Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-30
PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE JUDICIARY OF THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MAYORS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, DEcEMBKR 20, 1854.
To the Editors Of the National Ante2igsncr:
GENTLEMEN: Believing the bill which lately passed
the House Of Representatives and which is pending
in the Senate toreorganze the Courts in the District
Columbia and to reform and improve the laws thereof"
to be of great Importance to the interests Of the people
of the District Of Columbia respectfully ask its publ
cation in the Integencer Of tomorrow morning that
its provisions may be generally known.
Respectfully, SC.
JNO. I. TOWERS, Mayor.
AN ACTt reorganze the Courts the District Of Coum
bia and 10 reform and improve Tic laTs thereof.
Whereas since the rerocession Of Alexandria county to
the State of Virginia, it has beuome expedent to
duce the number of judges in the District Of Columbia
and curtail the judicial expenses hereof aud repre-
sented by citizens Of said District that the courta thereof
should be recrganzed and its laws reformed and i'm
proved: Therefore
Bel enacted By ae Senate 1ad House Of Representatives Of
the United States Of america IN Congress assa5e That
much OF the acts of Congress heretofore passed
the circuit court, the district court the Orphans court
and the criminal court Of the SAID District be and the
same are hereby repealed and al Of said ceus and m
ohces OF judges and cAer officers thereof be and the
same are hereby for ever abolished
Sec 2. And be IL tsrgksr enacted, That there shate
court to be styled the "Court of Common Pleas Of the
District Of Coumb in, Of which there shall be aingle
judge; which sal court shall be invested with I'll the
and posses and exercised by said
circuit court Of District Of Columbia in every respect
except as hereins ir provided and the said court shall
hoid three terms year. 30 w.t. the first Mondays Of
March, Septemt a. and Eecember All process for the
institution and conducting of suits in said court shall be
made returnab an the clerks Office thereof rule day.
Inc hrst Mont Ayn each month shall be rule day,
In those months uron the first Mondays whereof the
Terms OF said court she'll commence herein provided
III which case he last Mondays Of the months respec
lively proceed mr. those in which the court shall commence
its terms aforesaid shall be rule days The rules may
De continued luhree deys.
There sh be docket Of the cases at rules kept by
the clerk Of e said court wherein the rules shall be en-
tered VIII, n theres no clerk to take the rules in case
it shall be continued until the rule day next after there
IS clerk The rules shall be to declare plead reply,
reJon an dior other proceedings to prepare the
for trial. rd they shall be given from month to month
Upon tn rule day to which process Is returned served
the plan f may file his declaration and give the defend
ant ru plead. the defendant fail to appear and
plead the next rules judgment by default shall be
tered Eanst him by the clerk in the Office If the plain
TIN fai ito le his declaration at the rule day to which
pr essis returned executed aforesaid the defend
ant m " give him rule to declare and if the plaintiff
fail t, die his declaration at the next rule day an Office
Judgn lent Of dismissal Of the COSTS shall be
enter ell BY the clerk in his Office Pleas in abatement
and Fecal demurrers shall be fled the first rule day
after the rule given to plead, and not afterwards When
headings at the rules have progressed far that the
81 nliter alone remains to be added to make up the
ssu the may be added by either party, and the
ssr q made up withouta rule for that purpose
All causes in which office Judgment Of any charac-
ter has been entered in which issues have been made
up before the clerk in his Office herein provided shall
by the clerk transferred to the docket of the next
edng term of the court and shall stand for disposal by
Il The court in its discretion for good cause
ay permit the dismissiensto be set aside by filing de-
arsors and if aside, they shall stand at the
nd of the term absolute judgments Of dismissal,
nth costs.
The Office judgment entered in the Office in favor Of
plaintiff may be set aside by plea pleas in bar, by
general demurrer the defendant having the right to file
many several distinct and sufficient pleas in bar he
think and the issles mn n the
aforesaid, shall stand for trial If the judgment OBJ
tanned by any plaintiff in the clerks Office aforesaid
be not set aside by plea or demurrer within the first f
teen days Of the term of the court if the continue
longer than fifteen days. before the end Of the term,
the term should not exceed fifteen days. the shall
become absolute. And if the said judgment be for sum
oerten execution may issue thereupon for debt inter
est end and if said judgment be for inquiry of
danages jury may be empannelled during the term to
make nqusition thereof the judge may the
damages, as the plaintiff may elect and render judgment
In all cases Of office Judgment aside by plea or de-
nurrer and of issues made up in the clerks Office as
aforesaid the court may in its discretion for good
shown, grant coDtinuances, heretofore praotised
4 Sec 3. And be further enacted That there shall be
established in the said District be styled the
Court of Equity Of the District OF Columbia Of which
there shall be single judge; and said court and the
Judge thereof shall possess and have oil the powers and
Jurisdiction held and exercised by the said circuit
court or the judges thereof in equity and also all the
jurisdiction and powers held and exercised by the
orphans Of said District the Judge thereof and
the said court of equity shall be open all judicial days
for the dispatch of business, and all wrs and process
therein shall be reurnable the first Monday Of each
month and the rules Of equity practice prescribed the
Supreme Court Of the United States for the Circuit Courts
of the United States sitting in equity shall be the rules
of said court of equity together with such other rules
4 as may be adopted by said court
Sec. a. And be further enacted, That there shall be
established in said District court to be styled the
Criminal Court of the District of Columbia of which
there shall be single judge and shall hold four terms
year, to wit, the third Mondays Of January, April
July, and November; and said court, and the Judge
thereof shall and exercise oil the powers and u
risdicon of criminal nature possessed and exer-
cised by the said criminal court and district court by
the judges thereof hereby abolished
Sec 5. And be further enacted That the office of re-
gster of wills, existing in said district shall be
and the same is hereby abolished and all the powers
and duties thereof as performed belonging to said
Office of registerof Wills shall be vested in and perform
ed by the clerk Of the said of equity hereby esab
lished
Sec 6. And bet further enacted That all suits and re-
cords pending the law side Of the said circuit court
shall be transferred and continued and become records
Of said court of pleas and such have the
force and effect if originally broAght filed in said
court of and the clerk thereof shall be the
keeper of the chatte land and other records of said Dis
trct not herein otherwise provided for And in like
manner all suits in equity pending, and all suits here
sitting in equity and also all proceedings and records in
in said court of equity and such have the force
And in like manner all records and proceedings in said
rino;ua he to md