Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-27
Court BflI,

ED1roR LEDGER; On my return from
Nashville my attention was called to an
editorial which appeared in your paper
on the evening of the 18th inst, in regard
to the action of our Legislature on the
Court bill. If any portion of said
article had any reference to ne, | desire
to correct the erroneous impression made
on your mind, and l am sure you will
do me the justice to set me right before
the people.
went to Nashville on private busi-
ness, but on meeting with our Represen-
tatives / was surprised to learn, that
although the bill had passed the House
with only four or five opposisg votes,
there was trouble in the Senate Judiciary
Committee. At the request of Mr.. Cub
bins / went with him to see Mr.. Ed.
Cooper, who was the champion of
the opposition and found him earnestly
opposed to giving US additional Judges.
l brought to bear every argument in my
power in favor of the passage of the bill
giving us two Chancellors and three Cir
cult Courts. He insisted that it was
taxing the State with the salaries OF
these Judges, and that the State was not
in such condition ss to justify it. l
answered this argument By telling him
that we had $4,000 civil cases on our
dockets. on which was suspended about
| 100000 State tax, and that if he would
give us the Courts our people had asked,
we would dispatch such an additional
amount of business as would bring into
the State Treasury four times the salaries
of the additional Judges The commit
tee had 9 meeting and voted to lop off
the second Chsncery and the third CIR
cui. Court. Cubbins. Townsend and
Jones we're all opposed to their action,
and requested another meeting of the
committee that ] might appear before
them and make a statement. To this
they scceded, and was called before the
committee, where met Mr.. Townsend
and Mr.. Cubbins, beth contending for the
whole number of eonFts, We appealed
To the committee TO reconsider their ao-
ton, and give rs the bill as our people
had declared for itr-paintsining that
our bar people and Representatives were
the better judges of what we needed in
the premises.
Mr.. Etheridge said, as he had voted In
faroY of looping off the two courts, be
now, after hearing our statements, moved
to reconsider the vote of the committee.
This being done retired, believing we
would get all we asked. In few min
utes, however, Mr.. Cabins called on me
and said be could not get from the com
mittee both, second Chancery aud third
Circuit Courts. ] told him not
to compromise at ell. That our
people wanted what they had
asked for, and to mako no conces-
sion. He thereupon did bis utmost to
prevent the loss of either, but was over
ruled by the influence of Mr.. Ed. Cooper,
and the third Circuit Court was dropped.
| am glad to say Messrs. Cabins, Jones
and Townsend advocated with all their
ability the whole bill, and never con.
scented to any compromise, sm
sure orr representatives. in the Honse
will never concur in the amendment
made by Mr.. Cooper.
When / left, was informed that Mr.,
Cooper, at the request of some citizens
of Bartlett, was drafting bill to give
them the Third Circuit Court Tor the &C.
commodation of the people in that vicin-
iiy. Messrs. Cubbins and Townsend said
they never would advocate such a bill
unless the Memphis Bar recommended
aud asked for it. Whether it was Mr.
Cooper's object originally, In striking
out the Third Circuit Court, to give 1t to
Bartlett City, ! cannot say. It is, never
theless, true that be is responsible for the
loss Of that court
refer to Messrs. Jones, Townsend,
Cubbins, Cooper, E;heridge, Ray, Bough-
ner and others, who will bear witness
that used and exerted whatever inhu-
ence had in endesvoring to prevent the
loss of either of the Courts; and further
say that whatever other amendments sp-
pear to the bill in regard to the con-
demnetion of lands for taxes, they were
already agreed upon and fled before l
reached Nashville, and that, therefore,
there was no compromise made or con-
templaled by any one so far as ] knew.
Please give insertion to this, my reply,
that justice may be done, and oblige
NJ I'D. L. STEWART.