The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-23
ANDREW WYLIE, Jr,
JAS. w. SHEAHAN,
VIM. b. b. CROSS,
O.. TOCHMAN.
A BILL to reorgaAize the courts i'll the District o.
Columbia.

BILL to ga nZe the courts Ill the District OF
Columbia.
Whereas since the retrocesson Of Alexandria
county to the State of Virginia. it is expedient to
reduce the number Of judges in the District OF Co
lumba and II is represented by the citizens oil said
District that the courts thereof should be reorgan-
lied: Therefore
Be IL eracted bp u.s Senate and House ot Repre-
sentaiipes Of The United States Of dmsrica im Con-
gTess assembled That the District, Circuit, and Or
phans Courts of said District be- and the same are
hereby, abolished.
SIC 2 Andbe IL further enacted, That there shall
| be court TO be styled 'The Court OF Common
Pleas of the District of Columbia, OF which there
shall be a single Judge; which said court shall be
invested with all the jurisdiction and powers now
possessed and exercised by said Circuit Court
in every respect, except as hereinafter provided.
And the said court shall hold three times year,
to wit: on the second Monday IN February,
! the fret Monday in May, and the third Mon
day in September; and all cases IN said court
shall he for trial, without imparlanee, at the
second term thereof after suit brought, unless
continued for good and sufficient cause, as hith-
erto allowed and the said court shall every week,
during the terms thereof, causc a fresh jury
( 20 be summoned, and the old panel 10 be dis
charged, unless they, some OF them, are sworn
in some cause that shall continue longer than the
! time for which they were summoned; and the cltl-
zens of said District who not by law exempted,
aud who may be qualified jurors, shall bc sum
moned by the marshal as jurors, without favor or
discrimination; and the said court OF common
pleas shallretsin the same clerk and other officers
/ as now appertaln to the said circuit court.
SEC 3. And be iiftuther enaoted, That there shall
/ be established in the said District court TO be
STYLED "the court of equity for the District OF
| Columbia" Of which there shall be single
Judge; and said court shall possess and have all
the powers and jurisdiction now held and exercised
by the said circuit court, the Judges thereof In
equity and also all the jurisdiction and powers now
held and exercised by the orphans court OF said
District; that the said court Of equity shall be open
on all judicial days for the dispatch Of business,
and all vrits and process therein shall be return
/ able on the fret Monday Of each month; and the
Judge OF the said court Of equity shall divide the
year into four judicial terms, and shall also have
power TO prescribe rules Of equity practices and the
/ said court OF equity and court of common pleas
shall be subject, respectively TO the same laws ne
the circuit court was subject TO-
SIC. 4. lind be hftrtho enacted, That the Grim.
inal court as IL exists In said District, shall
continue without change, and be styled "the Grim
inal Court Of the District Of Columbia" and shall
hold four terms a year. 20 wit, on the hrst Monday
Of April, the hrst Monday OF July, the iouIth
Monday of October, and the second Monday in De
ccmbcr.
SEC. 8. And be AZ flrthey enacted, That the re-
spectve udges Of the court OF equity, of the court
OF common pleas, and Of the criminal court,
shall respectively have power 10 appoint clerk
for their respective courts who shall take the oath
and give a bond with sureties, in the manner d.
rccted for clerks Of the district courts in the act TO
establish the Judiciary OF the United States; and
the clerk of the court of equity shall preserve all
the records and perform all the duties now per
formed by or belonging TO, the register Of willie
under existing laws and shall also preserve all the
I records and perform all the duties now performed
by or belonging TO, the clerk Of the said circuit
court acting the clerk Of the equity side thoreo
and the clerk Of the said court OF common pleas
shall preserve all the records, and perform all the
other duties performed by, and belonging to,
the clerk of the said circuit court except the pre-
servaton of the records and the peroI OF the
duties Of the said clerk of the said circuit court
acting as the clerk of the criminal court under the
act 10 establish criminal court in the District oi
| of Columbia; the preservation OF which records,
and the performance of which duties, shall devolve
upon, and be performed by the clerk of the crimi-
nal court herein directed 10 be appointed and the
said clerk of the said court Of common pleas shall
be ,r o9co clerk Of the court Of appeals by this act
established and shall preserve all the records, and
perform all the duties appertsining to the said OF
| hce of clerk OF the said court of appeals and the
Judges of the said court of appeals SHALL soon az
convenient after their appointment, convene TO-
! gether, and they or a majority Of them, shall or
dain and establish a new tariff of fees, regulating
the charges Of all the clerks aforesaid for the per
formance of their respective dutics, which tarIh OF
| fees shall be published and declared the law OF
| the land until otherwise changed by Congress
| SEC g. Ind be Il further enacted, That all suits
! and records now belonging or pending in the law
side of the circuit court shall be transferred and
continued 20, and become the suits and records Of
said court of common pleas, and as such have the
same force and effect as II originally brought or
filed in said court of common pleas; and so, in like
manner, all suits in equity now pending, and all
suits heretofore brought IN, and all records OF said
circuit court sitting in equity, shall be transferred
and continued in said court OF equity, and such
have the same force and effect If originally
/ brought or filed IN sand court Of equity.
src. Z. Ind Be IL further enacted, That the Judge