Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-07-02
NO. 80.
CHARLEsTOWN, VA, TUESDAY, JUIY.2 1850

sr.r f s,,yt5e description which members distant
from the skeat OF it take very lille interest in
think. the present organization oftIe court o!
aDneaIs calls iaadly for retorm-the deFay OF busi-
@ befoy iiiat. court is an intOIerable and op-
| pressive burden upon the people. Il IS no unit
spaf thiIIt5 eases to lie buried there for seven
! wears. to rise up like ghosts To torment many
| Door persons whose all has7bcen locked up there
| and who In mgny cases have been reduced TO
! bankrnUfisS which speedy decision IN that
! eourt would have prevented. The auxiliary
4court of Appeals established in lSl7-'ia, ip vio-
iatiot, az constitution as am inclined to think
shows how nueE the court of appeals needed re-
| form !: and necessity OF any such unconscious
and 6ddit tiondi bineFy shows conclnsiVeIy 'hst
both 81 ht TO 81 abrogated, and one plain, Ell,
ci5nt aId working abllshed, by "a hIch ali
tif tie bash ness q .he STATE could be done. The
.clee ee6Sif glsO nee1s thorough reno
TO discharge the business orfile-eifcutts Eaucn
more expedftiously than is now done, and prevent
at the same tune such mass Of fbusness from ac'
cumularingin the court of appeals. am muchlD
favor OF district chanCeryCouris. For instances
ofthis description TO hold two sessions ayeaT
(at Winchester, for instance TO be presided over
by the Judges from the three neighbOTlng circuits
say, for instance, judges Smith, Douglass and
Tyler-for the hearing of all cases IN cbanceTy
from these circuits which might be submitted TO
them. l would not deprive The circuit Judge oi
the chancery jurisdiction which he now has, but
whenever parties CHOOSG " tdhC u case ~ '''S
district chancery court they should have power to
DO so-or wherever counsel could agree 10 sub
nit case to that court for final decision, they
should have the right to take it up You will rea-
Oily see that many cases would he expcditiousIy
decided. and thus prevented from crowdIng the
docket of the court of Appeals. And in addition
the costs to suitors would be much diminished.
By some such arrangement this the business
of the State could be readily transacted
To the county court system am irreconcila-
bly, opposed, as system anti-rePubican in al It's
features, unsuited to the wants of the people
c!eap only in name, but IN fact the most costly
tribunal in the State as shall take occasion TO
demonstrate to you at another time. The a6ofI.
ton of this court is, believe, loudly demanded
by the large majority OF the people OF Virginia:
These are the leading topics of Reform upon
which the people now called 10 act, and III
which are involved, in my humble judgment, the
best interests of Eirginia-her future growth,
prosperity and renown. There arc many other
details growing out Of and belonging To, these
leading questions, which l cannot discuss here.
Your road system, your jury system. your Prima-
ry School system, your banking corporations,
joint stock corporations, &c, all require looking
into. The hand of improvement ought TO be
extended to some-the curb of restriction ought
to be placed upon others.
With this outline of my views, | submit my
humble pretensions to your consideration as one
OF the candidates for seat in the convention for
this district. Should it be your pleasure TO elect
me, shall endeavor to serve you honestly and
faithfully. JAMES L. STEWART.
BerEeieU Springs, Morgan CO., june -, 1850.