Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1861-12-12

pensatcd at the same rate as Chap.
lains IN the army. ! further suggest
: that genrcal provision be made fol
Chaplains to serve at hospitals as
well as with regiments. ........
The report of the Secretary Of the
Navy presents in detail the operations
of>that branch of the service, and the
activity and energy which have char.
acterized it's administration, and the
result of measures to increase its cf.
ficiency and power. Such have been
the additions by construction and pur.
chase that it may almost be said a
navy has been created and brought
into service since our difficulties com.
mcnced. Besides blockading our
extensive coast, squadrons larger
than ever before assembled under our
flag, have been put afoat, and per-
formed deeds which have increased
our naval renown.
| would invite special attention to
the recommendation Of the Secretary
of the Navy for more perfect or
ganization Of the Navy, by introdu-
cling additional grades in the service.
The present organization is defective
and unsatisfactory, and the suggcs.
tions submitted by the Department
will, it is believed, if adopted, obviate
the difficulties alluded to, promote har-
mony and increase the efficiency Of
the Navy. ! respectfully recommend
to the consideration of Congress the
present condition of the statute laws,
with the hope that Congress will be
able to find an easy remedy for the
many Inconvenience and evils which
constantly embarrass those engaged
in their practical administration.
Since the organization of the Gov
ernmcnt, Congress has enacted some
five thousand acts and joint resolu-
tions which fill more than two thou
sand closely printed pages, and are
scattered through many volumes. Ma
ny of these acts have been drawn i'm
haste, and without sufficient caution,
so that their provisions arc often OBJ
scure in themselves or in conflict with
each other, and at least so doubtful as
to render it difficult for even the best
Informed persons to ascertain precise
ly what the statute law really is.
1t seems to me very important that
the statute law should be made as
plain and ineligible as possible, and
Do reduced to as small a compass as
may consist with the fullness and pre-
cision of the will of the legislature
! l.x r "a.
These well done would, think GREAT.
ly facilitate the labors of those whose
duty it is to assist in the administra-
tion Of the laws, and would be last
ing benefit to the people, by placing
before them in q more accessible and
Ineligible form, the laws which SD
deeply concern their interest and their
duties. | am informed, by some whose
opinions | respect, that all the acts Of
Congress now in force, and of perma-
nent and general nature, might be re-
vised and rewritten SO as to be en-
bodied in one volume, or at least two
volumes of ordinary and convenient
size.
respectfully recommend to Con
gress to consider the subject, and if
my suggestion be approved, to devise
such plan as to their wisdom shall
seem most proper for the attainment
of the end proposed. There are three
vacancies on the Bench Of the Su-
prcme Court-two by the decease Of
Justices Daniel and Mexican, ard one
by the resignation of Justice Camp.
bell. have SO far forborne making
nominations to gill these vacancies for
reasons which will now state Two
of the outgoing Judges reside within
the States now overwhelmed by revolt,
so that if successors were appointed
in the same localities they could not
serve upon their circuits, and many
Of the most competent men there prob
ably would not take the personal haz.
ard Of accepting to serve, even here,
upon the Supreme Bench. .... E..
| have been unwilling to throw all
the appointments northward, thus dis
abling myself from doing justice to
the South on the return of peace, al
though may remark that to transfer
to the North one who has heretofore
been in the South, would not, with
reference to the territory and popula-
tion. be unjust. During the long and
brilliant judicial career of Judge Nc
Lean, his circuit grew into an empire
altogether too large for any one Judge
to give the courts more than nominal
attendance--rising in population from
l,470,000 in 1881 to l6,5l4.05 i'm 1860.
Besides This, the country has general
ly outgrown our present Judicial sys.
TEN.
Ii Uniformity was at oil intended,
the system requires that all the States
shall be accommodated with Circuit
Courts attended by Supreme Judges,
while, in fact, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
Iowa, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Califor.
MIA and Oregon, have never had any
such Courts nor can this be we'll
rcmcdied without change Of the sys-
tenn, because the adding Of Justices
to the Supreme Court-enough for the
accommodation Of all parts of the
country with Circuit Courts-would
create Court altogether too danger
Gus for judicial body Of any sort, and
the evil of it be that it will increase
as new States come into the Union.
Circuit Courts are useful or they are
not useful. Ii useful no State should
be denied them if not useful. no
State should have them. Let them be
provided for all or abolished as to all.
Three notifications occur to ne here,
which think would be an improve.
ment upon our present system. Let
the Supreme Court be of sufficient
number, let the whole country be d.
vided into circuits Of convenient size,
the Supreme Judges to serve in mum.
ber corresponding to their own mum.
ber, and independent circuit Judges
be provided for all the rest Or, sec,
ondly, the Supreme Judges be retired
from circuit duties, and circuit Judges