Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-01

Ounu Ii convenient TO give NY HtttHtiOH " eOHiC
ther business, to have been absent from the Com
hittee while These questions were under discus
iop and especially whent the votes were taken up
bn them But, Mr.. Speaker, was there; | was
present in every instance and cast my vote openly
bn every disputed question. | was there, because
conceived it my duty to he there although some
fines at great personal Inconvenience; and for the
additional reason. that was unwilling, by my
absence. to subject myself to the suspicion OF
having lodged and of being afraid, upon those
questions. to perform service which the order o
this House had devolved in part upon me. men
ton these circumstances, MIR. Speaker not with
the view the expectation that they VIII or ought
to secure me single vote on the pending motion;
but as evidence of the fact that from the com
mencement of this session to the present moment,
have relied upon the justice and strength OF my
cause upon the intelligence and impartiality of
those who are TO decide it-and upon nothing
else and shall now proceed to endeavour to prove,
by plain, simple argument that this reliance was
not il-tounded.
What are the considerations that should direct
us in the location of these district courts! l sub
NIT that we should have regard mainly, to cen
tqality of p0Sltion-coRren lenceS Of acceSs-dnd
facilities for the accommodation OF sutors, court
and bar in the dispatch of theirbusiness. There are
other matters which, the above considerations being
equal or nearly equal, in any two competing lseali
ties, ought to control our action. These are the
amount of legal business done IL the several coun-
ties favouring the different locations-the wishes
of the people of those countless where they can
be ascertained-(the fairest index to these is the
voice of their representatives -nnd the diffusion
throughout the district at large ofthe general be-
nets resulting from courts OF Justice-such as the
promotion of social intercourse among the people
and their instruction in regard to their lights and
duties citizens of free county.
l. First, then, as to centrally of position. l
confess, Mr.. Speaker, that other things being
equal, this consideration ought to determine us
in our decision. The gentleman from Pittsylva-
mia has affirmed that it is established usage
to locate court houses in the centre of county.
He relies on this usage us amounting to 1.-THE
force of law" | am willing that he shall have
the full benefit of his statement, with but slight
modification, which, I am sure, at some other
time, he would accept entirely correct. He
and |, this point will not be forced SO far apart
as we shall be presently in regard to other posi-
tions taken and statements submitted by him.
In locating county court houses, the practice has
been, so far as know, to adjust them with refe-
renee to the centre OF the county, andto the ia
cties in getting to court, and the accommoda-
tons after the court house is reached. Will the
gentleman accept the amendment! | presume,
under the circumstances, he would; but, Just now,
he cannot afford to do so-it would not suit his
case. But the House, am sure, will rule it to
be in order and adopt his proposition as amended.
Look to the map before you, and you will find no
court house in the State in the exact centre of any
county. The gentleman's court house is not in
the centre of his county-and it furnishes proof
that his constituents did not dtcdgs think that
exact centrality to be the controlling criterion
In deciding upon seat Justice. By again look
ing to the map, you will perceive that in sundry
instances, the court houses are located upon the
extreme borders of counties-so located, doubt
less, for the that convenience of access was
more proper to be considered than geographical
centrality. See the counties of Brooke, Ohio
Marshall, Wood, Mason, Cabell, Henrico, Nor
folk and others-all having their court houses on
the borders, because they were deemed more con-
venient to be so located. Observe every other
county in the State and you exact centrality
obtained In none. In the very nature of things it
could not be selected-for it would be next to
miracle that in the geographical centre of coun-
ty, spot should be found having every other re-
commentator for the sight of court house equal
y with all other parts Of the county, with the ad
dltonal one of being reached by roads of the same
length from all directions. Other things than CEN
trality, then, are obliged to be considered-and
established usage" (having 1.-The force of law,''
according to the gentleman,) indeed, universal
practice, shows that other things alaOays con-
sidered and acted upon in selecting places for
holding courts
1t seems to me the gentleman has laid too much
stress upon his supposed advantage in point of CEN
traity-and what is his advantage, according to
his own showing! You will be amused, MIR.
Speaker when | tell you. All the advantage he
claims, according to his map, copied from Crozets
map of Virginia, is that Pttsylvania G. H. is 7
miles nearer the geographical centre of the Dis
trlct than Lynchburg Seuen miles nearer the
centre of territory, embracing twelve counties,
and containing one hundred and ninety-five thou
sand people J And this alleged fact, which lido
not admit, because do not believe it to be true)
Is zealously and seriously urged by the gentleman
as very important matter in this Controversy
fGo5n - IL
superior advantages possessed by Lynchburg in
every other respect, control the decision on this
question, and to induce this House to give the Dis
tr1ct Court to Pittsylvania. Observe you, Mr..
Speaker, the gentleman claimed this Court as one
OF "hc rights" of the people of his county--and
his speech has disclosed the fact that his main
, and chief reliance lin argument) to sustain that
pretension is upon the allegation that according
TO mas map, the centre of territory and the centre
OF popula tlon are found in the county of Pttsyl-
vanla, few miles south Of Staunton River, and
seven miles nearer to Pittsylvania C. H. than to
Lynchburg Now, sir, undertake to prove that
his map is incorrect-that it cannot be relied on
with certainty-indeed that it is grossly inaccu-
rate IN exhibiting distances. If succeed in as
sailing his premises, the soundness of his conclu-
hons' drawn from them, may at least be question
ed. His map is the foundation of his argument
as to the centrahties. My own map of the Dis
tr1ct Is like his and mine is an exact cow nroner
OF Crozet's map, taken by Mr.. ---.
the gentleman who is engaged by the State
to mark a correct map of Virginia. l have taken
the trouble to compare the distances upon Gro
zet's map with actual distances, upon the earth.
which were known to me to others on whom /
relied. In no instance did find them correctlv
stated on the map. Of course, l made allowance
for the necessary difference between a bee line
and line of travel But that does not account for
the great discrepancies which I'll mention as ex
amples. l learn from the gentleman from Pitt