Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-12-06
THE NEWSDEALER EXTRA, DEC. o 1901

have been put aAoat and have performed deeds
which have increased our Naval renOwn.
Iwould invite special attention to the re-
communication of the Secretary Tor O more
perfect organization of the Navy by intro
ducing additional grades in the service. Inc
nresent organization is defective, land unsatis-
factory and the suggestions submitted DY
the department will it is believed 1T adopted
obyiate the difficulties alluded to, promote
the harmony and increase the efficiency Oh
the Navy.
THE COURTS AND LAWS.
There are three vacancies on the bench OF
the Supreme Court, two by the decease
of Justices Daniel and Mclean, sand one by
the resignation of Justice Campbell. have
40 far forborne making nominations
to fill the vacancies, for reasons
. which | will now state. Two OF the
. outgoing Judges resided within the states now
, oyer.run by revolt, SO that if their success
sors were appointed in the same localities
they could not now serve upon their clf'
cults, and many of the most COM
petent men there probably would not take
the personal hazard OF accepting TO sefve'
even here, upon tho supreme oench'
| have been unwilling to throw all the ap-
pointments northward, thus disabling myself
from doing justice to the South on the return
of peace although may remark that 10
transfer to the North one which has mere
tofore been in the South, would not. with
reference to territory and population, be
unjust.
: During the long and brilliant judiciary
career of Judge Mclean, his circuit grew
to an empire altogether too large for any
one Judge to give the courts therein more
than nominal attendance, rising in
population from one million four
| hundred and seventy thousand
land eighteen in 1880, to six mil
7 lions one hundred and fifty-one thousand
S four hundred and five in 1860. Besides this
, the country has outgrown our present
: iud,c,al system. If uniformity was
at all intended tho system requires that ali
5 the States shall be accommodated by circuit
courts attended by Supreme JUDGES while
/ in fact Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas,
!, Florida, Texas, California, and Oregon have
, never had any such courts. Nor can this
q we'll be remedied without a change OF the
= system, because the adding of Judges to
j., the Supreme Court enough for the
s accommodation of all parts of the country
y with circuit courts, would create court al.
together too numerous tor q judicial body OF
2 any sort, and the evil of it will be Une that
Q will increase as new States come into the
:, Union. Circuit Courts are useful or not
!, useful: If useful no state shonld be denied
C them. if not useful no state should have
: them let them be provided for all, or abol-
J ished as to all.
It Three notifications occur to me, either Of
VI which, think, would be an improvement
J, upon our present system. Let the Supreme
e Court be of convenient number IN any
s event. Then, first, let the whole country
10 be divided into circuits OF convenient
). size, the Supreme Judges to serve in q num-
% Der of them corresponding to their owr
h mum Der, and independent Circuit Judges t.
l. be provided for all the rest. Or secondly,l LEI
y the Supreme Judges be relieved from circui
duties and Circuit Judges provided for al
Is the circuits. Or thirdly, dispense witt
3 circuit courts altogether, leaving tho judi
d cial functions wholly to the District courts
rs and an Independent Supreme Court.
l. respectfully recommend to the consider
Ii alton OF Congress the present condition o
the statute laws, with the hope that Con
gress will be able to find an easy remedy fol
= many of the inconvenience and evil
oi which constantly embarrass those engaged
0 in the practical administration of them
!, Since the organization of the government
VI Congress has enacted some tiUe thousand act
u and Joint resolutions, which fill more thar
j. six thousand closely printed pages, and arr
u scattered through many volumes. Many o
~ these acts have been drawn in haste ant
u without sufficient caution, SO that their pro
~ - visions are often obscure in themselves or il
~ conflict with each other, or at least so doubt
% full as to render it very difficult 10
- even the best infor med persons to ascertain
y precisely what the statute law really is. l
~ seems to mo very important that the statut
law should be made as plain and intelligibl
Ut as possible, and be reduced to as SINAI
y, y, a compass as may consist with tn
~ fullness and precision Of the will of the leg
Is islature,a the perspicuity OF its language
u This we'll done would think greatly facll
itate the labors of those whose duty 1T Is
~ assist in the administration of the laws, an
30 would be q lasting benefit to the people b
'S placing before them in o more accessible ant
C. ineligible form the laws which so deepl
Oh concern their interest, and their duties.
IL am informed by some whose opinions
respect, that all the acts Of Congress now l
as force and of aIpermament and general nature
us might be revised and rewritten so as to
as embraced in one volume or at least two vo
70 umes OF ordinary and convenient size, and
Oh respectfully recommend to Congress to col
90 slider the subject, and if myisuggestions be.al
W proved, to devise such plan as to their wi
M dom shall seem most proper, for the affair