Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-12-13

orally has outgrown our present judicis
system. If uniformity was at all intend
ed, the system requires thai all the state
shall be accommodated with circuit court
attended by supreme judges, while il
fact Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas
Florida, Texas, California and Oregon
have never had any such court. No
can this be well remedied without q
change of the system, because the adding
Of judges to the supreme court, enough
for the accommodation Of all parts of th,
country with the circuit courts, would
create a court altogether too numerou,
for judicial body of any sort. And the
evil of it will be one that will increase
as new states come into the Union. CIR
cult Courts are useful; if useful no state
should be denied them. If not useful nc
state should have them; let them be
provided for all or abolished to all
Three notifications occur to me, either
of which think, would be an improve
ment upon our present system. Let the
supp eme court be of convenient num-
ber in every event. Then first let the
whole country be divided into circuits ol
convenient size, the Supreme Judges to
serve in a number of them correspond
ing to their own number, and indepen-
dent circuit Judges to be provided for all
the rest; or secondly, let the supreme
Judges be relieved from circuit duties.
and circuit Judges provided for all the
circuits; Or thirdly, dispense with circuit
courts altogether, leaving the judicial
functions wholly to the district courts and
an Independent supreme court.
CODIFICATION OF THE STATUTE LAWS.
l respectfully recommend to the con-
oiuSI o'lOh VI SOnSl CSS Tue PICecut COu-
dition of the statute laws, with the hope
that Congress will be able to find an easy
remedy for many of the inconvenience
and coils which constantly embarrass
those engaged in the practical admins
tration of them. Since the organization
of the Government, Congress has enacted
some five thousand acts and joint resolu-
tions. which fill more than six thousand
closely printed pages, and are scattered
through many volumes, Many of these
acts have been drawn in haste and with
out sufficient caution, so that their pro-
visions are cften obscure in themselves,
or in conflict with each other or at least
SO doubtful as TO render it very difficult
for even the best informed persons to as
certain precisely what the statute law
really is. 1t seems to me very impor-
.ant that the statute laws should be made
as plain and intelligent as possible, and
De reduced to as small compass as may
consist with the fullness and precision of
he will of the legislature and the perspi-
,uity of its language. This, well done,
would, | think, greatly facilitate the la
1ors of those whose duty it is to assist in
he administration of the laws, and would |
)e a lasting benefit to the people by plac-
ng before them in a more accessible and |
form, the laws which so deep
y concern their interests and their du-
les. | am informed by some whose
opinions | respect, that all the acts of
Congress now in force, and of a perma-
lent and general nature, might be re- +
yised and rewritten, so as to be embrac-
ID in one volume, or at least two volumes
# ordinary and convenient size, and |
recommend to Congress to
consider the subject, and if my sugges-
ion be approved, to devise such plan as
o their wisdom shall seem most proper
or the attainment of the end proposed.
OF JUSTICE IN THE
INsURGENT STATES.
One of the unavoidable consequences
# the present insurrection is the entire
Impression in many places Of all ordina-
y means of administering civil justice by
he officers and in the forms of existing
aw. This is the case in the whole or in
art of all the insurgent states, and as
ur armies advance upon and take pos
ession of parts of hose states, the prac-
cal evil becomes more apparent. There
re no courts nor officers to whom the 1
itizens of other states may apply for the
Increment of their lawful claims against
tizens of the insurgent states, and there
a vast amount of debt, constituting such
have estimated it as high
, two hundred millions of dollars-due {
large part from insurgents in open re-
sllion to loyal citizens, who are even
DIV making great sacrifices in discharge |
their patriotic duty to support the n
Under these circumstances e
have been urgently solicited to estab- t
ii by military power, courts to admin il