Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-10-11
sr--rs For the Standard.
OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
(No. 1.)
To the Nem6s's elect Of the Senate and
H0Jse of Com,

To the Members elect of the Senate and
-. House Of Commons:
IT is my purpose to bring to the notice of the
public certain matters connected with the past his
tory and present constitution of the judicial system
of the State and as it may be your province to
pass upon the subject 1 have taken the liberty of
addressing myself to you. 1t can hardly be neces-
sary to say, that no department of the government
is more directly connected with the safety and good
order of society, than that of the judiciary. And
however important it may be- to the proper admin
stration of justice, to have enlightened judiciary,
it is quite as important to have correct and we'll
devised system. 1t is useless to have able and
perenccd Judges and to talk of correct and speedy
administration justice without proper system for
administering the laws.
Law, and divided the State into six judicial districts
Syith three judges; and this system continued until
the year 1906. We have County Court sys-
tenn, which has existed, without change, since the
foundation of the government We have had, also,
Court of Errors, first consisting of Court of Con-
present Supreme Court of three judges, separate
and distinct. u. - -=.-.
In the year 1906, the General Assembly declared,
that "the delays and expenses, nseparable from the
present constitution of the Courts of the State do
often amount to denial of justice, the ruin of suit
orS, and render change in the same indispensaby
necessary" They then declare, "that Superior
Court shall be held in each county of the State,
twice in every year "-dividing the State into six
circuits of ten counties to each circuit and appoint
ing six judges, with salary of fifty pounds for
each court 1t assigned David Stone to the first
circuit; John Lewis Taylor to the second; John
Hall to the third; Spruce McCay to the fourth !;
Samuel Lowre to the fifth; and Francis Lock to
the sixth.
We have had in this State few changes in ju-
dcal systcm-perhaps fewer than in any of our Sis
ter States. And however this may argue stability
q ri hp q
of doubt.
This system Of ten counties to each circuit con-
tinued without change until 1913, when the county
of Haywood was established and added to the sixth
circuit and in the year 1916 the county of Column
bus was established and added to the fifth circuit
Thus matters stood until the year lSIS when the
present Supreme Court was established, and John
Hall, Leonard Henderson and John Louis Taylor
We're elected as Judges In the year 1922, the coun-
ty of Rowan divided, and the county OF David
son established and added to the fourth circuit The
county of Macon was erected in 1928, and the coun
ty of Yancy in the year 1882, and added to the sixth
circuit. In 1886, the county of Davie was establish
ed, and formed part of the then sixth circuit.
Thus matters stood in 1886, with sixty-siX coun-
ties and six circuits. The salary of the Judges, in
1906, when the circuit court system went into ope-
ration, was fifty pounds court, as fixed by the act
of 1876. In 1908 it was reduced to forty pounds a
court with one hundred dollars for attending the
Court of Conference or Supreme Court, as called un-
der the act of 1910. This arrangement of circuits
and compensation to the Judges continued until the
session of 1918, when the Supreme Court was esta-
blishcd composed of three Judges, with salary OF
twenty-five hundred dollars; and the salary of each
of the Circuit Judges then fixed at ninety dol
lcrs the court. Thus the Circuit Court system had
continued with the Court of Conference from the
year 1906 to the year lSls with six circuits of six
ty-two counties, and salary of forty pounds the
court, and fifty pounds for the Supreme Court. And
the same system continued from 1918 to 1886, with
out change addition, except the addition of four
new counties to the circuits.
Thus closes the first of the Circuit Court sys-
tam, with six circuits of ten counties each and six
judges. How far the system had succeeded in rem.
edyng the delays and expenses incident to the old
district sysen, and in carrying justice to every mans
door, as its friends promised it should do when esta-
blished it is not my purpose now to inquire, but
leave such for future consideration.
GASTON.