Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-19
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1866.


and Errors in our city. A bill is now
before Congress, which will be passed al
the present session, ,remodeling the presen;
Judiciary system. As now established, we
have, in the Seventh Circuit, the States Of
Ohio and Michigan, each State having
two districts, and each district one judge,
viz: Northern and Southern Districts of
Ohio, and Eastern and Western Districts
of Michigan, presided over by Judges
Wilson, Leavitt, Wilkins and Wythe.
In each District Circuit Court is now
held three times in each year, presided
over by Judge .Swayne. Appeals lie
from the District Judge to Judge Swayne
in maritime and civil cases, and writs of
error from the Supreme Court run TO the
Circuit Ccnri, when the sum in contro-
versy amounts to two thousand dollars.
No appeal from either court or writ Of
error is allowed in criminal cases.
By the proposed law, the Circuit is
consolidated with the District Court, thus
forming in each District but one Ceurt,
and the District Judge is invested with all
the powers of the Circuit Judge
tswayne.) A Court of Appeals and
Errors is TO be established, consisting of
the four District Judges, and one Supreme
Judge, .(Swayne which is to meet in
September of each year. To this court,
appeals can be made in all cases, and it
will issue writs of error TO the District
Courts, in all cases, irrespective of the
amount in controversy.
Every one can see at glance, the
great Importance of this Court. Gases in
admiralty, law and chancery, revenue and
criminal cases, involving millions of |
property and the liberty of the cit
izeLs, will come annually before it.
Parties, witnesses and lawyers, in great
numbers, viii attend its sessions, bringing
to whatever place the Court may be To-
Gated at, a great influx of visitors and
money. In the bill before Congress,
Cleveland is fixed as the location. But
Cincinnati, Columbus and Detroit each
claim it. They can say nothing against
our location-that is central, and easy of
access from all parts of the two States.
But we have no law library, and they
have, and this objection to our city is de-
cisive. Such a Court must have law
books. 1t can't borrow them Of Tom,
Dick and Harry.
The members of our bar have formed
an association and will raise at least
s., 900 among themselves, and that is as
much as they can do. But $4,000 more
is needed to give us as good library as
they have in Detroit, Cincinnati or Co.
umbus. Our merchants, landlords, banks
and railroads are more interested in this
matter than the lawyers. Every citizen
IS interested in it. Their litigation would
be done at home. The great expense of
sending counsel and witnesses to Cincin-
natl or Detroit would be avoided. With
l good law library, our Supreme Court
would here hold a summer session. Thus
'ur city would be benefited, and would be-
,ome metropolitan in Judicial m alters, ex-
'elling in that, as in beauty, all other
,laces in the two States.
Messrs- Bolton, Backus, Andrews, Prem
iss and Williamson are the trustees of
he Cleveland Law Library Association,
md will appeal to our citizens for aid in
his matter during the ceming week. We
rust that every enc will give TO the trus-
.ees hearty, liberal response.