirer., 1830-04-08

District Courts iH the Districts of Indiana Ilno;S
 ssoufi' 'ss'ssppi, the Eastern District of Louis. { .ana' and the Southern District of Alabama, and
 t1e amendme"t thereto proposed by Mir STRONG, otNew-f ork aooishng the pre- sent Circuit Cour,s
 ana dividing the United States into nine Judicial Circuits, and establishing in each Circuit Circuit
 Court, to consist of the three District Court Judges m each Circuit, with the powers of jurisdiction of
 Inc present C.rcut Courts, being under consideta- | ton '.t
 NIT. HUNTINGTON rose and said-
 Afr. Chairman: I rise to address the Committee, under a deep sense of the re- sponslbllity assume, in attempting to re- ply to the very able argument of the honor- ] able member from Pennsylvania. (Mr. buchanan,) who opened this debate. and that of the honorable member from Ten- nessce, (Mr. Polk,) who followed him {; and with deep feeling of my entire inabil- 1 lty to sustain the views, which in my iudy- ment, belong to this interesting and impor- tant subject. Believing, however. that inc extension oft Judicial System, as propo- sed by this bill, is fraught with evils of no lnconsiderable magnitude; that its tendency IS to impair the individual responsibility of the Judges of the highest Judicial tribunal ot the Nation, and the public confidence in them; that the system which this bill pro- poses to extend cannot be permanent, nor be continued, with due regard to the rights ot parties litigant in the Supreme Court and, thinking as do, that the e. V''s which are supposed to exist from its cohhned operation may be remedied, by the adoption of a system not obnoxious to the objections which exist to this bill. l have been induced to assume the responsi- bility to which have alluded, and to ask or the committee their kind indulgence, while, as succinctly as is practicable, and to the extent of my limited capacity, sub- mt to them the reasons on which the opin- ions have thus generally expressed, are founded: and shall need all the kindness and courtesy which the committee are willing to extend to one, whose habits have been professionai, whnsu discussions have been confined to the bar, and whose re- marks are to be applied to subject which, not many years ago, was exhausted by the learning and talents of some of the most distinguished men of this country which were bestowed upon it. Feebly, however, as shall discuss it, feel ne inconisidera- ble consolation in the reflection that the in. 'rinslc importance of the subject will com-
 '" '"' IL AuC uuulVAUG0 Gtlent1On OL the committee.
 ms bi'l operates upon department of the Government, in comparison with which every other department is powerIess. It affects tribunal which hears and adiudi- cates not only upon the conflicting claims of private citizens, but one which, while it opens the book of the Constitution, and points sovereignty itself to the clause
 nus far mayest thou come, but no fur ther '-hods> in its hand tho chain which confines tt within the prescribed limits. Well then, did the hon.member from Penn sylvania say, the subject was important. The remark was worthy of the sub feet ,and the source from which it proceeded.
 l listened with much attention, and will add, with much pleasure too, Gas I always do when the honorable member from Pennsylvania favors us with his remarks on any subject,) to the vc:y able and lucid statement which he made of the reasons which induced the committee of which he is the organ, to present this bill for your con- sideration. noticed how, with the hand of a master, he drew the great outlines, the leading features of our Judicial System, as it has existed from the first organization of the Government to the present time l heard him point out the duties, the respon- abilities and the powers of the Supreme Court the benefits which had followed the adoption ofthe present system; the C. wills which would result from its abandon- ment; and the necessity of its extension to the new States. He will do me the justice .o believe me sincere, when say ! heard him with a desire to be convinced that my objections to this bill were ground less but he will pardon me for saying, that although was instructed by his learn ing, and gratifed with the manner in which it was communicated, still retain the same opinion as when this discussion com menced-and that is, that ,his bill ought not tO become a law. The reason for sus- taining that opinion am now to submit to the committee.
 To arrive at correct result as to the leading feature tho bill-that which pro- poses to add two to the pl esent number of the Justices Ofthe Supreme Court, an an- swer to two inquiries into which the sub Ject very naturally and obviously divides itself, seems necessary.
 Are there evils attending the practical operation of our Judicial system, as limited and confined by existing regulations, which require any remedy2