Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-05-06

| have 10 expect. howr,er. and do tx
pect. imrariiait,; have right to de
ln~nd and do demand justice at The
hands of my brethren OF this House. III
obtain these (and feel entirely confdcn
thar shall obtain them) then have moth
ing TO fear in the sequel Of this discussion.
| shall advance no argument that | be
lieve to be unsound. shall state no fact
that regard us doubriui-1 shall employ
no agencies. of any character, that deem
io he unworthy. Ihare cmployed none.
| have promised no nanny vote nor given
him any reason To believe ila, he could ob
tain 1t. upon any question, as a return iot
his vote. I have not invoked persona
friendship ro- have appealed to party ia
'on-Wl'is OF Dim, cratic. As mem
her of the Con mlIree for Courts of Justice
it has been in part my duty to pass upon
COZ tic,inl ciairns If ,arinus localiiics to
these District Courts. Poliry ms sht have
dictated that | should have found it con
.enIent I" give my attention to some oth~r
business. to have been absent from the
Committee, While these questions Were
under disc us-inn. and especially S. hen the
votes Mere taken upon them But M
Speaker. WAS there; | vas present in
ever, instance. and cast my vote Openly
on ever, disputed question | was Il ere,
because | conceived it my duty 10 Be. there
although sometimes al great personal in
convenience: and for the additional rca
son. that was most unwilling, by my alb
-.
having "dodgrd." and Of heng afraid
upon those questions, to perform a scr,ire
hich the order "f His House had de.
we'd III part u On me. ! mention these
circumstances, Mr. Speaker. rot " ith ia.
,"~ or the rxpeciai' ihar the, viii ar
ought to -ecu~r me single vote on the
pending moiion; i.ur as r,idercc of he ia /
hat from the comm, ncerncnt of this scs
sion In the present M mrni. have relied
upon The Justice and strength of III, caus,.,
upon the iIie lii.cnc" and irupartality Of
those " hn are tn decide. it-and upOn moth
ing e'sc; and shall now proceed 10 en-
drav"ur 10 prove. hy "A pl in. simple argu-
IN, nj. that This reliance was not ili.tound
ed.
What arrihr Considerations that should
diIrci us i'll the Iucaiinn Of these di.trie,
cour,>l | submit, ihAt We should have
regard mainly. to cc"trall,y Of poution--
ronrrn'enccs IF occe@-and jac'lfh,cs, for
thr acrommodat.on of suiiors, court and
bar in the dispatch of their business
There are other matters which, the above
considerations heing equal or neal y equal
IN any TWO competing locuiIIes. ought 10
control our action. These are, The amount
of legal business done in the several couu
lies fa,"ring he different loca,ions-ihe
y isles Of Tie people of those counries,
h, II. lie, can IL. ncd-(ihe fair
rsi ind,.~ 10 tLs Sc is the voice of ihtir rep
resen niivr-) )-and the diffusion through
ont the di>tiIcI al large oi The general ben
efirs r.sullny from courts Of jusricc-such
a. III" promoiion of social intercourse
mong the r.enpI. and their instruction in
regard I, rI,ir rights and duties as cit
zrns "f free country.
|. First. then. a. .crn'raitv Of posi-
,ion. I,oni.ss ! Mr. Sue,k-r, thar oMer
III ngs bring cguol, ihisc"n- liberation ought
I" d,.rrtm nine usI our d, cisiun. The
gentleman liom P'tlsyl auia has affirmed
that il Is an '.e,tal,lished usage" to locate
the court louse in the centre of "A country.
He relics on this usage as amounting To
the "iorce Of law" am willing that he
shall have the full benefit of his statement,
With bat 4 .ht Modification; which.
am sure, at some other time, he would ac-
c,.pt as entirely correct. He and !, on
this point. will not he forced SO far apart
as We shall be presently in regard to other
positions taken and statements submitted
by him. Ia locating county court houses.
the practice. has been, 10 far "a | know. to
adj them with reference to The centre
ofihe county. and to The. iaciirics in get
tin. to cnurf. and the accommodations af
ter the court house is reat he'd. Will tie
gentleman accept the amendment? ] pre-
sume. under the circumstances. he would;
hui. jnst now. lie cannot afford 10 do So
i, wonid not sun his asr. But the House
am sure. wiii rule ii To re in order and
adopt his proposition AS amended. Look
10 Tie map hrinrt ,on. and you will find
no Courf house in the State III rh,. eTucf
centrr Of any county. The gentleman,
cnnrl house Is not IN the c,niie of lis coun
t.-and il furnishes proof that his consiit
uenis did uot aIuays think thai exact cen
tralitv was 10 be the controlling criterion
il dec lin. upon seal of justice. b, IA
Gain looking ro the map. you will perceive
that in sundry instances. the Court houses
are located upon the extreme borders at
-ounrieS--so locatrd, Doubtless. for III,
reason tai convenience OF access "a
more proper 10 he cnn-iderrd Than geo
graphical c..nt-aIiry. See the co,inrirs oi
Brorke Ohio Marshall. Wood. Mason.
Cub-ll. ,irnrico. Norfolk aud other.-a
having their court houses on The iorJci>
because. they wer, deemed more convent
,rt To b, so located Observe every other
county in the State. and You see cxactccr
rralir> obtained in none. In the yer, na-
furr of things it could not hr sclccted-.or
il would he next to a miracle that III The
sr"erHphiral ct'.trr of a county. "A spoi
should hr found having every other re-
commentator for The size ui Court
hnuse ruunli, with all other parts Of The
Cb'IfITNs VIII tue VIZ va 'tli.
reached 10y roads OF The same lepgih from
Ill dlreriin,s Olier things than central
iry. then. ar, ob'iged 10 lie considered
aud "rsiahlished usage" lra,ing "th,
f,rcc of law,' according To The gentle
many inIt"d. universal practice. shows
that other things are Arrays consi ]ereJ ana
act. upon in selecting places for holding
courts.
Il seems 10 me the gentleman. has laid
lon much stress upon his supposed advan-
t,cc in point Of cen'rsl'ty-snd what is
ii, advantage. a corjing 10 his own show
lust You will he amused, Mr.. Sneaker