Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-04-26
The District Court.


Courts. by striking out Lynchburs' and
substituting Pittsylvania Court House, as
the place of holding the Court forthls Dis
trict.
The question is one in which our CHI
Gems generally. and particularly the men,
bers Of the Bar. felt considerable inter-
est. and the claims Of Lynchburg were
advocated with zeal and ability by our
delegates. The friends of Pitsylvania c.
IL. threw their whole energies against
Lynchburg. and were untiring and cease
less in their opposition, and so far as the
Lower House is concerned. have succeed
ed Though local interests were concern
ed, and sectional rvalries have been
brought to bear, the question was by no
means purely local, but was one ofPublic
interest and general concern. 1t is diff
cult for us to conceive how such decision
could have been made, if it had been gov
erncd by fair consideration Of the merits
of the question. The Court inquestionis not
a court Of Nisi Prius, to be held by Judges
riding post rom enc Courthouse to anoth-
err. and deciding minor causes at the drop
ping of a handkerchief, or while the She
riff can count three, and requiring the
Judges to be not only "great on the
Bench" but great in the saddle; but it is
an appellate court for tie trial of gray e
and weigh,y causes, with the aid of all the
lights of Jurisprudence, after full and de,
liberaie investigation, and upon solemn
argument; and it is composed of Judges
of the Supreme Court and the Circui,
Courts.
And whether regard be had to that pub
lie interest. which requires such an arrange
ment as would economize the time of the
Judges. egndo, maaendo, ct redeundo.
which is so necessary to prevent the re-
currence Of the evil ,under which the Com
monweaiih has been suffering of overload
ed dockets, and the additional duties i'm.
posed upon the Judges, which absolutely
requires that no time should be lost in going
TO, or returning from these Courts; or to
the relative advantages Of Lynchburg and
Pntsyvania Courl-h house, as afiording am
plo f,rilit VOC ,nl ,,,.o,, IF 4 4, -
aiming the causes and basing the de-
clsions upon the solid grounds OF law, il
seems to us that there conld have been
no doubt that Lynohburg ought to have
been selected as the site Of the court.
Besides these the facility Of access which
Lynchburg would afford not only to the
Judges, but to the suitors and the pub.
lie generally and 10 the counsel and off
GERS ofthe Court; and the facility which ii
would afford for communication by mail
between the Court, the counsel and the
officers ofthe Court and others,ar unques
ticnably superior 10 those of The place Sc
lected; " bile the accommodations which
Lynchburg would afford to those whose
interest would bring them to the Cour,
are incomparativ more ample and supe
ror. One would think also, that the fact
that Lynchburg is the market town Of
nearly every county in the District, OF
most of them TO large extent, of sons sx-
clusively. and hence that the business o.
the sui!ors Of the Court bring them here.
and that there is larger number of resi-
dent counsel here than at any other place
In the District is entitled to consideration.
1t Seems obvious that the suitors could at
tend to their suits with much less inconve
nlence and expense, in Court held at a
p ace to which their business calls them,
than elsewhere, and at point where there
is large number of resident counsel, rath-
er than at point to which counsel would
necessarily have to be brought from dis
lance. We understand it is Commended
that Pit,sylvania C. H. has the advan
tage of being nearerthe geographical cen
tire. We do not know how that can be
made to appear; and If it could, we Cannot,
perceive how it is sufficient to over ride
the advantages referred to, if indeed it be
an advantage; for it is certain that the
centre Of the area may be the most incon-
venient place in the world 10 getto
Without going into a repetition of the
unconstitutional reasons which have been
urged by others, it seems to us that if the
question had come up upon its merits, and
had not been complicated with sumo in
dependent and adverse sectional interest
if the Delegates who had no local interes,
in it could have examined i, for them
selves. the decision must have been differ
ent. What prospect there is oirevising the
decision. and renser,ing in the Bill the
site fixed by the committee, we are unable
to say. When the importance of the sub
ject is considered it seems worthy Of re-
consideration. The inefficiencv of the
Judicial system ofthe Commonw alrh, The
unweildly character of the growing dock
cts had no small influence in producing the
call for the Reform Conveniio The con-
vention has adopted system " hich seems
preferable TO the old one, and witch if
properly organized NAV prevent recur.
renee of the evils complained of. But it is
as yet untred. One thing however is Ger
tain; under the old system the appellate
Court was nearly always IN session; IN
der the new system the appellate .Judpes