, 1864-05-04
COUNTY COURT CONVENTION.
Meeting Of the Comfy Court Judses-.Proeeed'
tncs fer tic Reform Of Probate LAWS.

Tie convention Of tic County Judges ccmmen al |
tie eit,irls yesterday In the County Cort room Of
this city, The meeting vas caledto order BY Hon,
Jrmcs q. Eradwell, who read the following circu-
lar:
w1, he undersigned Comfy 5raRes IN the State
oi lliuoif, being convinced Of fthe necessity and i'm
poit:ree OF having some uniformity in the p1nctlco
Of the County Courts IN Probate mattesa, and te-
ting tha the present Probate stem is imperfect
should be made therein save such rs are tue fruit
OF experience, and adopted with the greatest care
and ND. ss5n,iny, Do hereby nnits in calling acouyen
a. Chicago, at the County Coart room, on the 1st
Tuesday Of May next at 70 O'Clock NJ, to take in
to eonsde, alton The r3prlety Of adopting unlf,r
the Stste: also, Of determining whst amendments
arc necessary to our present Probate Law, and re-
commencing their passage to our Legislature the
other and further business rs may be brought be-
fore the Convention, in relation to the County
Courts, Probate law and practice.
]. B. BRADwE1L, &C., &C., &r.
Judge Bradwell then addressed the couvendonas
follews:
This, gentlemen, is the first exclusively. probase
convention that ever met IN the bounds Of the
fret ore that ever met within the limits OF the
United EtatsR, and look gentlemen 70 this conyen-
tion a. beng The means Of great good il properly
We a1e told in the call that the objects Of the
convention are to take into consideration the pro-
ps1ety Of adopting uniform e7stea Of Practice IN
probate matters, md determining Whist amend
nen,s are necessary to our present proba'e law.
Thesc are objects which every citizen in the State
has deep interest In, for there ID no branch OF
business concerns Of The various classes of the
community than the Law relating TO the settlement
Of the estates Of deceased persons.
ctmb,ncd with prudent and economical manase~
ment Of their affairs, avoie legal coaroyers'es,
and ohsists tae neceas of resort t9 to tDunas 1s
Vhatever worldly goods they may leaye BE-
hind sre By , }nea ana aeon
he county courts. il is TO these coarts that 1he
dying man looks With confidence. 70 re tnat a. g,
Widow shall he rro;ec:el in her legal rights from
| the raeping hungry creditor, when his Hant sha!i
longs able protect he5 an1 ~ so'ee ~
savcd from devour1ng and dishonest guardians;
that they shall be educated as be directs 1na
up N the i o. 6e tSsr esa
sr1cd or important trust committed to the care or
Jurisdiction Of any earthly tripuua1!
that Hon. Ans0n 5. Miller, OF Winnebaso. ba ap-
pointed temporary chaifman OF the CoGsenton;
Fhc TeeolnLon was unaniuaous1y carried, aud
'rsee nee At:fs 'Gcs pisna nd ri q Lae
names OF ihe cornhes in asphAbetseal osdss, and
rtpopas: .ee saos:sA ea Fasksr;
ii. kuox: Cass-J. 0. Cunninsham; cook-Jamta
D. brcsa1en; DeKaib-:EdEs1d /, MsyS; DaPsse
salie-P. K. Leland7 McLean-A- J. Merriam
osle-yEt sut; IL, 9:,snd5oss'l sn ha,
for1h: WnHen-John Porter Winnspaso-Ansou
s. Eiller; TazewelHWn. l. Morse. .,z.a
do9 hneEs xis
Face. ard ali { thtr cx-Coauty Judges Of the state
BE- invited to take part In the proceedings Of the
Hnsolut:on submitted by Judge Cunningham,
apponng The -. = .ne Pc pnan MI
PTe.idcut. returned his thapls for the high homo,
S.ge sa e@ on ss Ills occasion for tht
purpose Of suggesting and discnssinY improve
Incilts iu the lsWs and practice pertaining 10 ths
ina. ~ aT of :arc occurrenc, and a1nost Or quite
w1thont prcceoent IN lllinois:: II is not. indeed
the p1osirce ot Judges to make laws, bu
experience. recommend to the Legislature sucl
amendments In the Laws ss the pnhlie good Fe
quire.. This then t. 9n1 % whole object; Me Wiz 4,
fichta Of he wi1oxa and chNdfen, and czedito1
aud others interested in the cstste= OF per
CONS, and the adoption Of nnl1otm pfaetace IN r.
Comfy Courts Of this great and IlEtng State. ",
exercise in the conrts sort Of mixed Jurisdiction
which, il ZONE COMMITTEES, Is divided In the court
and sant5 ana tn1se !, o. as n an 40
Tribunals he beleaSed and ihe helpless arc to Ant
1hesr CHIEF protection. Or purpose is to hone.,l
snch Rehabilitation and here with no elements O
paitlzan strife, there will be no sarzfns feeling
and c1ashlng interests TO disturb the harmony o
!rnst therefore that the result Of our delibera
tIons will reflect alike the welfare Of the public an
The homer Of the Convention.
For the purpose Of facilitating the bue1ness Of til
| Convention, resolution was offered by Juoc
BfaGwdl to the effect that the non Of member
p1csent be called alphabetically and that eaca ger
Convention with bis views on the present deiecsiv
condition OF the Probate and County Court law
and the needed amendments. ,
| To this resolution an amendment was offered b.
! Judge Bogue, that COMMITTEES Of ayc be appointe
10 consider upon and present to the Convention
| euch programme OF the amendments in the lsW
as IN their Judgment may seem necessary and u
Thesmcuducnt was carried. and q eommitte
consisting Of Judges Bosoe, btaGwel, Aayo, Fo
inttructiona. The Committee was to report at
| o'clock -..-..-
Il At the afternoon SESSION. the COMMITTEES az
pointed ut the morning meet.ng submitted Il
following List of matters pertaining 10 PROBATE Il
reou.ring special consideration:
To the Convention Of Comfy Judges:
Your Committee TO whom was referred the ma
tiers to be brought before the Convention, hsEin
had the same updcr advieement. beg lcave TO +
Istters Tesjamentary- and Of Administration
Dut!ee OF Executors and administrators an
| Guardians: Inventory, 4ppEaisement aud Sale
E Personal Property; sale and Partition OF Rc'
; Eetate; Widows Allowance and Dover: The 4
lowance and Adjudication oi Clains aralnst
q | with Executors, Administrators and Guardians.
Upon the motiun Of Judge Brnduel 1t was +
' solved that the subjects presented in the report
l. tie c. muaittte, and inch 1theEs IS may occur
It | nemb&rs pteetnt, he discussed By the Coufentio
i, Preparatory to the retiring Of the Commltte
= JudEe .ptrfo1th. Judge 8rad* eA ana otatea.
clcsEed the Convention npon the reforms need
i ! in the County Court, making especial reference
the ncces e{ty for the concurrent Jurisdiction OF
Counts with the Circuit Courts In the dieposltt
Z. of the lands Of wards md fus ane persons II
5 afttrprnent ct dover In the partition Or me A2n
ID Of heirs ard wards The aboliehment o. the psree
,e &c EaTfe method Of dieposln9 OF tue atcoonts
ii eTecntors. aiyninfetzators and guardians, the
IL ! fectlou Of one paper only as medium OF ad7
ti4tnr the notices Of the Cougtss and the coElu
fnl al iueape persons to the asylum only upon
verdict Of a tury- II Ens A.su contended that
% administrations IN the case oi smsn essates ano
~ haze authority to take possession Of and keep
~ zane in repair, where In the end the estate wo
have to be resorted 10 for the payment of debts
ap A rfeoturiQn was Submitted by Judge Leila
rc- stimulating that all the matters referred to In
hc report OF the committee should pass INTO the hhl
a. ! thereon, ard thst the Conv shonld then
TO | iou1n to meet tn December next to receive the
~ i rtoue reports. The motion vsns, however, TEN
Nm rariy Withdrawn. to give time for further Te
IN la1iou Of the needed reforms and Tor the pIrpos
an comparing notes in the disparity of the Cont p
ia tice Of the different counties. A most critical
He cueelon upon nl possible and Aagzantly necess
he improvements te1mlnatcn Iue uieatpus. auo
ou Convection adjourned to meet this. morning
~. | O'Clock.